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Playwright, actor, and activist Matthew-Lee Erlbach joins Half Hour to share insights from the ongoing advocacy movement, Be An #ArtsHero. In this conversation with ensemble member Audrey Francis, Erlbach relates data and stories about the vitality of the arts in American life, speaks to the struggle facing the Arts and Culture field during the COVID Crisis, and suggests how we can reshape our American society to place a higher value on art\\u2014and the workers who make art possible.\\xa0

Interview begins at 4:38

Matthew-Lee Erlbach is a Co-Organizer of Be An #ArtsHero, a national labor movement of Arts Workers urging Congress for an extension of FPUC, a 100% COBRA subsidy, and the passage of the DAWN Act, the nation\\u2019s only comprehensive arts worker relief bill. Playwright credits include THE DOPPELG\\xc4NGER (an international farce), starring Rainn Wilson and directed by Tina Landau (Steppenwolf); his solo-play HANDBOOK FOR AN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY (Gym at Judson/Tony Speciale.); EAGER TO LOSE: A BURLESQUE FARCE IN RHYMING VERSE (Ars Nova/ Wes Grantom/Portia Krieger); SEX OF THE BABY (Access/Michelle Bossy); and his work has been developed/produced with The New Group, Steppenwolf, Vineyard, Ars Nova, MCC, Williamstown, NYTW, Gym at Judson the Orchard Project, and SPACE on Ryder Farm, among others. He has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, Laurents/Hatcher Foundation, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, Puffin Foundation, was a member of Ars Nova's Play Group, MVMNT Theatre\\u2019s Play Group, and is a HUMANITAS New Voices recipient. TV, credits include MASTERS OF SEX/Showtime, GYPSY/Netflix, WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS/ Netflix, and WWE, MTV, and Nickelodeon. He is currently writing an UNTITLED FEATURE with Rainn Wilson and has TV projects set up with SONY, Killer Films, Cavalry, and Mermade/Merman; he is also the writer/director of HUMAN INTEREST which won \\u201cBest Digital Short Series\\u201d at SeriesFest. A proud graduate of the public school system from K-College, his civic work includes a writing program for single mothers transitioning out of homelessness and prison, building shelters with Habitat for Humanity, and working with labor on economic justice issues.

BE AN #ARTS HERO is a national, non-partisan grassroots movement that emphasizes Arts & Culture\\u2019s contribution to the economy, urging Congress for immediate relief. We are a united, intersectional, sector-wide coalition calling for an extension of FPUC, a 100% COBRA subsidy, and the passage of the DAWN ACT, the only comprehensive arts worker relief bill which would authorize $43.85B to the NEA, NEH, IMLS, CPB, and SBA to make grants to the operators, employees, and artists of live venues, recording venues, cultural spaces, and related businesses to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on all Arts Workers across the national Arts Economy. Be An #ArtsHero has appeared on Morning Joe, TODAY, GMA, Late Night w/Seth Meyers and the viral Open Letter to the US Senate has been signed over 13K times by the leaders of every major Arts Org; Pulitzer, Oscar, Tony, and Emmy winners; and countless high-profile names across the Arts. More info at www.BeAnArtsHero.com. \\xa0

Learn more at steppenwolf.org.
Want to get in touch? Email halfhour@steppenwolf.org.\\xa0

You can find a transcript of this podcast here:
https://www.steppenwolf.org/globalassets/half-hour-podcast/half-hour-ep10-transcript.pdf