Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory declaring loneliness a public health epidemic. “Given the significant health consequences of loneliness and isolation,” Dr. Vivek Murthy wrote in his report, “we must prioritize building social connection the same way we have prioritized other critical public health issues such as tobacco, obesity, and substance use disorders.” As it happens, there is a natural and time-tested cure for loneliness that has existed for over 2,000 years: the theatre.
The post-pandemic crisis in the American theatre is not over; nonprofits are struggling all over the country as funding sources dry up and audience numbers dwindle. This healing medium needs
