Team #2: The TO Garden (of Donations)

Hello and welcome to the TO Garden of donation where we plant seeds of money to help grow plants of projects such as Training workshops, Troupe performances both online and offline variations, and last but not least Troupe rehearsals. The seeds you send and share with us this week as well as this month will help us give the proper water and fertilizer to help these amazing plants grow and spread throughout the NYC community and with any luck even further.

Meet Our Gardeners! 

Amorarey (He Him His): Hello all, I'm gardener Amorarey, but I've also been a joker here at TONYC for about three years now. Coming from all the way in the Bronx and starting as an actor, still kinda being one as well, TO has seen me grow up in a lot of ways like that relative you never really knew you needed. I stay in this organization not just because I now work here but because I actually believe in the mission and message we are trying to push.Thank you for coming to support this organization by planting a seed of donation so our actors and staff can continue doing this work while being paid for doing it. Helping non profits make a profit is a great cause (and a tax deductible bonus) and I’m grateful you decided to donate.

Holly: Hi, I’m Holly (they/them), the Operations Director of TONYC for the last 4.5+ years! Our most recent October show with our Rapid Response troupe was also the first in-person show since the pandemic. I’m still thinking of the energy that came from seeing our actors, Jokers, staff, and volunteers together again. Actors were dancing and performing on a stage in Fulton Park, Brooklyn and talking about gentrification and tenant rights based off of real stories from people living in that neighborhood. The audience included local elected officials to people who were walking their dog through the park and stayed for the whole show. Help us keep Rehearsing for the Revolution, paying our actors, staff, and getting these real stories and solutions heard!   

Juncal: Hola everyone! I am gardener Juncal (she/her), and I have been a TONYC Board Member for the last 1.5 years and a big fan of this organization since it was created. I last visited this TO Garden remotely at the peak of the pandemic, but even through the screen the “Condolences I Don’t Need” show put together by the Rapid Response Troupe was as energetic and engaging as ever, and created a space for awareness, critical thinking, sharing and re-shaping. If you can plant a seed (or two), please do. If you can water some of the plants, we would be grateful. This will help keep the grass, plants and flowers alive. But, most importantly, come visit us at the garden soon!

Nathaniel: Hey Y’all! I’m gardener Nathaniel (he/they), and I’ve been volunteering with TONYC for about 5 years now. From shows, to workshops, to community gatherings, this organization and the folks that intersect with it have had an incredible impact on my life. I have learned so much about the structures and forces that shape our lives, the ways in which we intersect with them and each other, and how we can come together to hold space for one another as we navigate it all. This is a community of love and care, and without it, I truly would not be the person I am today. I welcome you to plant a seed, and make a donation to this indispensable organization.