Broadway is often described as an escape. But for more than a century, the theatre community has also been one of the most organized, generous, and civically active communities in the country. When something needed doing, Broadway has had a habit of showing up.
Here's a short history of how Broadway has turned its talent and visibility into action, and why that tradition matters now.
During World War I, playwright Rachel Crothers and other theatre women formed Stage Women's War Relief. They sewed, raised money, ran clothing drives, and performed for troops. The group later became the American Theatre Wing, which still supports theatre today. Read our guide to the American Theatre Wing.
In August 1919, members of Actors' Equity walked out in a strike that shut down shows across New York and spread to other cities. It lasted about a month and ended with producers recognizing the union. It changed working conditions for stage actors and showed what the theatre community could do when it acted together.
During the Great Depression, the Federal Theatre Project employed thousands of theatre workers and brought live performance to audiences across the country, many of whom had never seen a play. It remains one of the largest experiments in public theatre in American history.
During World War II, the American Theatre Wing ran the Stage Door Canteen beneath the 44th Street Theatre, where some of Broadway's biggest stars served meals and performed for service members. Canteens soon opened in other cities, as well as in London and Paris.
When AIDS devastated the theatre community, Broadway responded with Equity Fights AIDS and Broadway Cares, which merged in 1992. Their fundraising, including the red buckets collected after the show, became a fixture of the Broadway season. Read our guide to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
After the September 11 attacks, Broadway theatres reopened within days, and the industry's return became a symbol of New York's resilience. In March 2020, Broadway shut down for the pandemic and stayed dark for about a year and a half. During that time, the community leaned on the Entertainment Community Fund and Broadway Cares to support out-of-work artists and crew.
Look across this history and a pattern appears. Broadway's activism has mostly been about participation: showing up for the country, for audiences, and for each other. It's a community that knows how to organize, raise its voice, and get people to act.
That tradition is where Broadway for Democracy comes in. We're a nonpartisan nonprofit that channels Broadway's platform into civic engagement, helping fans and theatre workers register, understand the process, and vote. We don't tell anyone who to vote for. As we've written before, civic engagement doesn't require persuasion. It requires participation.
It's the theatre community's long tradition of using its talent, visibility, and organizing power for causes beyond the stage, from wartime service to fundraising to civic engagement.
We're nonpartisan. We focus on participation, like registering and voting, and never on telling people how to vote.
Start by checking your voter registration, then explore our guide to Broadway nonprofits. To help write the next chapter, donate to Broadway for Democracy.
