Actors' Equity president Shindle plans to advocate against cuts to NEA funding, March 16

Kate Shindle, president of the Actors’ Equity Association, plans to advocate against funding cuts for the National Endowment for the Arts and answer questions at a National Press Club Newsmaker press event on Thursday, March 16, at 10 a.m. in the Bloomberg Room.

This news conference is open to credentialed media and Club members, free of charge. No advance registration is required.

President Donald Trump has called for deep cuts in domestic programs to fund a proposed $54 billion increase in defense spending and $10 billion for a border wall with Mexico. Some in the Congress and the administration have said that those cuts should include the NEA with its $149 million annual budget.

Shindle argues NEA grants not only create jobs in the theater but fosters employment in restaurants, hospitality, retail and transportation in theaterdistricts throughout the country.

The Actors’ Equity Association represents 50,000 stage actors and stage managers across the nation. Shindle, who is currently touring in the Broadway production of "Fun Home," has led the association since 2016. She is a former Miss America (1998). In addition to her work on stage, she has appeared in major motion pictures, such as “Capote.”