In celebration of LGBTQIA+ and Pride Month, Bob’s Discount Furniture will be making a $2,500 Random Act of Kindness donation to Catskill Mountain Shakespeare (CMS).
“Inspired by the beauty in nature, Catskill Mountain Shakespeare creates professional, immersive theatrical experiences that foster diversity, inclusion, and equity for all,” states CMS.
Bob’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resource Group marked LGBTQIA+ and Pride Month with an internal program, Celebrating Our Diversity, which offers employees the opportunity to share personal stories and information.
Bob’s Senior Copy Writer, Jordan Mann is in her third season with CMS and suggested the organization as part of sharing her story during Celebrating Our Diversity.
“Every year we have LGBTQIA+ events providing a safe space for people to gather, participate in the arts, and create community,” Mann said of CMS. “It is something I look forward to, and wish I had access to growing up. I am thankful and proud to be a part of CMS—artistic safe spaces are vital in every community, but especially necessary in rural regions. I am glad to be a part of creating that space in the Catskills.”
CMS will present their 2023 Outdoor Summer Season, in association with The Catskill Mountain Foundation, with Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It opening July 15; shows run on weekends through July 30. You can learn more about the show here.
Mann will portray Rosalind in the upcoming show, and previous roles include Bottom in Midsummer and Toby on Twelfth Night. You can learn more about Mann’s acting career here.
Steele Whitney, Alec Seymour, Ump Paranjpe and Jordan Mann.
Artistic Director Sarah Reny shared that CMS’s Outreach program offers several ways to make Shakespeare accessible to all including a low-cost/no-cost ticket initiative, an LGBTQ+ Midsummer Social, a relaxed performance geared toward families with free tent-side childcare, and theatrical workshops for kids.
“Catskill Mountain Shakespeare presents classic theater and new work initiatives in immersive and natural settings while fostering diversity and equity for all,” added Reny.
Bob’s launched Celebrating Our Diversity in 2023 with past support of: The Black Giving Circle, the Wonderfund, Habitat for Humanity Women Build 2023, and AAPI Montclair. Bob’s will continue to celebrate national heritage months throughout the year with their internal program and their Random Acts of Kindness giving.
