Help secure Mary and Abadi's future

On January 20, beloved husband, father and Off-Broadway leader Andrew Leynse passed away. Andy was a pillar of the New York theater community, nurturing countless artists over his 21-year tenure at Primary Stages--and most importantly, he was a deeply devoted husband to Mary and father to 12-year-old Abadi.

As Mary reels from the shock of losing Andy so suddenly--and unexpectedly becoming a single parent--she must also continue to support their family and provide for Abadi. Mary is an extraordinary actor, recognized for her "compassionate and searing" work and beloved by theater companies and audiences throughout New York and nationwide. Theater artists' employment is notoriously unpredictable, and Andy's salary as the Artistic Director of Primary Stages provided consistency, security and support for their family while ensuring that Mary could continue her formidable career as an actor.

In this heartbreaking time, we want to ensure that Mary and Abadi can continue their life in New York with as much consistency and stability as possible, that Mary can spend her energy healing and taking care of Abadi rather than dealing with financial hardship, that Abadi can remain at his current school (the only school community he's ever known), and that Mary does not have to immediately choose between supporting her family and continuing her work.

We are coming together as a community to raise funds to support Mary and Abadi through this transition. Andy and Mary were a true theater couple, with a shared devotion to art's power to connect us. We believe that our community can be an example of this power, and can honor Andy's legacy by helping to provide for his family as they rebuild their life. Please join us in coming together to support Mary and Abadi as they navigate the road ahead.