The Shaw Festival's top executives will donate 50 per cent of their regular pay back to the theatre company to ease the financial strain caused by COVID-19 closures.

CEO Tim Jennings and artistic director Tim Carroll will both donate half their regular earnings to help cover the payroll of those currently employed by the theatre company. The pay cut was done “in solidarity,” Jennings said in an interview

“If we’re going to take a big cut, they (the personnel) weren't going to take one before we did, so that was really the plan,” he said.

Those who can work at a distance will continue to receive full pay, but those who cannot have had pay reduced to 75 per cent for the time being. Jennings said about 60 people have also been laid-off for now.

“We have about 60 people who are affected by that currently. They can’t work from a distance and it made more sense for them to receive the (Canadian Emergency Response) benefits.”

The company has also begun rolling two-week termination notices of contracts, hoping to extend the notice each week as every possible idea to keep the company afloat is explored, Jennings said in a media statement.

As for the $500 million from Ottawa for the arts, culture and sports sectors, Jennings said there’s been no word yet, “but they’re hoping to have an answer for us later this week.”