New York City’s most elite hospital gave more than a million dollars to an “anti-racist,” pro-LGBTQ+ theater company as it laid off a thousand workers, records reviewed by The Daily Wire show.
New York-Presbyterian has donated more than 1.3 million to the People’s Theatre Project since 2021, financial records show. In October 2023, Dr. Steven J. Corwin, then president and CEO of the hospital system, pledged to give another million to the theater — an arts program that “centers immigrants and members of the Latine, Black, and Queer communities” — to build a state-of-the-art performance center.
As the hospital was bankrolling the “anti-racist” organization’s quest to “build a world where the oppressed can find Liberation,” it was struggling financially. In May 2025, it announced it was slashing 2% of its workforce, laying off 1,000 people. In 2026 it came under fire when it offered nurses a lower-than-requested annual raise, a cut the hospital blamed on the Trump administration’s economic policies.
In October 2025, Corwin announced he would step down in early 2026.
New York-Presbyterian’s reputation took a serious hit in the final years of Corwin’s 14-year tenure. It’s financial troubles came as it became one of the most expensive hospitals in the country. In March 2026, the Justice Department sued the hospital for “anticompetitive contract restrictions that deny New Yorkers the choice of lower cost healthcare options.”
All the while, it was supporting the People’s Theatre Project.
In October 2023, Corwin appeared with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and “Hamilton” composer Lin-Manuel Miranda to pledge $1 million to the construction of the Centro Cultural Inmigrante, a 19,000-square-foot compound featuring multiple theaters and a gallery, meant to “amplify the voices of New York City’s diverse immigrant communities.” The State of New York contributed $4 million.
“NewYork-Presbyterian is proud to support the People’s Theatre Project, and we look forward to the future of the Centro Cultural Inmigrante,” Corwin said. “This will be a space where members of the community can come together to create meaningful social connections, build a sense of belonging, and help enrich the community and New York City through the arts.”
It is unclear if the hospital ever made the $1 million contribution. Neither NewYork-Presbyterian nor the People’s Theatre Project responded to a request for comment.
The relationship between the hospital and the radical arts organization dates back to 2009, when it was founded by Mino Lora, a leftist who has called for defunding the police and served on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s transition team. That year, New York-Presbyterian partnered with the group on “a health-focused theatre-making program for children ages 5–12.” New York Presbyterian’s Corporate Director of Community Affairs, Monica Hidalgo, serves on the theater’s board.
All told, NewYork-Presbyterian has given the People’s Theatre Project $1,312,500 since 2021. During that time, the theater has produced such plays as “The Diamond,” which “follows a group of detained immigrants who conspire against a dystopian government.” Earlier this month, it hosted a reading of the “Sombraluz,” a play about a marine whose life was “shaped by the trauma of Guantanamo Bay.”
The People’s Theater Project also hosts outright political events, including a “rapid response” and “safe space” to “share feelings, build resilience, and transform emotions into art” in the wake of President Donald Trump’s 2024 election. In January 2026, the theater hosted an “undoing racism” workshop.
“As an anti-racist organization, we believe in Equity for all,” the group’s website reads. “We see the full humanity and immense power that exists in immigrants, youth, people of color, the LGBTQIA community, and people living with disabilities. We work to build a world where the oppressed can find Liberation.”
The People’s Theatre Project works with K-5 “young artists” to celebrate “their identities and communities” through theatre pieces and has a “social justice leadership program” for adolescents in grades 6-12. The organization also partners with elementary, middle, and high schools in New York City.
The organization views theatre “as a catalyst for change,” and its mission includes advocacy for progressive social causes such as dismantling systemic racism, immigrant rights, and LGBTQIA+ rights.
“Racial justice is an urgent priority because systemic racism persists in our society, perpetuating inequality at every turn,” the group’s website says. “Theatre serves as a powerful platform to confront and dismantle these injustices.”
