A benefit concert at Theatre 3 in Uptown Dallas Tuesday night honored actor Derek Whitener and helped raise money for his medical bills.[[411597495,R]]
"We're going to do songs – some songs from shows that he's been in, shows that he's directed, some of his favorite songs," said Calvin Scott Roberts, a fellow actor who is organizing the benefit.
Whitener, 33, is also the artistic director at The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch, and he continues to recover in the intensive care unit at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas following a brutal beating outside the Target store on Haskell Avenue near Uptown late Saturday, Jan. 14.
"I thought, what a really good way to sort of show Derek that we love him and we care about him in the community, because you know when something like this happens, it's tough, but then when it's so close to home, it's even tougher," Roberts said.
A GoFundMe page has already raised more than $100,000 to help with Whitener's medical bills.
Hollywood stars are also lending their support, with Jamie Lee Curtis tweeting, "Random act of kindness meet random act of kindness. Please help."
After hearing about the attack, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, one of the stars of Modern Family, wrote on Facebook, "We can't be silent while these things happen – we must stand together and make noise to ensure that love ALWAYS wins."
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Over the weekend, several North Texas theaters collected donations for Whitener.
The free benefit concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Theatre 3, will also accept donations for Whitener's care.
"I hope to raise a tremendous amount of love tomorrow is really what I hope," Roberts said.
