National Endowment for the Arts Expands Shakespeare for a New Generation to Introduce More Students to Magic of Live Theater

Arts Endowment Announces Participating Theater Companies

May 12, 2005

		Contact: Victoria Hutter, NEA 202-682-5692 hutterv@arts.gov

Washington, DC - The National Endowment for the Arts today announced the participating theater companies for the third phase of its acclaimed initiative Shakespeare in American Communities and the second year of Shakespeare for a New Generation. With the number of companies involved in the program expanding from 21 in 2004 to 35 in 2005-06, 35 grants will be awarded totaling $975,000. Companies will receive matching funds to support activities targeting students from at least 10 schools in their communities, states or regions during the 2005-06 school year.

This new phase of the program will include theater companies that present full productions of the play and those that present Shakespeare's work through model education programs. Arts Midwest, a regional arts organization based in Minneapolis, is managing the program.

Mrs. Laura Bush commended the program's expansion. "Shakespeare for a New Generation brings the world of this great playwright to thousands of school children throughout the country," Mrs. Bush said. "As Honorary Chairman of the Shakespeare in American Communities project, I am delighted to see this effort expanded so that even more children will be able to experience the magic of William Shakespeare."

Since its 2002 inauguration, Shakespeare in American Communities has reached more than 550 communities with more than 1200 performances in areas as diverse as Monmouth, Maine; Douglas, Arkansas; and San Diego, California.

"We are delighted to broaden the scope of Shakespeare for a New Generation so that several hundred thousand more students will get the chance to see a great play in a great production," said Dana Gioia, Chairman of the Arts Endowment. "This program helps actors, students, teachers, and theater companies while improving the quality of education across the country. It is a model of both artistic excellence and grassroots accessibility."

The following 35 theater companies have been selected to participate in this next round of Shakespeare for a New Generation.

A Noise Within
Glendale, CA
$25,000

The Acting Company
New York, NY
$35,000

Actors Theatre of Louisville
Louisville, KY
$25,000

American Players Theatre
Spring Green, WI
$35,000

The Aquila Theatre Company
New York, NY
$35,000

Arkansas Repertory Theatre
Little Rock, AR
$35,000

Atlanta Shakespeare Company
Atlanta, GA
$25,000

Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre
Fairbanks, AK
$25,000

Georgia Shakespeare Festival
Atlanta, GA
$25,000

Guthrie Theater
Minneapolis, MN
$25,000

Idaho Shakespeare Festival
Boise, ID
$35,000

Indiana Repertory Theatre
Indianapolis, IN
$25,000

Long Wharf Theatre
New Haven, CT
$25,000

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks
Bozeman, MT
$35,000

Nevada Shakespeare Company
Reno, NV
$25,000

The Old Globe
San Diego, CA
$25,000

Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Ashland, OR
$35,000

The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University
Center Valley, PA
$25,000

San Francisco Shakespeare Festival
San Francisco, CA
$25,000

Seattle Shakespeare Company
Seattle, WA
$25,000

Shakespeare & Company
Lenox, MA
$35,000

The Shakespeare Festival at Tulane
New Orleans, LA
$25,000

Shakespeare Festival/LA
Los Angeles, CA
$25,000

Shakespeare Festival of Dallas
Dallas, TX
$25,000

Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
$25,000

Shakespeare Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA
$25,000

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
Madison, NJ
$35,000

Shenandoah Shakespeare
Staunton, VA
$25,000

Teatro Avante
Miami, FL
$25,000

The Theater at Monmouth
Monmouth, ME
$25,000

Trinity Repertory Company
Providence, RI
$25,000

Utah Shakespearean Festival
Cedar City, UT
$35,000

The Warehouse Theatre
Greenville, SC
$25,000

The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum
Topanga, CA
$25,000

Yale Repertory Theatre
New Haven, CT
$25,000

To enhance the educational impact of the program, the Arts Endowment will continue to provide learning materials, free of charge, to thousands of classrooms. Materials include a teacher's guide with lesson plans, two educational videos and a CD featuring interviews and recitations by leading actors and can be ordered free of charge by teachers at http://www.vpw.com/partner/shakespeare/.

The National Endowment for the Arts: The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts –both new and established—bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. For more information about Shakespeare in American Communities or the Arts Endowment, please visit www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org.

Arts Midwest: Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest's history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit www.artsmidwest.org.

For media inquiries, contact Victoria Hutter at 202-682-5692. For program inquiries, contact Leslie Liberato at 202-682-5732.

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