Kanjorski Announces $23,000 Grant for Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble

WASHINGTON - Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11) today announced that the National Endowment for the Arts awarded $23,000 to Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble to support its "Theatre in the Classroom" educational program.

"I would like to congratulate the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble on being awarded this highly competitive grant. Arts funding in schools always seems to be cut first, and students do not get the opportunity to experience live theater, which is so important to a well-rounded education. The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble has done something very special with this program, and grants of this nature are vital to maintaining it. I am pleased that the National Endowment for the Arts recognizes the significance of Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble bringing live theater to young people. Thousands of students in Northeastern Pennsylvania will continue to benefit from it," Congressman Kanjorski said.

"Theatre in the Classroom" (TIC) brings original, live theatrical performances to children from kindergarten through eighth grade. Each spring, BTE takes an original show on the road, performing about 150 shows. "We reach 50,000 students over eight weeks," said Managing Director Daniel Cress.

The Ensemble is currently performing "Eureka! Inventors and Inventions." TIC is part of BTE's "Project Discovery" program, in which high school students come to the fall show free of charge. Next fall's show is George Bernard Shaw's "Getting Married."

Out of 1,088 Access to Artistic Excellence applications, the NEA selected 595 recipients, totaling more than $13.4 million in federal money.

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