| Recipients Announced for 2024 Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 08:24 pm EDT 09/20/24 | |
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| 2024 RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED FOR THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING'S ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER INITIATIVE AWARDING OVER $500,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS TO 26 STUDENT ARTISTS AND 13 SCHOOL COMMUNITIES (New York, NY – September 20, 2024) – The American Theatre Wing (ATW), led by President and CEO Heather Hitchens, announced today the 2024 recipients of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative's programming, including the Training Scholarships, Stewart F. Lane Fellowship, and the Classroom Resources Grants. These scholarships and grants, made possible by Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust, represent the Wing's most rigorous investment in direct support for underserved public school students demonstrating exceptional talent and economic need to continue their study of theatre. Through the program's scholarships, the American Theatre Wing looks to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity, creating a strong pipeline to the professional theatre for promising artists of all backgrounds. The awarded student's area of focus can be performance, design, writing, stage management, or any other aspect of theatre. The Training Scholarship is available for public middle and high school students who demonstrate talent and ability in the theatre arts but have a lack of resources to receive high level training prior to college. These scholarships can be used for Private or Group Voice, Dance, or Music lessons; theatre training programs that stand alone or are housed in professional theatre settings; theatre training camps; or special training opportunities. The 2024 recipients of the Training Scholarships are: Chaise Anderson of Pennsylvania, who attended Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard; Ethan Antoine of Florida, who attended New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts; Alec Avila of Florida, who attended Norwalk Conservatory; Lauren Bazan of Texas, who attended University of North Carolina School of the Arts; Erin Benedict of Massachusetts, who attended Northwestern NHSI Theatre Arts Division: Stage Management & Design Tech; Mariama Diop of New York, who attended DREAM Summerstock VTC Intensive Sleepaway; Charlie Kahler of Delaware, who attended Norwalk Conservatory; Zayda Martin of Florida, who attended University of Michigan Musical Theatre; Emely Martinez of Washington, D.C., who attended British American Drama Academy; Sara Martínez Ortiz of North Carolina, who attended University of North Carolina School of the Arts Drama Summer Intensive; Cari Mayfield of California, who attended Alonzo King Lines Ballet; Jaida Miller of Florida, who attended Broadway Artist Alliance; Aleyla Morales of Louisiana, who attended Yale Summer Session (Pre-College); Andrea Moreta of Florida, who attended Norwalk Conservatory; Norma Abigail Morrison of Mississippi, who attended Interlochen Center for the Arts Theatre Design & Production Summer Program for High School Students; Maya Mukherji of New York, who attended BroadwayEvolved; Clover Papadogonas of California, who attended New York University Tisch High School Program; Melissa Parra of Maryland, who attended YAA Junior Conservatory Summer Intensive; Amaya Romero of New Jersey, who attended British American Drama Academy; Rihanna Twist of Illinois, who attended Northwestern National High School Institute; Farida Wahby of New Jersey, who attended New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts; Zavion Watkins of Washington, D.C., who attended British American Drama Academy; Jaylon Williams of Louisiana, who attended Norwalk Conservatory; and Zion Wyatt of Tennessee, who attended Interlochen Center for the Arts. The recipients of the 2024 Stewart F. Lane Fellowship for Career Advancement – an award of $10,000 presented each year to a graduating college senior who is selected based on their potential to make a positive, long-lasting contribution to the theatre industry – are Julia Schick, of University of Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music, and Rafael Bryant, of New York University – Tisch School of the Arts. Julia's academic career consists of voice, dance, and acting training and served as a leader of a student-led theatre organization to uplift underrepresented voices in theatre. Julia's professional credits include After Pinocchio: A New Musical (Yaya Theatre Company) and Rent and Guys & Dolls (The Carnegie Theater) to name a few. Rafael Bryant received a BFA in Drama and his academic career consists of performing in numerous plays, including Shakespeare, in addition to other plays and TV/Film projects. His training also includes Lee Strasberg Theater and Film, The Meisner Studio, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the Experimental Theatre Wing. The Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative's Classroom Resources Grants are awarded to individual public K-12 schools, in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, or non-profit parent group associated with that K-12 school. This grant program directly funds under-resourced public schools, to provide lighting and sound equipment, sewing machines for costume making, curtains, and other necessary materials to help create and enhance existing theatre programs. Grant requests of up to $50,000 are considered, allowing the American Theatre Wing to extend meaningful resources to multiple deserving schools each year. The 2023-2024 school year Classroom Resources Grants recipients are: Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School (Kenner, LA), All City Leadership Secondary School [32K554] (Brooklyn, NY), Boston Adult Technical Academy (Boston, MA), Deer Valley High School (Antioch, CA), DLBE @MKES (Mt Kisco, NY), Grove Middle School (Grove, OK), High School Ahead Academy Middle School (Houston, TX), Immokalee High School (Immokalee, FL), James B. Dudley High School (Greensboro, NC), John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science (Roxbury, MA), Progress Village Middle Magnet School for the Arts (Tampa, FL), Silverado High School (Las Vegas, NV), and Spain Elementary Middle School (Detroit, MI). The University Scholarship grants, an integral part of the ALWI program, shifted the annual submission deadline to best accommodate student application schedules. The grants will therefore be reflected as part of the 2025 program. MORE ABOUT THE CLASSROOM RESOURCE GRANT RECIPIENTS Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy High School (Kenner, LA), for $10,000 to purchase resources to restore the theatre experience to match a more professional work environment. Purchases will be for the most immediate need items and equipment for construction, lighting, sound, etc. By receiving these resources, specifically towards immediate need, the school can ensure that more students become certified with the knowledge of how technical aspects of theatre production are intertwined. This grant will allow every senior graduate an opportunity to have a strong theatre resume of performance and technical roles. All City Leadership Secondary School [32K554] (Brooklyn, NY), for $20,000 to purchase equipment for the auditorium thus enhancing all school music/theatrical productions and presentations, and music, dance and theatre classes. Funds will be used to purchase stage risers, projector screen, a Shure quadchannel wireless receiver, and backstage wireless headsets. This long overdue upgrade will bring the creative arts instruction and productions into the 21st century, allowing students the opportunity of working and creating in a space that allows them to be seen and heard in the best possible light. ACLS will launch a dedicated production department where students can gain experience on the sound and set design, and stage management. There will be at least two productions per year, including a summer production. Boston Adult Technical Academy (Boston, MA), for $10,834, to fund professional theatre rental space in the city of Boston for festival performances, specifically two annual productions. The funding will provide an opportunity for every student in the school to be involved as a performer, and many involved in the creative and technical side. This funding will allow purchases for the 6 Shure wireless lav mics and bodypack transmitters to pair with the sound system in any rental theatre space. It is imperative that the ESL performers and audience members clearly hear the performance, so that they can have the best chance at enjoying and connecting with their theatre experience. Funds will also be used to rent and acquire necessary props, costumes, and set building materials so that students can learn technical theatre design and production skills along with their performance training. Deer Valley High School (Antioch, CA), for $15,828, to update and replace broken and outdated equipment. In addition, funds will also be used to purchase microphones, a new ETC board, a new soundboard, speakers, canvas for flats and backdrops, backdrops, and begin using and training students on a fly system. The main goal of this project is to update much of the outdated equipment while also purchasing new basics to help build up props and set department. DLBE @MKES (Mt Kisco, NY), for $2,945, to purchase sound equipment needed to produce the very first bilingual elementary school theater production and create an annual enrichment production for fourth and fifth grade bilingual students to entertain the community. The school's student population participates in a dual language bilingual education program, which means all of their curriculum is taught 50% in English and 50% in Spanish. Grove Middle School (Grove, OK), for $20,000 to purchase an improved sound system to replace the non-functional system in the auditorium for production use and the everyday needs of the school. The new system will include new speakers, a wall-mounted rack, a mixer, mics, cables, and other electronic items. High School Ahead Academy Middle School (Houston, TX), for $15,000, to purchase and install new curtains to complete a small performance space in the school's cafetorium. The new curtains will replace ones that have been in place since the 1960's which are in dire need of replacement. These new curtains will aid in providing a decent space for students to have plays and short programs. Immokalee High School (Immokalee, FL), for $4,938, to provide students in the school's theatre with resources and supplies for learning the costuming process and for creating a costuming team. This project will include students currently enrolled in a theatre class and students who voluntarily participate in after-school programs. In groups of 5, students will research, design, and create a costume based on traditional garb from Mexico, Bolivia, or Brazil to complement the script of "How the Beetle Got Her Colors" by Carlos Perez. James B. Dudley High School (Greensboro, NC), for $14,000 to create an equitable and accessible space with the right equipment, lighting, sound, and lumber to enhance student performance and ensure their safety. This funding aims to utilize this project to create a space for current students and future students to feel loved and cared for. This project will help students gain some of the exposure to jumpstart their theatrical careers and fully experience the impact of arts education. John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science (Roxbury, MA), for $48,112, to purchase a new comprehensive sound package in order to amplify student voices through performing arts projects, culture and literary club presentations , competitions and for hosting interviews with special guests. Funding will go towards wireless and non-wireless microphones including cables, batteries, shipping and installation fees. This sound package will make a technically defunct auditorium more tenable in which to invite guests, hold major productions, culture club presentations, theater and poetry competitions and theater classes. The sound system will also be used to teach students how to operate sound and implement sound design. Progress Village Middle Magnet School for the Arts (Tampa, FL), for $3,293, to expand the school's Technical Theatre program with tech theatre power tools. Students will complete performance tests on basic power tools like drills, hand-held saws and table saws that support their learning experiences and translate to the world around them. Students will participate in all technical activities for the school, specifically set and prop building for theatrical productions. Training in power tools use and safety benefits students in artistic endeavors, at home, and can open doors for future careers in theatre and the workforce. Silverado High School (Las Vegas, NV), for $22,000, to purchase technical supplies that goes towards improving the sound quality of the department such as wireless microphones, and other technical sound equipment, to provide Silverado Skyhawk theatre students, technical students, the general Silverado population, and the community with more theatre opportunities. Theatre technical students will benefit from these resources the most. Students will learn how to operate, be creative with, and be responsible with these resources. Spain Elementary Middle School (Detroit, MI), for $13,906, to purchase new LED Theatre lights that will light up the stage, and take it into the 21st century with lighting effects. Students will be able to do shows like Little Mermaid, Moana, Once on this Island, SpongeBob, etc. due to fixing the issue of limited and overexposed lights in center stage and dark patches all around the edges of the stage. These lights will be used in over a dozen performances throughout the school year, serving a school of 450 children preK-8, many of whom transition to the performing arts high school down the street. MORE ABOUT THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER INITIATIVE The Andrew Lloyd Webber initiative was created in 2016 with seed funding from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation to aid and abet systemic change in the American Theatre by infusing new resources into the theatre ecosystem in order to bolster the pipeline for underrepresented talent. By fostering lifelong engagement with theatre through educational avenues, we provide young people across the nation newfound access to the industry. Through Classroom Resources Grants and Training and University Scholarships, this initiative directly addresses key systemic issues that create obstacles in the theatre education and training pipeline. The initiative creates opportunities for new voices in the theatre field, promoting equal opportunity and pathways to leadership on stage, behind the scenes, and in arts administration. In addition to these grants, The Wing creates continuous impact through ongoing engagement with alums such as master classes, events, panels, and career advancement. These touch points help create space and opportunity for deserving students, bridging the gap between talent and opportunity. To learn more about the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, visit www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com 2024 PANELISTS FOR THE CLASSROOM RESOURCES GRANTS •Jennifer DiBella (Director of Education, Roundabout Theatre Company) •Alex Donnelly (Vice President & General Manager – Broadway, PRG) •Anna May Feige (American Theatre Wing Advisory Committee) •German Martinez (Theatrical Sound Designer & Audio Engineer) •Lisa Mitchell (Director of Education and Audience Engagement, Disney Theatrical Group) •Lee Perlman (American Theatre Wing Board of Trustees) •Jen Schriever (Lighting Designer) •Luz Towns-Miranda (American Theatre Wing Board of Trustees) •Elaine Wilson (American Theatre Wing Advisory Committee) •David Zinn (American Theatre Wing Advisory Committee) 2024 PANELISTS FOR THE TRAINING SCHOLARSHIPS •Lilli Cooper (Actor and Singer) •Calandra Hackney (Assistant Executive Director – Eastern Region, Actors Equity Association) •Janelle McDermoth (Actor) •Xavier Rubiano (Casting Director, Tara Rubin Casting) •Alex Santiago-Jirau (Executive Director, Opening Act) •David Scott (Director, Licensing – Disney Theatrical Group) •Kara Young (Actor) 2024 PANELISTS FOR THE STEWART F. LANE FELLOWSHIP •Pam Barbey (American Theatre Wing Advisory Committee) •Anna May Feige (American Theatre Wing Advisory Committee) •Ravi Rajan (President, CalArts) •Bernie Telsey (American Theatre Wing Advisory Committee) ABOUT THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING: The American Theatre Wing (Heather Hitchens, President and CEO) invests in brave work, supports creative growth, and celebrates excellence in bringing inclusive stories to our national culture through theatre. Founded by seven suffragists in 1917, on the eve of America's entry into World War I, the American Theatre Wing has spent a century honoring theatrical achievements and fostering artistry, by providing a platform for strong and fearless voices in the American theatre. In addition to being the founder and co-presenter of the Tony Awards®, and the home of the OBIE Awards, the American Theatre Wing offers a powerful suite of programs that address all aspects of the national theatre ecology. Venerable programs like the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative nurture the work of young artists by providing access to theatre through education; esteemed annual prizes like the Jonathan Larson Grants and National Theatre Company Grants create essential pathways to success for emerging professionals; and unique resources like Master Class, The Network for Emerging Leaders, and the Emmy-nominated Working in the Theatre series, offer artists with unparalleled opportunities to connect and learn from industry luminaries. To learn more about the extensive programming and grant opportunities for students, theatre professionals, and audiences, visit AmericanTheatreWing.org. For the latest updates and news, follow the Wing on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. |
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