Enter the DEAR EVAN HANSEN 'You Will Be Found' Essay Contest

The Broadway Education Alliance and Gotham Writers Workshop have announced the first annual "You Will Be Found" College Essay Writing Challenge, inspired by the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen.

To enter, students must read and listen to the lyrics from the show's song, "You Will Be Found," watch the virtual choir video created by Dear Evan Hansen and performed by its fans HERE, and write an essay (no longer than 650 words) that describes how the song resonates with and inspires them.

The winner will receive a $1,500 scholarship to the college of their choice, funded by Dear Evan Hansen producer Stacey Mindich. The award will be presented at the 9th annual Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance showcase on Sunday, May 19, 2019, being presented at the Professional Performing Arts School. A panel of judges-comprised of college-essay coaching, creative writing, and Broadway professionals-will evaluate all the essays and choose the winner.

The Roger Rees Awards is the Greater New York Regional Award of the National High School Musical Theatre Awards aka The Jimmy's. The 2018 Roger Rees Award-winning Best Actor Andrew Barth Feldman (Lawrence Woodmere Academy, Long Island) went on to win the Jimmy Award for Best Actor and made his Broadway debut as Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen on January 30, 2019.

To administer the "You Will Be Found" College Essay Writing Challenge, the Broadway Education Alliance, presenting sponsor of the Roger Rees Awards, has partnered with Gotham Writers Workshop, a creative home both in New York and online for writers to develop their craft and come together in the spirit of fellowship and discovery. Gotham is also a leader in college-application essay coaching.

The Broadway Education Alliance and Gotham Writers are presenting the "You Will Be Found" Challenge to recognize excellence in storytelling and promote student engagement with Broadway. The Challenge will also be presented in 2020 and 2021, with the goal of making it an annual scholarship. The guidelines for the contest, including word length and the goal of the essay, align with the Common Application, the undergraduate college admission application that students may use to apply to any of more than 700- member colleges and universities throughout the United States, Canada, China and many European countries. Students who enter the "You Will Be Found" Challenge will be able to adapt their essay and use it as their personal statement for their college applications.

To be eligible to participate in this essay writing challenge, a student must be in the 11th or 12th grade and attend high school or be home-schooled within the Greater New York area, which includes Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, as well as Westchester, Nassau, Orange, Rockland and Suffolk counties.

To enter, students will visit Gotham Writers' official contest page here. All submissions must be received no later than 11:59 p.m., Monday, April 22, 2019. Judges will evaluate entries for originality, quality of the writing, narrative, clarity, grammar, and spelling

The Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance recognizes the importance of theatre arts education and celebrates the exceptional life and career-long artistic excellence of Broadway's beloved actor/director, Roger Rees. The program is presented by Disney Theatricals, produced and general managed by Camp Broadway LLC; with funding by many industry leaders working in/around Broadway. The Broadway Education Alliance is the fiscal sponsor of the Greater New York Student Theatre Awards. The Broadway Education Alliance, a New York-based 501c3, serves as the fiscal sponsor for this and other educational programs.

For more information about- The Roger Rees Awards, visit www.rogerreesawards.com Gotham Writers Workshop, visit www.gothamwriters.com Dear Evan Hansen, visit www.dearevanhansen.com