OKLAHOMA! and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD to Receive Education and Engagement Grants

The Broadway League has awarded the New York Education and Engagement Grants to the Broadway productions of Oklahoma! and Lincoln Center Theater's To Kill A Mockingbird. Each production received a $5,000 grant toward its 2019 educational and engagement initiatives. The grants aid the growth and development of theatre education in the city in an effort to encourage Broadway productions to create more opportunities for young people.

The Broadway League established the New York Education and Engagement Grants in 2002 to recognize education initiatives and to support related programs for Broadway shows. As the national trade organization for the commercial theatre industry, the League also sponsors a grant program supporting education and engagement programs for Touring Broadway productions. The two programs combined have to-date awarded over $1 million to theatres in New York and across the country. Both grants were established by the League with generous additional financial support from TDF.

"The Broadway League is pleased to award the 2019 New York Education and Engagement Grants to Oklahoma! and To Kill a Mockingbird. Their important programs encourage students to more deeply engage with live theatre and explore the social issues that surround these stories placing them in their historical context and their present-day relevance," said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. "We applaud and appreciate the efforts of Broadway shows in continuing to introduce more young people to live theatre and ensuring the growth and vitality of Broadway for generations to come."

Oklahoma! Reimagined intends to bring the 2019 Broadway revival of Oklahoma! to New York City public school students through subsidized tickets, student-education resources, and an intensive workshop for a select group of participants. Students will learn about what life was like during the explosive time period at the turn of the century as well as examine their own ideas about young adults' reactions and experiences during that time. In completing this study before their experience seeing Oklahoma!, they will be able to reconsider the circumstances surrounding the characters' decisions and actions and to develop a mutual understanding that is at the heart of this production and this program.

The Lincoln Center Theater (LCT) Open Stages High School Program will provide tickets for 1,370 students and 30 teachers from New York City public schools to see Broadway's To Kill A Mockingbird for free. Students will have four workshops with LCT teaching artists that introduce the play and structure critical reflection following the performance. Teachers will have four professional-development sessions, including one led by Facing History and Ourselves (FHO), to help them design lesson plans about the play. Study guides from LCT and FHO will help teachers integrate material on theatre and history into their classroom instruction.

Photo Credit: Julieta Cervantes