Sutton Foster Donates Original Painting to Theatre Lab of Dramatic Arts For Scholarship Funding

The Theatre Lab of Dramatic Arts has a mission of transforming lives through theatre. Every year they raise money to support programs which help accomplish this task. Last year, they raised $80,000 worth in scholarship funding in the DC area. The money was used for dramatic outreach programs, such as Life Stories, that grants both vulnerable children and adults the chance to create and perform works as a means of creative self-expression. Incarcerated individuals, at risk youth, and women, seniors, and children with life-threatening illnesses are also given the opportunity to create dramatic works through this outreach program.

This year, the Theatre Lab of Dramatic Arts worked towards raising scholarship funding for their cabaret benefit, which was held on Nov 10. Sutton Foster and her agent Jen Lamy decided to get involved and help them raise more money than ever before.

They donated an original painting by Sutton Foster the scholarship funding. Jennifer Cloutet and Tina Ghandchilar of the Theatre Lab of Dramatic Arts say, " It is because of extraordinarily, phenomenally talented super souls such as Ms. Foster that The Theatre Lab School of Dramatic Arts can, not only exist but continue to thrive and soar to such amazing new heights for the community's outreach programs and emerging artists. We just wanted to acknowledge our sincerest gratitude to Ms. Sutton Foster."

Foster originated roles in the Broadway productions of The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Women, Young Frankenstein and Shrek the Musical, and won Tony Awards for her roles in Anything Goes and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Since she performed on "Star Search" at age 15, she has appeared in numerous television shows, including, most recently, "Bunheads," and also "Johnny and the Sprites," "Flight of the Conchords," "Sesame Street," "Law & Order: SVU," and "Royal Pains." In 2011 she received an Honorary Doctorate degree from Ball State University where she also is on faculty as a teacher and advisor to the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride