Westport Country Playhouse Awarded NEA Grant

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $82 million to fund local arts projects and partnerships in the NEA's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2016. Westport Country Playhouse is recommended for a $25,000 grant to support its community engagement initiative, "Money, Power and Belief: Reflections on 'The Invisible Hand'," which will run concurrently with the Playhouse production of "The Invisible Hand," by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar this summer.

"The Invisible Hand" is the riveting tale of Nick Bright, an American financial analyst being held hostage in Pakistan, who is given a year to raise his own ransom using his market expertise. As the relationship between Nick and his captors evolves, long-standing views on money and religion are challenged and lives are inextricably altered.

"Money, Power and Belief: Reflections on 'The Invisible Hand'" will offer a number of opportunities for the community to further explore the important social and political themes this thought-provoking and timely play grapples with, including global finance, global politics, faith, terrorism, power, greed, and corruption. Featured events will include a book discussion group, film screening, an audience talk-back with the cast, and a series of post-show salons.

"Akhtar's written a powerful and provocative work that asks tough questions about big, important subjects. Thanks to the vital support of the NEA, we can share this production and the initiative with our audience and I'm looking forward to the numerous conversations that will be sparked by this extraordinary play," said David Kennedy, Playhouse Associate Artistic Director, who will direct the production. "The goal, as always, is to make the Playhouse a home for the most challenging and rewarding theater, engaging the most diverse audience possible, while offering a vital, living response to the world in which we live."

2016 marks the seventh consecutive year that the Playhouse has undertaken an enhanced programming initiative surrounding one of its productions. To date, the initiative has involved close to 60 different community partners from all over the state and beyond and engaged thousands of students and adults who have experienced the power of live theater, some for the very first time.

The Art Works category supports the creation of work and presentation of both new and existing work, lifelong learning in the arts, and public engagement with the arts through 13 arts disciplines or fields.

"The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected," said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. "Supporting projects like the one from Westport Country Playhouse offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day."

To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use #NEASpring16. For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, go to arts.gov

For more information about Westport Country Playhouse, visit www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

To post a comment, you must register and login.