Westport Country Playhouse Receives NEA Grant for ROMEO AND JULIET Community Engagement

Westport Country Playhouse has been awarded a $20,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for a community engagement initiative surrounding the fall production of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director.

"Thanks to the essential support of the NEA, we will offer opportunities for our community to further explore this vital theater piece," said Lamos. "NEA funding is crucial not only for nonprofit theaters across the country but also for the very future of the art form itself. With NEA support Westport Country Playhouse can offer productions of the highest caliber along with community engagement activities to cultivate the next generation of theater lovers and supporters."

The NEA-supported community engagement initiative, in partnership with several local organizations, will provide a host of educational programming including student matinees, study guides, educator workshops, master classes, and symposia. Also funding the initiative are the David and Geri Epstein Private Foundation and The Graham Foundation of Connecticut, Inc.

"Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare's most iconic play, transcends time and generations to tell the story of two star-crossed teenagers who fight to love each other in a violent world.

"To my way of thinking, it is not just a story of teenagers falling crazily in love within a violent society, but a tale of two young humanists, exalted and ennobled by love, and rising above the shabby, misguided, furious, and infuriating adult world into which they were born," said Lamos. "At a moment when the globe seems newly awash in violence and sectarian strife, the play will be fresher and more important than ever."

2017 marks the eighth consecutive year that the Playhouse has undertaken a community engagement initiative surrounding one of its productions. To date, the initiative has involved close to 70 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 arts reflect the vision, energy, and talent of America's artists and arts organizations," said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. "The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support organizations such as Westport Country Playhouse in serving their communities by providing excellent and accessible arts experiences." Chu has approved more than $82 million to fund local arts projects across the country in the NEA's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017. The NEA funds arts organizations in all 50 states helping to ensure that all Americans have access to the arts. 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.

To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use #NEASpring17. For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, go to arts.gov.

For more information and to buy tickets, 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 onYouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The Playhouse creates this relationship with the community and provides this experience in multiple ways by offering:Live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos, from May through November; educational and community engagement events and opportunities to further explore issues presented by the work on stage; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings throughout the year to deepen relationships with audiences and artists alike; the renowned Woodward Internship Program training program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations from December through April to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. The value of the Westport Country Playhouse to all it touches is immeasurable.

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