Impact & Exploration Fund Past Recipients
2023-2024
Constellation Stage & Screen (Bloomington, IN) to support their Rural Community Access Tickets Initiative
McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton, NJ) to support Anti-Bullying Workshops
Music Theatre Wichita (Wichita, KS) to support Child Protection Trainings
Ogunquit Playhouse (Ogunquit, ME) to support ASL Interpreted Performances
Olney Theatre Center (Olney, MD) to support Community Partners Program – Family Nights
Playwrights Horizons (New York, NY) to support Playwrights Horizons Access Passport
Seattle Rep (Seattle, WA) to support Spanish Open Captioning for Little Women and Quixote Nuevo
Signature Theatre (New York, NY) to support ASL Translation Expansion and Outreach
The Musical Stage Company (Toronto, Canada) to support Exploring Integrated ASL in Developing Musical Theatre: Cowboy Tempest & a Director of Artistic Sign Language
Tuacahn Center for the Arts (Ivins, UT) to support replacement of assistive listening devices
This is the seventh round of grants awarded from the Innovation & Exploration Fund in a program funded in part by the Capedevilla Gillespie Foundation. The recipients were selected by a distinguished panel, moderated by NAMT Member Services Director, Adam Grosswirth. The panelists were Carlos García León, Individual Giving Manager at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Pablo Hernandez Basulto, Associate Director of Public Works at The Public Theatre (NY); Angela Johnson, Founder of Invest in Access, Inc.; Elizabeth Kensek, Associate Producer at WaterTower Theatre; Elliott Masie; Aaron Thielen, Co Founder of Broadway Across Borders; Casey York, Managing Officer of Ars Nova.
2022-2023
Apples and Oranges Arts (Golden Oak, FL) to support VR Pre-Visualization of New Musical Development, using the new musical Winter Lights as a test case.
Casa Mañana (Fort Worth, TX) to support Sensory Inclusive Theatre for Young Audiences, a project that is occurring in partnership with doctoral students from the Occupational Therapy department at Texas Women’s University.
Fulton Theatre (Lancaster, PA) to support the ongoing initiative to increase accessibility on all of Fulton Theatre’s digital channels.
Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, OK) to support the Lyric Theatre Understudies Program.
New York Theatre Barn (New York, NY) to support the Inclusion Residency of Sam’s Room (Festival of New Musicals 2017) a community focused residency for the writers to explore the non-speaking role of Sam.
Ogunquit Playhouse (Ogunquit, ME) to support the Playhouse Arts Academy Outcomes Measurement Project and the collection of data to inform a model of the Academy programming.
Playwrights Horizons (New York, NY) to support Playwrights Horizons Relaxed Performances over the 2022-2023 season.
Porchlight Music Theatre (Chicago, IL) to support the Porchlight Accessibility Initiative including audio-described performances, pre-show “touch tours”, ASL-interpreted performances and more.
Theater Latté Da (Minneapolis, MN) to support the Audience Open Captioning project for up to 15 open captioned performances in the 2022-2023 season.
This is the sixth round of grants awarded from the Innovation & Exploration Fund in a program funded in part by the Capedevilla Gillespie Foundation. The recipients were selected by a distinguished panel, moderated by NAMT Member Services Director, Adam Grosswirth. The panelists were Jenny Case, Managing Director of Diversionary Theatre; Bliss Griffin; Mac Ingram, Director of Development at Ars Nova; Lysna Marzani, Executive Director of Theatrical Rights Worldwide Plays; Corinne Woods, Director of Programs at Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York (ART/NY).
2021-2022
Horizon Theatre Company (Atlanta, GA) to support The New Georgia Woman Project: Black Women Speak.
Music Theatre Works (Wilmette, IL) to support Beyond Music Theater Works: use of technology to enhance community engagement.
Music Theatre of Madison (Madison, WI) to support The Children’s Book Project.
New York Theatre Barn (New York, NY) to support The New Musicals Mixtape compilation album.
Pittsburgh Musical Theater (Pittsburgh, PA) to support Technical Theater Education for students age 12 – 18
Theatre Now New York (New York, NY) to support Sound Bites Youth: Discovering the Next Generation of Musical Theatre Writers
Underscore Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) to support the pilot Underscore Education Program
WaterTower Theatre (Addison, TX) to support the People Skills 2.0 Project
This is the fifth round of grants awarded from the Innovation & Exploration Fund in a program funded in part by the Capedevilla Gillespie Foundation. The recipients were selected by a distinguished panel, moderated by NAMT Member Services Director, Adam Grosswirth. The panelists were Erin Coffey, Education Director at Goodspeed Musicals; Rick Elice; Kate Galvin, Artistic Director of Cardinal Stage; Toni R. Isreal; Imogen Lloyd Webber, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Concord Theatricals; Blair Russell.
2020-2021
Cardinal Stage (Bloomington, IN) to support the webinar series “Cardinal for Schools”, a program that provides professional development opportunities for teachers.
Flint Repertory Theatre (Flint, MI) to support the 2021 New Works initiatives, including the Flint Rep Lab, the Annual New Works Festival and the world premiere of Josh Wilder’s Wrong River.
La Jolla Playhouse (La Jolla, CA) to support the 2021 Relaxed Performances, which will be performed online with special accommodations for the disability audience.
New York Theatre Barn (New York, NY) to support their live virtual programming, including the theatre’s online New Works Series.
Playwrights Horizon (New York, NY) to support the Artist Financial Literacy Program, which provides artists with financial literacy assistance.
The Public Theater of San Antonio (San Antonio, TX) to support Theatre REACH, a 10-week theatre arts program for disadvantaged populations.
Seattle Rep (Seattle, WA) to support their new Sensory Friendly Program, a project they’re collaborating with the Autism and broader disability communities.
This is the fourth round of grants awarded from the Innovation & Exploration Fund in a program funded in part by the Alhadeff Charitable Foundation. The recipients were selected by a distinguished panel, moderated by NAMT Member Services Director, Adam Grosswirth. The panelists were Kenny Alhadeff, Lead Producer of Junkyard Dog Productions; Christine Burke, Head Usher at Woodminster Summer Musicals; Jane Dubin, Producer for Double Play Connections; Reynaldi Lolong, Senior Manager of Annual Giving at Sesame Workshop; Buck Mason, Chief Operating Office of IMN Creative; Anthony Rodriguez, Co-Founder/Producing Artistic Director of Aurora Theatre; and Ebony Vines, Co-Founder of Think Tank for Theatrical Innovation.
2019-2020
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Theatre Company (Colorado Springs, CO) to support the development of the Fine Arts Center’s Production Apprenticeship Program.
Fulton Theatre (Lancaster, PA) to support “Fostering the Fulton Community,” a program that will establish, cultivate and retain Fulton audiences.
The Public Theater (New York, NY) to support the implementation of Gala Pro at The Public’s free Shakespeare in the Park.
Theater Latté Da (Minneapolis, MN) to support “Program Notes Performed: A Dramaturgical Cabaret,” a lecture-concert series.
Theatre Aspen (Aspen, CO) to support audience and content development during their summer 2019 season.
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, CA) to support the expansion of sensory sensitive performances in their season.
This is the third round of grants awarded from the Innovation & Exploration Fund in a program funded in part by the Alhadeff Charitable Foundation. The recipients were selected by a distinguished panel, moderated by NAMT Member Services Director, Adam Grosswirth. The panelists were Lori Fineman, Executive Director of Transport Group; Melissa Huber, Founding Member and Managing Director of Prospect Theater Company; Michelle Paul, Managing Director of PatronManager; Michelle Preston, Executive Director of SITI Company; Eugenio Vargas, actor and music director; and Kyle Wright, Digital Projects Director at The Shubert Organization.
2018-2019
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Theatre Company (Colorado Springs, CO) to support the research and development of a Musical Theatre Production Apprenticeship Program.
Lyric Theatre @ Illinois (Urbana, IL) to support “Crazy for the Shim-Sham-Shimmy,” a community engagement project centered on the theatre’s production of Crazy for You.
Pittsburgh Musical Theater (Pittsburgh, PA) to support the outfitting and expansion of inclusive devices and equitable access to artistic programming in their theatre.
The Musical Stage Company (Toronto, ON) to support audience accessibility at the Heliconian Club during their upcoming production of Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life.
Theater Latté Da (Minneapolis, MN) to support Artists Intersecting with Audiences, an effort to strengthen and transform post-show discussions for future seasons.
This is the second round of grants awarded from the Innovation & Exploration Grant in a program funded by the Alhadeff Charitable Foundation. The recipients were selected by a distinguished panel, moderated by NAMT Executive Director, Betsy King Militello. The panelists were Maria Goyanes, Director of Producing and Artistic Planning at the Public Theater and NAMT Board Member; Chris Ignacio, Associate Producer at Ma-Yi Theater; Ann Marie Lonsdale, Deputy Director of A.R.T./New York; Carolyn D. Miller, Co-Founder/Owner of Creative Endeavor Office; Courtney Simms, Director of Advancement at The Muny; and Abbie Van Nostrand, Director of Corporate Communications at Samuel French.
2017-2018
11th Hour Theatre Company (Philadelphia, PA) to support the hiring of a marketing analyst to improve audience development efforts.
Ars Nova (New York, NY) to support the creation of an exploratory childcare fund for their production of The Lucky Ones by Abigail Nessen Bengson, Shaun Bengson and Sarah Gancher.
Atlantic Theater Company (New York, NY) to support the creation of a behind-the-scenes podcast for their production of This Ain’t No Disco by Stephen Trask, Peter Yanowitz and Rick Elice.
Goodspeed Musicals (East Haddam, CT) to support their new Theatre Access Across Connecticut (TAAC) education program.
Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, OK) to support the integration of a Deaf performer into their production of Fun Home.
North Carolina Theatre (Raleigh, NC) to support a new outreach program, The Autism and Sensory Accessibility Project.
Phoenix Theatre (Phoenix, AZ) to support their sponsor “Backers’ Auditions,” a creative sponsorship cultivation effort.
Playwrights Horizons (New York, NY) to support the creation of a video tour for audience members with disabilities.
This is the first year of grants awarded from the Innovation & Exploration Grant in a pilot program funded by the Alhadeff Charitable Foundation. The recipients were selected by a distinguished panel, moderated by NAMT Executive Director, Betsy King Militello. The panelists were Anika Chapin, Literary Manager of Two River Theater; Lisa E. Cooney, Director of Education of Paper Mill Playhouse; Drew Francis, Creative and Marketing Director for Red Mountain Theatre Company; Michael G. Murphy, President of Shea’s Performing Arts Center and NAMT Board member; and Lily Traub.
This page was last updated on 04/23/2024