PURPOSE Promise Progress 2 0 1 9 E T F A n n ua l R ep ort LEADERSHIP National Board of Trustees Timothy Allen McDonald Deborah Voigt Dear Friends and Supporters, iTheatrics, Founder and CEO Award-winning opera soprano Matt Conover, Chair New York, NY Disney Parks Live Entertainment, Vice Advisory Board The stories of ETF in 2019 are the stories of how theatre has shaped all of us: kids looking President of Disneyland Entertainment Megan Tulac Phillips Sarah Jane Arnegger forward to going to school to sing and dance, individuals with soaring confidence after Anaheim, CA McKinsey & Company, Head of iHeartRadio Broadway, Director progressive accomplishments on stage, theatre having a therapeutic impact by bonding Marketing and Communications, New York, NY Hunter Bell, Vice Chair Enterprise Agility a group of students as a family. Tony-nominated playwright, EdTA San Francisco, CA Aretta Baumgartner Board of Directors Center for Puppetry Arts, Education What makes ETF unique is that we are funding these kinds of experiences in New York, NY John Prignano Director communities which otherwise would not be able to offer them: cities recovering from Music Theatre International, COO Atlanta, GA Nancy Aborn Duffy, Secretary and Director of Education and disasters, programs with no budgets for teacher professional development or student Educator, Former Broadway Licensing Development Dori Berinstein Company Owner festival participation, and schools who previously had no theatre at all. New York, NY Dramatic Forces, Producer New York, NY New York, NY Kim Rogers This was a momentous year as we expanded grant programs for schools and established James A. Miller, Treasurer Actor, Arts Advocate, ETF Volunteer J. Jason Daunter new regional sites for the JumpStart Theatre initiative. We also grew our stature with Bartlett Wealth Management, Principal New York, NY Production Stage Manager and Chairman prominent galas in New York and Los Angeles, celebrating the inspiration of students New York, NY Cincinnati, OH David Redman Scott and bringing new supporters into our circle. Disney Theatrical Group, Director of Debby Gibbs Alex Birsh Theatrical Licensing ETF Legacy Circle, Chair Playbill, Vice President and Chief We are so grateful to our donors and sponsors who partner with us to make dreams New York, NY Tupelo, MS Digital Officer come true. Without you, these transformations would not happen. With you, the New York, NY Abbie Van Nostrand Jeff Hall potential for progress in individuals, schools and communities is unlimited. 2019 was Concord Theatricals, Vice President, ETF Chapter Advisory Committee, Sean Cercone Client Relations & Community Co-Chair effectively the second year of operation for ETF, and we are proud of the path we are on. Broadway Licensing, President Engagement Portland, OR Let’s keep going and growing together! New York, NY New York, NY Brad Koepenick Mark Drum Sincerely yours, Mark Weinstein Award-winning theatre teacher and Actor, Arts Advocate, EdTA Volunteer Hilton, Senior Vice President filmmaker New York, NY and Global Head of Customer Los Angeles, CA Julie Cohen Theobald, President, ETF Engagement, Loyalty, and Coty Forno Partnerships Michelle Moss Mountain City Center for the Arts, McLean, VA Playtime Theatre Company, Founder Executive Director Arkansas Thespians, Board of Directors Frostburg, MD Matt Conover, Chair, National Board of Trustees Preston Whiteway Jonesboro, AR Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Kevin E. Fortson Executive Director Sharon Paz Warner Horizon Television, Senior Vice Waterford, CT Agents of Change, Founder and talent President of Production agent Burbank, CA Honorary Board Los Angeles, CA Carolina Garcia John Cariani Pat Santanello Netflix, Director of Original Series Award-winning actor and playwright Ohio Thespians, Chapter Director Los Angeles, CA ETF Chapter Advisory Committee, Viola Davis Jason Goldstein Co-Chair Award-winning actress and producer BookTix, Co-Owner Dublin, OH East Brunswick, NJ Freddie Gershon Cheri Steinkellner Music Theatre International, Co- Jim Hoare Award-winning producer, writer Chairman Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Santa Barbara, CA Vice President of Education and Robert Greenblatt Jennifer Tepper Community Initiatives Warner Media Entertainment and Feinstein’s/54 Below, Creative and New York, NY Direct to Consumer, Chairman Programming Director and author of Gai Laing Jones The Untold Stories of Broadway Val Kilmer New York, NY Veteran theatre educator, EdTA Board Award-winning actor of Directors Marty Wiviott Ojai, CA Charlotte St. Martin Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, The Broadway League, President Alvin Katz General Manager Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Partner Thomas Schumacher Los Angeles, CA Chicago, IL Disney Theatrical Group, President Students performing in the JumpStart Theatre Showcase at The Children’s Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio. 1 JUMPSTART THEATRE — THREE YEARS THAT LAST A LIFETIME Diondre, left, performing in Hairspray JR.. Diondre, Aiken New Tech High School, Cincinnati “I’ve learned so much about stepping out of my comfort zone, expressing myself, and, most important, the value of trust.” Students and teachers of Clark Montessori High School’s production of Annie JR. Diondre was involved in the JumpStart Theatre year, followed by the major roles of Wilbur Turnblad and Paul Tran, Clark Montessori High School, Cincinnati program from 2016 through 2019 at Aiken New Tech Mr. Pinky in Hairspray JR. High School in Cincinnati. He always dreamed of “JumpStart Theatre has changed the way our kids look at school,” said Diondre’s confidence has soared. At the 2019 Jumpstart performing but lacked confidence and opportunity. Theatre Showcase, Diondre addressed a large audience Tran. “They are more motivated. Kids are now coming straight off the When Aiken introduced the program, Diondre secured of participating schools saying, “I’ve learned so much an ensemble role in Once on This Island JR. and was bus, jumping onto the stage with dancing and choreography.” about stepping out of my comfort zone, expressing surprised to discover how accepting and encouraging myself, and, most important, the value of trust in your When you attend a theatre production in the up, not care who is looking at me, and dance and sing his castmates were. fellow cast and crew members and respect for your cafetorium at Clark Montessori High School in and feel like I fit in with other people in other schools.” Cincinnati, you’ll see an improvised tech booth to the “My biggest fear was rejection, and I never thought director. Being a part of this production has changed Tran and his fellow Clark Montessori theatre team right of the front row. There you’ll find Paul Tran, a math I could be talented enough to be doing things like how I felt about my school, because I never knew how members, Brenda Bushong and Mary Gibson, have and science teacher, working with students to run the this. I’ve grown. My first year may not have been my supportive, talented, and special we were or that we produced three successful musicals through JumpStart light and sound cues. Tran’s calm, positive presence best year, but I really turned up.” Diondre worked hard, were even capable of putting on a show so beautiful Theatre. They look forward to carrying on the theatre gently motivates his students to build their technical supported by his new theatre family, and earned the and excellent.” tradition for many years, using the resources and theatre skills. 2019 was Clark Montessori’s third and final role of Mr. Mayor in Seussical JR. during Aiken’s second training they acquired through this ETF program. year of JumpStart Theatre. “JumpStart Theatre has changed the way our kids look at school,” said Tran. “They are more motivated. Kids are now coming straight off the bus, jumping onto the stage with dancing and choreography.” For Tran, JumpStart Theatre has brought positive changes not only to his school and community, but also to his personal life as well. “The [JumpStart Theatre] bootcamps really got me out of my comfort zone,” he said. “I’ve always been the math and science guy, quiet and observant, but as I have gone through each bootcamp, I’ve become more and more relaxed. I feel like I’ve transformed into a person who can just jump Diondre, left, performing in Suessical JR. Hairspray JR. cast at Aiken New Tech High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Paul Tran and student in tech booth. 2 3 JUMPSTART THEATRE — THREE YEARS THAT LAST A LIFETIME PROGRESS — GRANTS WITH LIFELONG IMPACT The Educational Theatre Foundation oversees a number of scholarship and grant programs for inducted Thespians, their teachers, and their schools. The JumpStart Theatre program creates sustainable theatre arts programs in middle schools where there previously were none. Participating schools are chosen through a rigorous application process and receive training, materials, and budget support to produce their first full-scale musical production. The support continues for three years until the program becomes self-sustaining. Students rehearsing at Mountain City Center for the Arts. Non-theatre teachers are equipped with skills and resources to produce their Mountain City Center for the Arts school’s first musical through a proven combination of bootcamp style training Uniquely situated in a rural area, Mountain City Center and hands-on mentoring. The Educational for the Arts’ (MCCA) sphere of influence reaches into Theatre Foundation operates JumpStart three states: Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Theatre through a national network