Theater News

The Prom Supports Schools in Need With New Partnership

The musical, which opens November 15, creates a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Educational Theatre Foundation to give back to school theater.

Jack Bowman
Broadway
The cast of The Prom is set to take the Cort Theatre stage this fall.
The cast of The Prom is set to take the Cort Theatre stage this fall.
(© Nathan Johnson)

Broadway's new musical comedy The Prom will donate a percentage of ticket sales to the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF), which provides financial support for theater programs to schools in need.

The donation from The Prom will support three areas. The show will aid JumpStart Theatre to create sustainable musical theater programs where there previously were none. The donation will also give need-based grants to schools to provide teaching and performance resources and equipment in under-resourced schools. Additionally, The Prom will provide merit and need-based grants to individuals in order to help nurture the next generation of theater teachers and artists.

The show's producers said, "The spirit of The Prom is one of tolerance, acceptance, and love, very much in line with the inclusive philosophies of the Educational Theatre Foundation. We're honored to be part of this partnership and look forward to a wonderful and collaborative journey together."

ETF is the philanthropic arm of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). EdTA is a national membership association with approximately 125,000 members that supports theater teachers and students. EdTA is the home of the International Thespian Society (ITS), an honor society for middle and high school theater students, which has inducted more than 2.3 million members since 1929. The partnership with The Prom will also provide unique opportunities for active members and alumni of EdTA and the ITS to experience the production.

The story of The Prom is described as follows: "We've got trouble, folks, right here in Indiana and when Broadway's brassiest hear a student is unceremoniously sidelined from a small-town Indiana prom — and the press is involved — they are ready to kick-ball-change the world. A new musical comedy about the power of love (and a good 11 o'clock number), The Prom is about so much more than just a dance."

The Prom will begin performances at the Cort Theatre in on October 23 and officially open on November 15.