TheatreSquared announces record fundraising and two new grants

While many of us will take this week to give thanks for all the usual things like family, friends, and pepperoni pizza with pineapple on top, TheatreSquared managing director Martin Miller will likely be spending the next few days expressing gratitude for the $90,000 T2 recently received.

The theatre raised $50,000 at its annual Gala for Education, a $10,000 increase over last year. Also announced at the event were a $25,000 grant in support of a new arts and literacy partnership with FHS, and a $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support Sundown Town, a new T2 work by Arkansas playwright Kevin Cohea featuring music from 3 Penny Acre.

NEA grant will support Sundown Town

“More than 260 guests joined us Friday evening, filling every chair,” said Miller. “The NEA’s announcement is a singular thrill—the grant is TheatreSquared’s first from the NEA, in an extremely competitive field. The award from the Happy Hollow Fund, endowed by Fayetteville visionary Betty Lighton, will help us to deepen our partnership with Fayetteville High School’s Keystone/Capstone intervention classes for challenged young readers and writers.”

The 2010 Gala for Education was held Friday, Nov. 19 at Savor Restaurant in Fayetteville. Some of the night’s events included a performance by Spamalot star (and Fayetteville native) Esther Stilwell, as well as the presentation of the 2010 Arts Advocate Award to Sandy Edwards by UA Chancellor David Gearhart.

All proceeds from the event will benefit T2 for Education, a TheatreSquared educational theatre program for Northwest Arkansas students and teachers.

» See the TheatreSquared press release for more.


T2 Managing Director Martin Miller, 2010 Arts Advocate Award recipient Sandy Edwards, and T2 Artistic Director Robert Ford
Photo by M. Taylor Long