Paper Mill Playhouse Awarded $40,000 to Support 'Theatre for Everyone' Programs

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $82 million to fund local arts projects and partnerships in the NEA's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2016. Included in this announcement is an Art Works award of $40,000 to Paper Mill Playhouse to support the institution's Theatre for Everyone programs.

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 through 13 arts disciplines or fields.

"The arts are all around us, enhancing our lives in ways both subtle and obvious, expected and unexpected," said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. "Supporting projects like the one from Paper Mill Playhouse offers more opportunities to engage in the arts every day."

Paper Mill Playhouse's Theatre for Everyone project is a series of programs that serves the needs of children with autism and other social and cognitive disabilities. Project activities include: autism-friendly performances; outreach performances at local schools and centers for children with disabilities; a year-long creative drama class for children with disabilities; and the inclusion of a school for children with disabilities in the Adopt-A-School Project, Paper Mill's highly-regarded theater arts education initiative for underserved New Jersey schools. Paper Mill's award-winning Autism Advisory team provides ongoing expertise for these programs.

"Paper Mill Playhouse is honored to receive this major grant from the National Endowment for the Arts," commented Todd Schmidt, Paper Mill Playhouse Managing Director. "Theatre for Everyone is core to Paper Mill's mission of creating innovative initiatives that meet our New Jersey community's needs while helping arts organizations across the country."

For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, go to www.arts.gov. For more information about Paper Mill Playhouse visit www.PaperMill.org. For more information on Paper Mill Playhouse's Theatre for Everyone programs visit www.PaperMill.org/autism.

Major funding for Theatre for Everyone is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from C.R. Bard Foundation, The Karma Foundation, MetLife Foundation, Nordstrom and PSEG Foundation.

PAPER MILL PLAYHOUSE, a not-for-profit arts organization, is one of the country's leading regional theaters. Paper Mill Playhouse programs are made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Paper Mill Playhouse is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Council of Stock Theatres, and the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

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