Educational Theatre Association Launches Matchmaking Effort for Disaster Relief

In an effort to facilitate support within the school theatre community during and after a natural disaster, Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), home of the International Thespian Society, has made a new response form available to help match those who need support and those who are able to give support.

In a statement on the association's website Executive Director Julie Cohen Theobald said, "We continue to extend our thoughts, concerns, and best wishes to all affected by natural disasters, from hurricanes to wildfires. We know that the true impact and need assessment is far from being realized and that the focus right now is everyone's immediate safety. Please take care of yourselves and each other."

While there are the immediate needs of money and resources that can be given and received through local and national on-the-ground relief organizations, there also will be long-term needs for school theatre programs that won't be realized for weeks, if not months.

EdTA Chief Relationship Officer Hans Weichhart says, "The long-term is where we believe our association members and friends of the school theatre community will be able to make the biggest impact on school and Thespian troupe-specific needs, like scripts, sets, costumes, and other theatre-specific items. Using this form will help."

Using this form EdTA will handle the collection of information from those in need of support and those wanting to give support.

Based on those responses EdTA will match schools, individuals, and organizations. Once matched, it will then be the sole responsibility of those parties to arrange all logistics of transfer of goods. EdTA will NOT be providing logistical support for shipping, receiving, storing, or distributing supplies or monies.

EdTA Director of Chapters and Communities Diane Carr says, "Our community is one of great strength, support, resilience, and compassion. We cannot thank each of you enough for all that you do for one another in times of need. Thank you!"

About the Educational Theatre Association, home of the International Thespian Society: The Educational Theatre Association is an international association with approximately 125,000 active members. EdTA's mission is shaping lives through theatre education: honoring student achievement in theatre; supporting teachers by providing professional development, resources, and recognition; and influencing public opinion that theatre education is essential and builds life skills. EdTA is the home of the International Thespian Society, an honorary organization established at more than 4,700 schools, that has inducted more than 2.3 million theatre students since its founding in 1929. EdTA also produces the International Thespian Festival and publishes Dramatics magazine for high school theatre students, and Teaching Theatre, a journal for theatre education professionals.