Educational Theatre Foundation Launches Storyline: A Craig Zadan Legacy Program

The Educational Theatre Foundation has received a grant from The Kresge Foundation to support the launch of Storyline: A Craig Zadan Legacy Program—a groundbreaking national initiative designed to strengthen, sustain, and expand access to theatre education at the district level.

Storyline builds on ETF's history of increasing equity and access to quality theatre education, particularly in under-resourced communities. Designed as a district-level partnership model, Storyline will help ensure theatre programs are not only launched but fully integrated into school systems, creating lasting changes for students and educators alike. The program aims to begin implementation in selected districts in 2027.

Central to the development of Storyline is Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, University Professor of Creativity and Social Impact at Arizona State University, former Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, and a national leader in arts, community development, and equitable cultural policy. Dr. Jackson is serving as a senior advisor to ETF on the project, helping shape the program's design and ensuring it aligns with best practices for advancing equitable access to the arts in public education. She joins ETF board trustee Elwood Hopkins in guiding the initiative's early vision and district-engagement strategy.

“Storyline represents the next chapter in our mission to make theatre education accessible to all,” said Dr. Jennifer Katona, President of the Educational Theatre Foundation and Executive Director of the Educational Theatre Association. “We are deeply grateful to The Kresge Foundation for its support in helping us realize Craig Zadan's legacy—one rooted in the belief that the arts are essential to developing empathetic, creative, and civically engaged citizens.”

ETF's existing programs have laid the groundwork for this evolution. JumpStart Theatre, launched in 2017, builds sustainable musical theatre programs in under-resourced middle schools. The Craig Zadan Pathway for Equity in the Arts Grant, established in 2021, supports high school theatre programs in communities facing inequitable disparities, pairing students with industry mentors and fostering productions that spark meaningful community dialogue.

With the creation of Storyline, ETF advances the next phase of its strategic plan—moving from program creation to district-level systems building, ensuring the long-term sustainability of theatre education nationwide.

“Theatre education doesn't just teach performance—it teaches empathy, confidence, and collaboration,” said Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson. “Through Storyline, we're ensuring that these vital and unique transformative experiences are not dependent on a school's zip code or budget.