Theater Project Receives Grant From National Endowment For The Arts

The Theater Project, a leading incubator for rising talent and a showcase for New Jersey artists, has received a prestigious National Endowment for the Arts grant for $10,000 to produce a virtual production of LABOR, a dark comedy by noted playwright TyLie Shider.

Gaining regional recognition for its ongoing projects during the pandemic-including its annual Young Playwrights Competition, ARK (Actors Reading with Kids) program and its recently launched "The Theater Project Thinks About" podcasts-The Theater Project (TTP) is one of only 1,100 projects across America receiving nearly $27 million.

"This is an outstanding milestone for everyone-actors, staff and our supporters-connected with The Theater Project," said Founding Artistic Director Mark Spina. "This shows that our efforts throughout the years, and especially during the challenging times this past year, has made an impact in the community we serve."

Founded in 1994, The Theater Project is just one of 22 organizations in New Jersey -and the only one in Union Township-receiving grants for the 2021 fiscal year.

Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) is the principal grant category of the National Endowment for the Arts, supporting public engagement with, and access to, various forms of art across the nation, the creation of excellent art, learning in the arts at all stages of life, and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life.

"As the country and the arts sector begin to imagine returning to a post-pandemic world, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to announce funding that will help arts organizations such as The Theater Project reengage fully with partners and audiences," said NEA Acting Chairman Ann Eilers. "Although the arts have sustained many during the pandemic, the chance to gather with one another and share arts experiences is its own necessity and pleasure."

LABOR, written by Shider, a 2020-21 Playwrights' Center Jerome Fellow, is expected to stream live in September.

For further information on The Theater Project, a Union Township-based 501(c)3 non-profit, professional theater producing off-Broadway quality shows for New Jersey audiences, visit TheTheaterProject.org.