California Shakespeare Theater To Receive $30,000 Grant From The National Endowment Of The Arts

California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) has been approved for a $30,000 Art Works grant to support the World Premiere production of 1001 Nights (A Retelling) by Evren Odcikin and Leila Buck. The National Endowment for the Arts has approved 1,187 grants totaling $27.3 million in the first round of fiscal year 2020 funding to support arts projects in every state in the nation, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The Art Works funding category supports projects that focus on public engagement with, and access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation; the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence; learning in the arts at all stages of life; and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life.

"The arts are at the heart of our communities, connecting people through shared experiences and artistic expression," said Arts Endowment chairman Mary Anne Carter. "The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support projects like 1001 Nights (A Retelling)."

1001 Nights (A Retelling) is the first piece fully commissioned by Cal Shakes' New Classics Initiative. Developed over three years in deep collaboration with Bay Area MENASA (Middle East North African South Asian) communities, 1001 Nights (A Retelling) is a modern response to the folk tales of One Thousand and One Nights told by Shahrazad to save a kingdom and all the women in it. This "retelling" is a joyous celebration of what it means to be MENASA.

"We are so grateful to the NEA for this support, which makes it possible to lift up new works like 1001 Nights (A Retelling)," said Artistic Director Eric Ting. "The voices and stories of MENASA women in the Bay Area remind us that heroes are not just found in old plays but living and breathing in our community."

The New Classics Initiative-funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Walter & Elise Haas Fund, and the MCJ Amelior Foundation, among others- develops new works by playwrights who, while diverse in perspective and experience, share Shakespeare's vision of the power of story. New Classics productions reimagine timeless dramas from across cultures, expanding our classical canon and, by extension, broadening our understanding of who we are. Previous New Classics include black odyssey by Marcus Gardley, Quixote Nuevo by Octavio Solis, and House of Joy by Madhuri Shekar.

For more information on projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.