The Rep Secures $20,000 Grant From PNC Foundation For Its Semi-Annual Theatre Expo

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis announced today that it has received a $20,000 grant from the PNC Foundation through the PNC Arts Alive initiative, to support its semi-annual exhibition of the very best in local theatre.

On Sept. 22, Making a Scene: A St. Louis Theatre Expo, presented by PNC Arts Alive will unite more than a dozen local theatre companies at The Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts in Webster Groves for a wide range of activities, demonstrations, discussions and pop-up performances. The free expo will provide behind-the-scenes insight into how local theatre companies bring productions to life on stages throughout the St. Louis area.

This will be the second theatre expo hosted at The Rep following the event's debut in 2016.

"A thriving arts community bolsters our economy and provides personal value to all of us who live, work and play in St. Louis," said Michael Scully, PNC regional president for St. Louis. "Programs like The Rep's theatre expo strengthen our visual and performing arts community by introducing theatre to new audiences and future theatre talent. We congratulate them on all the great work they do in our community and for being a repeat Arts Alive grant recipient."

The grant will allow The Rep to expand the event's reach by filming select activities and producing an online educational video series for local high schools. The series includes in-depth demonstrations by theatre professionals, tours of The Rep's performance space and behind-the-scenes details on The Rep's season-opening production of Evita. The Rep particularly wants to make these videos available to underserved schools that lack funds for in-depth arts programming.

"The St. Louis Theatre Expo is all about making theatre accessible for everyone," said Marsha Coplon, The Rep's director of education. "With generous support from the PNC Arts Alive grant, we're now able to take the wealth of educational opportunities happening at the expo and deliver them directly to the next generation of theatregoers in our region."

First launched in 2010, PNC Arts Alive has already provided 92 grants to local, non-profit arts groups in St. Louis, contributing $2.5 million to arts organizations over the past seven years. This multi-year grant initiative - part of the PNC Foundation - challenges visual and performing arts organizations in the Greater St. Louis community to put forth their best, most original thinking in expanding audience participation and engagement.

About The PNC Foundation
The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $350 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life.

About The Rep
The Rep is the St. Louis region's most honored live professional theatre company. Founded in 1966, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is a fully professional theatrical operation belonging to the League of Resident Theatres, The League of St. Louis Theatres and is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group, Inc., the national service organization for the not-for-profit professional theatre.

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