Thespian Relief Fund
School theatre programs continue to rebuild and recover from the pandemic — and many remain at risk.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, they have had to cope with canceled productions and restricted activities. School programs use box-office revenue to fund their next year’s shows, and many have not recovered from their previous losses. With the pressure on education budgets — and little federal relief funding being directed to school arts programs — school theatre programs need a lifeline.
That lifeline is the Thespian Relief Fund.
Since its inception in 2020, this program has kept theatre alive in schools across the United States.
Available Thespian Relief Grants
ETF offers two types of grants to support schools in need:
- $500 grants for schools to start or renew a Thespian Troupe and cover lifetime fees for 10 students. A Thespian troupe is a group of students who have earned induction into the honor society for middle or high school theatre students—the International Thespian Society, which was established in 1929 and has 2.4 million members.
- $1,000 grants to defray production costs for school programs hurt by show cancellations and lost revenue. Grant funds may be used for purchase of equipment, costumes, lights, show rights and help with any other issues related to getting a school theatre program up and running again.
Schools may apply for one or both of these grants. Applicants are prioritized based on need, including Title 1 schools with significant enrollment of students of color, and rural or small schools with few or no support resources.
Made Possible by Our Donors
Thank you to our donors for their generous support of the Educational Theatre Foundation.
Special thanks to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids and Concord Theatricals for sponsoring $10,000 each in Thespian Relief Grants in the 2022-23 school year!
Six Reasons to Support Thespian Relief
When you give to the Thespian Relief Fund, you help school theatre programs in these ways and more.
- Recover lost ticket revenue.
- Recoup expenses from canceled productions.
- Fund production expenses.
- Cover student fees for honor society induction.
- Start or maintain a Thespian troupe.
- Rebuild student participation.
A Lifeline to Schools
Thespian Relief Fund News
ETF Achieved Big Wins in 2021
Thanks to your generous support throughout 2021, the Educational Theatre Foundation was
Saving School Theatre – Easy as 1-2-3
ETF launched the Thespian Relief Fund in 2020 to address the pandemic’s
Thespian Relief Fund
Award Recipients
Alabama
Leeds High School Theatre
W.P. Davidson High School
Theodore High School
Dothan Preparatory Academy
Alaska
Kodiak High School
Arizona
Palo Verde High School
Benson High School
Gilbert High School
Florence High School
East Valley High School
Arkansas
Parkview High School
Osceola High School
Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High School
Heber Springs High School
Newport Special School District
British Columbia, Canada
Whistler Secondary School
California
Grand Terrace High School
Cabrillo High School
Rancho Buena Vista High School
San Gorgonio High School
Brookhurst Junior High School
San Jacinto High School
Willow Glen High School
American Canyon High School
El Toro High School
Carlsbad High School
Benton Middle School
Bakersfield High School
Napa High School
Cajon High School
Ontario High School
Cosumnes Oaks High School
Oroville High School
Highland High School
Canyon Springs High School
Washington Middle School
Colorado
Alameda International High School
Parker Performing Arts School
Rangeview High School
Eaton High School
North High School
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Admiral Herbert G. Hopwood Middle School
Marianas High School
Connecticut
Bassick High School
Florida
Miami Senior High
Vanguard High School
Golden Gate High School
Arthur & Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts
Brandon High School
Plant City High School
Miami Killian Senior High School
Sheridan Technical High School
Fort Lauderdale High School
Burns Middle School
Santaluces High School
Miami Beach Nautilus Middle School
Maynard Evans High School
Strawberry Crest High School
Bright Futures Academy Charter School
West Nassau High School
St. Cloud High School
Lake Worth Community High School
Central High School
St. John Neumann Catholic High School
Don Soffer Aventura High School
Leto High School
Jose de Diego Middle School
Williams Middle School
Liberty High School
J.P. Travaella High School
Dr. Earl J. Lennard High School
Neptune Middle School
Herbert Hoover Middle School
Marathon Middle High School
Osceola High School
Lake Worth Community High School
Redland Middle School
Georgia
Westside Middle School
Collins Hill High School
Newnan High School
Rockdale County High School
Alcovy High School
West Hall Middle School
Salem High School
T.J. Edler Middle School
Jefferson County High School
Central High School
Ridgeland High School
Hawaii
Iao Intermediate School
Hongwanji Mission School
Pacific Buddhist Academy
Illinois
Alton High School
United Township High School
De La Salle Institute
Plano Community High School
Canton High School
Indiana
Jeffersonville High School
Munster High School
Rensselaer Central High School
Jasper High School
Merrillville High School
Madison Consolidated High School
Rochester Community High School
Logansport Junior High School
Logansport High School
Franklin Central Junior Thespians
Iowa
Cedar Rapids George Washington High School
Kansas
Garden City High School
Leavenworth High School
Ottawa High School
Kentucky
Elizabethtown High School
Leestown Middle School
Randall K. Cooper High School
Spencer County Schools
Louisiana
George Washington Carver HIgh School
Abramson Sci Academy
Pineville High School Magnet for the Performing Arts
SummerStone Academy
McKinley Middle Academic Magnet
Alexandria Senior High School
Dutchtown Primary School
Maryland
High Point High School
Owings Mills High School
Mt. Hebron High School
Patuxent High School
North East High School
Northern Garrett High School
Wheaton High School
Monarch Global Academy
The Empowerment Academy
Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women
Mardela Middle & High School
A. Mario Loiederman Middle School for the Creative and Performing Arts
Northwestern High School
Northwood High School
Massachusetts
The MacDuffie School
Michigan
Harrison Community High School
Belding Area Schools
Coopersville Public Schools
Minnesota
Waconia High School
Centennial Middle School
Mississippi
West Point High School
Madison Middle School
Missouri
Forsyth High School
Sullivan High School
Montana
Columbia Falls High School
Nebraska
Kearney High School Theatre
Nevada
Equipo Academy East Las Vegas College Prep
Rancho High School
Ateres Bnos Ita
New Hampshire
Hollis Brookline High School
New Jersey
Gloucester City School District
Voorhees High School
Passaic Preparatory Academy
New Mexico
Hoover Middle School
Santa Fe High School
New York
South Glens Falls High School
Great Neck North High School
Monroe-Woodbury High School
John Jay High School
Walt Whitman High School
Palisade Preparatory School
Waterford Halfmoon Union Free School District
North Carolina
McDowell High School
North East Carolina Preparatory School
Page High School
Carolina International School
Roxboro Community School
Penn-Griffin School for the Arts
A. L. Brown High School
Excelsior Classical Academy
Murphy High School/Murphy Middle School
North Dakota
Valley-Edinburg Public Schools
Ohio
Elyria High School
Kings High School
Columbus Alternative High School
Harrison Hills City School District
Madison High School
John Marshall High School
Chaviva High School
Blanchester High School
Delphos Jefferson High School
Troy High School
Westerville Central High School
Bethel High School
Nordonia High School
Wayne High School
Oklahoma
Stilwell High School
U.S. Grant High School
Oregon
Sam Barlow High School
Pennsylvania
Governor Mifflin High School
Springfield Middle School
Palmyra Area High School
The Philadelphia HS for Creative and Performing Arts
Westinghouse Arts Academy
Tennessee
Memphis Central High School
Oakland Middle School
Tipton-Rosemark Academy
LaVergne Middle School
Texas
Foy H. Moody High School
Wunderlich Intermediate
Central Middle School
Kleb Intermediate
Holy Cross of San Antonio
Santa Ana Secondary School
Anson Jones Middle School
Keene High School
Stroman Middle School
Chavez High School
A+ Academy Secondary
Cedar Creek High School
James Bowie Middle School
Navasota High School
McCallum High School and Fine Arts Academy
Memorial High School
Howell Middle School
Leander Middle School
McAllen Memorial High School
Manor New Tech High School
Wichita Falls Senior High School
Young Women’s Leadership Academy
Horace Mann Jr. School
Oakwood ISD
Rockdale High School
Virginia
Buford Middle School
Lucille M Brown Middle School
Park View High School
Thomas Boushall Middle School
Washington
Auburn Mountainview High School
Everett High School
Inglemoor High School
Washington D.C.
McKinley Technology High School
West Virginia
Capital High School
Parkersburg South High School
Spring Mills High School
West Virginia Academy
