The Educational Theatre Association honored NBC Entertainment with its 2018 Standing Ovation Award. NBC Senior Vice President and Creative Director Dean McFlicker accepted the award at the 2019 Junior Theater Festival West in Sacramento.
The distinction honors corporations and organizations that make contributions to EdTA, helping to support its mission of fostering theatre education programs around the country through philanthropic efforts, programs, and activities.
During the presentation of the award, theatre educator Jeff Hall and EdTA Executive Director Julie Cohen Theobald highlighted some of NBC’s initiatives over the past year, including financial support of EdTA’s Thespians Go Hollywood gala, honoring the late Craig Zadan, and its partnership with the Educational Theatre Foundation on the R.I.S.E. America grant program (the network pledged a total of $500,000 in grants, distributed to 50 high schools).
“Thanks to this program,” said Theobald, “high schools are producing theatre for the first time, funding their first musical, giving their students professional experiences, purchasing theatrical equipment that keeps their students safe and educates them in technical theatre, and bringing unprecedented positive attention to their programs.”
