Jake Gyllenhaal, currently starring opposite Denzel Washington in Broadway's Othello, hosted the Shubert Foundation's 11th Annual High School Theatre Festival March 24 at Broadway's Shubert Theatre. The event invites New York City public schools to perform excerpts from their plays and musicals on a Broadway stage.
Go inside the special evening in the photo gallery below.
This year's guest Broadway presenters included Maya Boyd, Will Eno, Thayne Jasperson, Baayork Lee, Liam Pearce, PigPen Theatre Col, Zachary Noah Piser, John Scott-Richardson, Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Jessica Vosk, and Kailah Wilcoxon.
Invited productions included Theatre Arts Production Company High School's In the Heights, Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts' The Skin of Our Teeth, Professional Performing Arts School's Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812, Port Richmond High School's A Chorus Line, and Frank Sinatra School of the Arts' Sweeney Todd.
"For 11 years, the Shubert Foundation High School Theatre Festival has given our talented students a stage to express themselves creatively," said Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos in an earlier statement. "With partners like the Shubert Foundation, our students get the exceptional opportunity to perform on Broadway—a highlight of their arts education. We deeply value the continued commitment from the Shubert Foundation that allows our students to showcase their skills and love of the arts."
“After more than 10 years, The Shubert Foundation High School Theatre Festival is now a beloved Broadway event, and we are proud to see it shine a well-deserved spotlight on New York City’s excellent theatre programs and the young actors they develop,” added Shubert Foundation President Diana Phillips. “This program provides a very public platform to elevate these performances beyond the school walls, and we are impressed by the consistently high level of achievement every year. It is such a tribute to the students and to their teachers.”
The annual event is sponsored by The Shubert Foundation, and presented in partnership with the New York City Public Schools' Arts Office. A Foundation grant of $734,000 funds the Festival along with supporting several theatre and arts education programs in NYC schools. The Foundation has given in excess of $9.3 million to the NYC Department of Education for theatre and arts education programs since 2005.
“Our festival is a microcosm of the impact that theatre has in our schools on a daily basis," said Festival Artistic Director and Director of Theatre for New York City Public Schools Peter Avery. "When students explore theatre together and celebrate each other’s creativity, they demonstrate the highest levels of education—applying technique, understanding the context of the play, and communicating with others towards a common goal. We truly appreciate the Shubert Foundation and all the Broadway artists investment in our student artists, their schools and supportive families."
Visit Schools.nyc.gov.
