National Endowment for the Arts FY 2017 Fall Grant Announcement

$10,000 Chicago, IL
To support the world premiere of "Queen," a new play by Madhuri Shekar. The play tells the story of two PhD
candidates and close friends who are about to publish a career-defining paper. Their work will identify the cause
for the disappearance of bees around the world, which ultimately leads to global food shortage due to the lack
of pollination. On the eve of their presentation, they realize their research numbers are not adding up, and the
two students are faced with a difficult decision that puts their careers and their friendship on the brink of
devastation. The play was one of the highlights of the theater's 2015 Ignition Festival of New Plays, and will be
directed by Joanie Schultz.
Village Theatre
$25,000 Issaquah, WA
To support the expansion of the Village Originals program. The program, which focuses on readings and
workshops for the development of new musicals, will be expanded to include developmental productions, to
allow artists to focus on music, staging, and choreography. The productions will provide participating writers the
opportunity to have the work performed for an audience to obtain critical feedback. The critiques of each
performance will guide the continued refinement of the work for subsequent performances. Talkbacks and
panel discussions also will take place with the writers, composer, lyricist, and director of each developmental
production.
Vineyard Theatre & Workshop Center, Inc. (aka Vineyard Theatre)
$30,000 New York, NY
To support a production of "Can You Forgive Her?," a new play by Gina Gionfriddo. The play is an exploration of
privilege and class in America. It relates the events of one explosive Halloween night when two couples find
themselves engaged in incendiary conversations about the differences between haves and have-nots in
America, and whether it is possible to heal from inherited trauma and transcend the financial situation into
which one is born. In conjunction with the production, the Vineyard Theatre will offer student matinees to New
York City public high school students, who will participate in pre- and post-show workshops with the theater's
education staff and members of the production's creative team.
Virginia Repertory Theatre (aka Virginia Rep)
$10,000 Richmond, VA
To support the world premiere production of "The End of War," a new play by David L. Robbins, based on his
book by the same name. Set in embattled Berlin in the final days of World War II, the play examines the fears
and atrocities of war from the perspective of a brilliant young cellist, her mother who is harboring one of the
city's last Jews, and two Red Army soldiers fighting their way through the Eastern front. Engagement activities
will include talkbacks with the playwright, a pre-show discussion series with historians, and outreach to veterans
through The Mighty Pen, a veterans writing project. The theater will provide a space to showcase written work
by participating veterans, host video excerpts of work online, and program public reading events with
community partners at the Virginia War Memorial and Weinstein Jewish Community Center.
Vivian Beaumont Theater, Inc. (aka Lincoln Center Theater)
$45,000 New York, NY
To support the world premiere of "How to Transcend a Happy Marriage," a new play by Sarah Ruhl at Lincoln
Center Theater. The play is a modern morality tale in which two couples disrupt their lives when they decide to
reignite their youthful, rebellious spirits. In so doing, one of the long-time friends strikes out on a search for
transcendence and finds herself traveling down wild paths that lead to unforeseeable adventures. Originally
Some details of the projects listed are subject to change, contingent upon prior Arts Endowment approval. Information is current as of
December 7, 2016.