Expanding access to theatre education and training opportunities for students is mission critical to the Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF). One program aiding efforts is the Open Jar Musical Theatre Scholarship, presented annually to several musical theatre performance finalists from the solo and duet categories in the International Thespian Excellence Awards (Thespys®). To date, the partnership has awarded 12 scholarships valued at $48,000 to students from around the country.
“The Educational Theatre Foundation believes the future of theatre starts in our schools and with our youth,” said ETF president Dr. Jennifer Katona. “Future theatre artists, designers, technicians, and audiences are currently in school learning how to push its boundaries, advance its narratives, and strengthen its reach. ETF is so proud to partner with amazing programs like Open Jar to push the future of theatre forward.”
The Open Jar Institue’s Broadway Intensive was created to provide students with theatre training and experiences including hands-on sessions with Broadway professionals over the course of the week-long immersive study program in New York City, with the scholarship providing tuition for one Thespian each year.
ETF chatted with Open Jar’s development director, Sue Teater, and program director, David Wilson, to learn more about the program and its impact.
Training Broadway’s Next Generation
Open Jar’s Broadway Intensive is held in Times Square at Open Jar Studios, a facility finished in 2019, complete with 22 rehearsal spaces that hosts 60 to 65 students per session from around the country and sometimes the world. Their curriculum consists of anywhere from 40 to 45 hours of master classes with Broadway performers, directors, agents, and casting directors that focus not only on performance skills, but a broader understanding of the life and career path of a theatre artist.
“The program is not a star search style of program…it’s definitely about the work itself,” said Wilson. “The curriculum is often focused on audition technique, up-to-date information about New York City standards and practices, and about improving technique on all aspects of the craft.”
Additionally, the program aims to provide students with sessions that take a realistic look at what it means to make a living as a theatre professional. Often the most popular among students, they cover a range of topics—from the cost of living in New York to the contractual minimums of being cast as an ensemble member in a Broadway versus off-Broadway show.
“Another eye-popping thing for [students] is how hard these Broadway artists are working,” said Teater. “A lot of them feel like ‘Ok, you’ve made it on Broadway, you’re good.’ And then they see they’re taking classes, meeting their coaches, going to another audition…that’s a rude awakening for them in a very good way.”
The goal is to move students away from the nebulous idea of “making it,” to the reality of professional theatre and their potential in it—many times for the good. “To be able to see a student whose entire vision of themselves or what they thought was possible expand in real time, that’s an incredible moment,” said Wilson.
The Power of Community
Beyond training in acting, singing, and dancing, the true impact of the program extends far beyond the rehearsal room. For many students, this experience is their first exposure to the city, Broadway shows, and a network of artists with diverse levels of talent and experience.
“You can’t wait for them to walk into that theater and just feel that feeling of ‘Oh my God, here I am in New York City sitting watching a Broadway show with somebody that I just worked with today,’” said Teater.
Students often arrive knowing few, if any, of their fellow participants, but quickly bond based on their shared challenges and dreams. “We clicked immediately. Everyone is cool, and has a great vibe,” said Jackson Chavis, 2023 recipient of the Open Jar Scholarship. “Some people in high school aren’t serious like here. This is a family, and everyone wants to be here.”
It’s a feeling that isn’t limited to students. Many of the artists who serve as mentors and teachers throughout the week are Open Jar alumni. And while many now work on some of the biggest stages in the world, they come back and “feel inspired by the students.”
Finding Success in the Program
In addition to their partnership with ETF, the Open Jar Institute gave out close to $35,000 in scholarships last year, a new record. Their team travels throughout the country to state festivals and conducts countless virtual interviews with the aim of finding as many students as possible.
“We just go with our motto: we want everybody to jump out of their jars,” said Teater. “That’s what we’re always trying to tell them—go past what you think you can do, because anything is possible.”
More importantly, however, the Open Jar team is looking to the future, and the impact students going through the summer intensive can have on the theatre industry. “There are stories being told now that even 10 or 20 years ago we just wouldn’t have expected to hear, and that’s making all of us better,” said Wilson. “There are students out there whose stories need to be told and who have that yearning inside them to tell those stories. And so we want to hear them.” ♦
Interested in learning more about this and other scholarship opportunities? Visit our Thespy Scholarships Page.