Production Grants
Show-specific financial assistance for educational theatre programs
The Wilder Estate
The Long Christmas Dinner Festival Grant
In 1931, Thornton Wilder wrote The Long Christmas Dinner, a moving, funny, and ingeniously theatrical one-act play created specifically for student theater groups. In just 40 minutes, a single holiday meal becomes a 90-year journey through four generations of a family, exploring time, tradition, family, and the stories we tell about our lives.
In 2026, the Wilder Estate is launching The Long Christmas Dinner Festival, a national holiday celebration bringing schools, cultural organizations, and audiences together around this remarkable play. Through a partnership with the Educational Theatre Foundation, high schools are invited to join this special celebration and help make The Long Christmas Dinner a new holiday tradition.
Applications open now through September 27th – acceptances sent on a rolling basis.
Music Theatre International
Heart of Rock and Roll "The Power of Love" Grant
The Educational Theatre Foundation and Music Theatre International will award complimentary licenses of the vibrant, jukebox musical Heart of Rock and Roll to ten U.S. high schools for productions during the 2026–27 school year.
Heart of Rock and Roll features a book by Jonathan Abrams and music and lyrics by Huey Lewis and his pop-rock band, Huey Lewis and the News, with new orchestrations of their music by Brian Usifer.
Selected schools will host intergenerational community events or outreach programs of their own design — because just as Huey Lewis’s music has always brought people together, school theatre has the power to do the same.
Applications are accepted from June 21 to August 1, 2026.
Craig Zadan
Pathway for Equity in the Arts Grant
The Craig Zadan Pathway for Equity in the Arts Grant (or simply “Pathway”) is designed to enrich high school theatre programs in communities facing equitable disparities. This grant provides students with meaningful opportunities to collaborate with industry professionals while performing works that spark important community conversations.
Each year, ETF awards $10,000 grants to high schools to support their production of a musical or play that encourages dialogue on diverse perspectives and experiences. These funds help schools bring in professional mentors who reflect the student body, allowing students to connect with industry professionals, see a future for themselves in theatre, and explore potential career pathways in the arts.
Applications for the Pathway grant are accepted from February 1 to April 1 annually.
Disney on Broadway
School of Excellence Grant
In collaboration with the Educational Theatre Foundation and Music Theatre International, Disney Theatrical Group will award complimentary licenses of select Disney musicals to middle and high schools throughout the United States to be performed each school year.
This nationwide program celebrates schools that display both outstanding artistic achievement and student-led engagement in theatrical disciplines such as stagecraft, theatrical design, choreography, direction, or performance. Together, these schools will honor the timeless magic of Disney musicals on stage and represent the future of theatrical storytelling for the next generation.
Applications are accepted from February 1 to April 1 annually.
Austen's Pride: A New Musical of Pride and Prejudice Grant
The Authors of Austen’s Pride: A New Musical of Pride & Prejudice are thrilled to announce a collaboration with ETF to grant five (5) high schools free performance rights and materials to produce this beautiful new musical during the 2026-27 school year. Access a free digital perusal of the script.
Eligibility: Any accredited high school with an active Thespian troupe (or teacher with an EdTA individual membership) in the United States.
Applications are accepted from February 1-April 1, 2026.
A free EdTA account must be created to access and submit the form.
Fiddler on the Roof Grant
The Fiddler on the Roof Grant covers performance royalties and support resources for middle or high school Thespian troupes to perform Fiddler on the Roof or Fiddler on the Roof JR. through Music Theatre International. Funders Helene and Edward Cole created the grant to help educate students and communities about Jewish heritage and culture. Read more about the program.
Applications for the Fiddler on the Roof grant are accepted from February 1 to April 1 annually.
A free EdTA account must be created to access and submit the form.
Ain't Too Proud Grant
ETF, in partnership with Music Theatre International, is offering three no-cost licenses for Ain’t Too Proud for 2027. This electrifying jukebox musical follows the rise of The Temptations from Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, featuring beloved hits like “My Girl” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” with a Tony-nominated book by Dominique Morisseau. It’s an exciting opportunity for high school theatre programs seeking a dynamic production with strong vocals, choreography, and storytelling.
Eligibility: Any accredited high school with an active Thespian troupe (or teacher with an EdTA individual membership) in the United States.
Applications are accepted from March 2-April 15, 2026
A free EdTA account must be created to access and submit the form.
Shrek the Musical Jr. Pilot Grant
The ETF, in partnership with Music Theatre International, is offering three no-cost licenses for the 2027 Shrek the Musical Jr. Pilot Grant. This innovative bilingual adaptation allows principal actors to choose whether their characters primarily perform in American English or Latin American Spanish, creating a fully customized production while ensuring clarity for monolingual and bilingual audiences alike. Participating schools will also collaborate with MTI on the script throughout the process to help refine and strengthen the pilot experience.
Eligibility: Any accredited middle or high school with an active Thespian troupe (or teacher with an EdTA individual membership) in the United States.
Applications are accepted from March 2 to April 15, 2026
A free EdTA account must be created to access and submit the form.
The Unsinkable Molly Brown Grant
The Unsinkable Molly Brown Grant seeks to enhance the capacity of school theatre programs to impact students, educators, and their communities-at-large. Applicants are asked to demonstrate plans to use the show as a tool to engage their school and surrounding population in themes present in the musical, including women’s and immigrants’ rights, community-building, and the civic-minded “share-the-luck spirit” embodied by Molly Brown. Read more about the revised production.
A free EdTA account must be created to access and submit the form.
