2025 Recipients Announced For Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative

The American Theatre Wing (ATW), led by President and CEO Heather Hitchens, announced today the 2025 recipients of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative’s programming, including the Training Scholarships, Stewart F. Lane Fellowship, and the Classroom Resources Grants. These scholarships and grants, made possible by Edwin Barbey Charitable Trust, represent the Wing’s most rigorous investment in direct support for underserved public school students demonstrating exceptional talent and economic need to continue their study of theatre. 

Through the program’s scholarships, the American Theatre Wing looks to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity, creating a strong pipeline to the professional theatre for promising artists of all backgrounds. The awarded student’s area of focus can be performance, design, writing, stage management, or any other aspect of theatre.

Additionally, American Theatre Wing and UStrive are partnering to empower theatre students by connecting individuals with mentors to help them achieve their college and career dreams. With specialized guidance, tailored resources, and mentorship, this partnership strives to lay the foundation for theatre students’ continued excellence and demystify educational processes.

The Training Scholarship is available for public middle and high school students who demonstrate talent and ability in the theatre arts but have a lack of resources to receive high level training prior to college. These scholarships can be used for Private or Group Voice, Dance, or Music lessons; theatre training programs that stand alone or are housed in professional theatre settings; theatre training camps; or special training opportunities. The 2025 recipients of the Training Scholarships are: Olivia Carter of Oregon, who attended National High School Institute Northwestern University “Cherubs” Program; Erika Dessalines of Connecticut, who attended Norwalk Conservatory Summer Intensive; Mariama Diop of New York, who attended Vanguard Theatre Company Summerstock; Michelle Erazo of Florida, who attended Carnegie Mellon Pre-College Drama Program; Michelle Gomez of Florida, who attended Florida State University Musical Theatre Intensive and Norwalk Conservatory Summer Intensive; Tyger Hammons of Louisiana, who attended CCM Summer Musical Theatre Intensive at the University of Cincinnati; Tihun Hann of Colorado, who attended ArtsBridge Summer; Jerilik Jimenez Aparicio of New Jersey, who attended Southeastern Summer Theatre Institute; Charlie Kahler of Delaware., who attended Norwalk Conservatory Summer Intensive; Phoenix Madise of Texas, who attended Norwalk Conservatory Summer Intensive; Juliah Perdue of Washington D.C., who attended British American Drama Academy; Thelma Jahari Samuels of Washington D.C., who attended British American Drama Academy; Nathan Song of California, who attended UCLA Musical Theater Summer Institute; Monique Tian of Delaware, who attended Oklahoma City University Summer High School Musical Theater Program; Khalid Trent of Texas, who attended The Muny Summer Intensive; Laila West of Washington D.C., who attended British American Drama Academy; Cendall Williams of Florida, who attended Broadway Beginnings Dance Intensive and Florida Southern College Summer Dance Program ; and Ana Zayas of Florida who attended Boston Conservatory at Berklee Musical Theater Acting Intensive (MTAI). 

The University Scholarship – available to high school students in Grade 12 who demonstrate talent and ability in the theatre arts but lack the resources to attend a four-year university program –can be used at an accredited private or public university or college in the United States. Each awarded student is provided with a scholarship of up to $10,000 to use toward course fees, and is renewable for four years so long as a minimum GPA of 3.0 is maintained. The 2025 recipients of the University Scholarship are Alaya Haywood, of New York; Alex Kutsko, of New Mexico; Feliciana Mitchell, of New Mexico; Jaxon Reid, of Florida; Nathan Song, of California; and Mekiah Thomas, of Florida..

The recipients of the 2025 Stewart F. Lane Fellowship for Career Advancement – an award presented each year to a graduating college senior who is selected based on their potential to make a positive, long-lasting contribution to the theatre industry – are Oluchi Nwaokori, of The University of Michigan  and Jeyna Lyn Gonzales, of The University of California, Irvine.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative’s Classroom Resources Grants are awarded to individual public K-12 schools, in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, or non-profit parent group associated with that K-12 school. This grant program directly funds under-resourced public schools, to provide lighting and sound equipment, sewing machines for costume making, curtains, and other necessary materials to help create and enhance existing theatre programs. Grant requests of up to $50,000 are considered, allowing the American Theatre Wing to extend meaningful resources to multiple deserving schools each year. The 2025-2026 school year Classroom Resources Grants recipients are: Blair High School (Pasadena, CA ), Bound Brook High School (Bound Brook, NJ ), Bryan Adams Leadership Academy (Dallas, TX ), Castlemont Elementary School (Campbell, CA), Central High School (Bridgeport, CT ), Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast High School (Oklahoma City, OK), Family Life Academy Charter School II (Bronx, NY ), Hugh R. O’Donnell Elementary School (Boston, MA), JHS 194 – William Carr (Whitestone, NY), Jim Bridger Middle School (North Las Vegas, NV), Manhattan International High School (New York, NY), Ninety Six High School (Ninety Six, SC), PS 143Q The Louis Armstrong School (Corona, NY), Washtenaw International High School and Middle Academy (Ypsilanti, MI), and Young Women’s STEAM Academy (El Paso, TX). 

MORE ABOUT THE CLASSROOM RESOURCE GRANT RECIPIENTS

Blair High School (Pasadena, CA), to purchase industry-standard lighting equipment and storage solutions to strengthen its student-run theatre program. Funds will support the acquisition of professional-grade lighting fixtures, accessories, cabling, and an ETC EOS lighting control system, along with dedicated storage carts and road cases to ensure long-term organization and sustainability. This equipment will be used immediately in middle and high school productions, including the spring musical Something Rotten, while providing ongoing classroom training that prepares students for college and careers in technical theatre and the performing arts.

Bound Brook High School (Bound Brook, NJ), to purchase a sewing machine and accessories will allow students to learn costume design and construction. At present, the director uses her personal sewing machine at home, which is cumbersome to move. Having a dedicated machine at school will make it possible for students to take a more active role in costume design and construction.

Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy (Dallas, TX), to purchase an enclosed trailer to provide safe, reliable transportation for sets, props, and costumes. Currently, logistical challenges limit the scale and efficiency of the school’s work during one-act play season. A trailer will remove these barriers, expand what students can achieve, and ensure they can compete on a more equitable level at the highest tiers of UIL One-Act Play competition.

Castlemont Elementary School (Campbell, CA), to purchase 10 over-the-ear theatrical microphones, an upgraded mixer capable of supporting 15 total microphones, necessary cabling, and secure storage equipment. After rapidly growing from 20 to 31 student performers in just one year, the current setup of five handheld microphones has limited staging flexibility and student participation. These new resources will allow more students to have speaking roles in school productions, improve sound quality and blocking on stage, and support the continued growth and accessibility of the program.

Central High School (Bridgeport, CT), to repair and modernize its auditorium lighting system, which is currently nonfunctional due to obsolete equipment and loss of console connectivity. Funds will support professional labor to restore the network and Crestron console, the purchase and installation of a new lighting console, and the installation of donated stage lighting fixtures. Once operational, the upgraded system will support performing arts classes, theater productions, concerts, talent shows, and the launch of a new AV club, transforming the auditorium into a fully functional learning and performance space that provides hands-on technical theatre training for students.

Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast High School (Oklahoma City, OK), to purchase technical equipment that will expand hands-on training opportunities for both technicians and performers in its growing technical theatre program. The requested audio and lighting equipment will allow students to practice setting up and striking professional-grade systems in varied environments, an essential skill for careers in the field. This investment will better prepare students to transition confidently into collegiate programs and professional technical theatre settings with industry-ready experience.

Family Life Academy Charter School II (MS) (Bronx, NY), to upgrade the auditorium’s sound system, the primary performance and instructional space for its theater arts program and student-led Drama Club. Funds will support the purchase of industry-standard microphones, speakers, and related audio equipment to replace outdated systems, ensuring clear sound quality for musical theater productions and other arts programming, including music, dance, and chorus for grades 6–8. This investment will enhance collaboration across departments and provide students with a more professional and immersive performance environment.

Hugh R. O’Donnell Elementary School (Boston, MA), to establish foundational resources for its first-year theater program. As a brand-new initiative with no existing materials, funds will support the purchase of essential, reusable costume pieces, prop and set design supplies, and classroom materials to build a sustainable theater curriculum. This investment will create a strong foundation for long-term growth, ensuring students in East Boston have consistent access to high-quality, inclusive arts education despite current district budget limitations.

JHS 194 – William Carr (Whitestone, NY), to purchase updated lighting fixtures, light and sound boards, wireless microphones, and essential accessories such as cables and surge protection, replacing limited and borrowed equipment that has constrained programming. These upgrades will not only strengthen student performances but also enhance the auditorium’s capacity to host guest speakers, SEL initiatives, and community events, creating a more functional and inspiring space for both arts education and school-wide programming.

Jim Bridger Middle School (N Las Vegas, NV), to purchase headset microphones and a mixing board to support staged performances and classroom instruction in the Theatre Performance program. This equipment will enhance sound quality for theatre productions while also benefiting Mariachi and Band performances, school assemblies, and other community events, providing a versatile, long-term resource for the broader arts community.

Manhattan International High School (New York, NY), to convert an underutilized classroom into a fully equipped Black Box Theater Laboratory featuring LED lighting, drapery, sound systems, and control technology. This flexible space will support hands-on technical theatre training aligned with the school’s performance-based curriculum, helping multilingual learners, including immigrants and refugees, prepare for PBAT assessments and New York State NOCTI Technical Theater certification, creating an inclusive, career-focused arts hub for the school community.

Ninety Six High School (Ninety Six, SC), to construct reusable stage flats that will serve as year-round backdrops for student productions and support hands-on scenic design. Funds will provide lumber, lauan plywood, framing nails, and paint to build durable flats that students can design and customize for performances. In addition to benefiting the theatre program, these flats will be available for school-wide events such as prom and pageants, while fostering cross-curricular collaboration with art and agriculture classes, enhancing student creativity, craftsmanship, and pride in their work.

PS 143Q The Louis Armstrong School (Corona, NY), to complete a critical audio system upgrade in its newly renovated auditorium, where outdated equipment, currently limited to a single microphone and output, restricts sound quality and production capabilities. Funds will support the purchase of professional-grade audio equipment that allows multiple performers to be heard, balanced sound mixing, and dynamic performances. This upgrade will ensure students, many of whom are multilingual learners and newcomers in Corona, Queens, can fully express themselves on stage in a space that reflects the quality, dignity, and impact of their work.

Washtenaw International High School & Middle Academy (Ypsilanti, MI), to install a permanent, secure sound system after relying on borrowed and piecemeal equipment for over three years and 11 productions. Funds will support a lockable, stage-housed road case with rack-mounted mixer and receivers, 16 wireless microphone transmitter/receiver systems, durable headsets, and expanded amplification for onstage, backstage, and house sound. This upgrade will improve audio quality, streamline cafeteria-to-performance transitions through wireless operation, protect equipment from damage, and provide students with accessible, hands-on training in cue-based operation and sound design.

Young Women’s STEAM Academy (El Paso, TX) to install specialized performance flooring in its theater room to address critical safety concerns. The current space lacks an appropriate performance surface, limiting movement and increasing the risk of injury during rehearsals and performances. New flooring will provide a safe, supportive environment that allows students to fully participate in dance and movement-based theatre activities.

MORE ABOUT THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER INITIATIVE

The Andrew Lloyd Webber initiative was created in 2016 with seed funding from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation to aid and abet systemic change in the American Theatre by infusing new resources into the theatre ecosystem in order to bolster the pipeline for underrepresented talent. By fostering lifelong engagement with theatre through educational avenues, we provide young people across the nation newfound access to the industry.

Through Classroom Resources Grants and Training and University Scholarships, this initiative directly addresses key systemic issues that create obstacles in the theatre education and training pipeline. The initiative creates opportunities for new voices in the theatre field, promoting equal opportunity and pathways to leadership on stage, behind the scenes, and in arts administration.

In addition to these grants, The Wing creates continuous impact through ongoing engagement with alums such as master classes, events, panels, and career advancement. These touch points help create space and opportunity for deserving students, bridging the gap between talent and opportunity.

To learn more about the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, visit www.andrewlloydwebberfoundation.com

Classroom Resources Panelists 2025-26:

• Alexander Donnelly 
• Anna May Feige
• Rachel Hauck
• German Martinez 
• Lee Perlman 
• Jen Schriever 
• Emilio Sosa
• Ian Weiss
• Sabrina Uphoff

 Training Scholarship Panelists 2025:

• Cassandra Hackney
• Celia Keenan-Bolger 
• T. Oliver Reid
• Ben Sands
• Alex Santiago-Jirau 
• David R. Scott 

University Scholarship Panelists 2025:

• Pam Barbey

• Shoshana Bean
• Frank DiLella
• Mimi Lien
• Monica White Ndounou
• Ben Sands
• Luz Towns-Miranda
• Sergio Trujillo
• Bernie Telsey