Photo by Thiery Donas
Pushcart Players, New Jersey's award-winning touring theater company for young audiences, has been awarded a $40,000 Institutional and Financial Stabilization Grant from the New Jersey Cultural Trust. This funding will support the organization's long-term sustainability, ensuring that its high-quality educational theater programs continue to enrich children and families throughout the state.
"For more than five decades, Pushcart Players has brought the magic of live theater to schools, libraries, and community venues, fostering creativity, empathy, and a lifelong love of the arts in young audiences," said Paul Whelihan, Pushcart Producing Artistic Director. "We are deeply grateful to NJ Cultural Trust and our state leaders for investing in the arts and recognizing the transformative power of theater for young learners. This generous grant will help sustain our mission, expand access to the performing arts, and inspire future generations of theatergoers across the Garden State."
The Institutional and Financial Stabilization Grant is designed to strengthen nonprofit arts and history organizations, ensuring their continued ability to serve the public. With this support, Pushcart Players will enhance its programming, maintain operational stability, and continue reaching underserved communities with engaging, curriculum-based theatrical productions.
Pushcart Players is the professional touring theater company (member, Actors’ Equity Association) specializing in arts education for youth. Since its founding in 1974, the company has provided curriculum-centered musical theater productions, theater workshops, educational programs, and residencies to young people and their families in schools, theaters, and community venues nationwide, with a primary focus on New Jersey and the greater northeast region.
Notable achievements and awards include: 50 years of producing theater and education programs of substance and merit, two Cultural Access Network of NJ Innovator Awards for sensory-inclusive performances, the NJ Governor’s Award for Excellence in Arts Education, the NJ Theatre Alliance Applause Award for Excellence in the Arts, entry in the U.S. Congressional Record for contributions to cross-cultural understanding, two Emmy nominations for outstanding children’s programming on WCBS-TV, two performances at The White House by invitation, and international tours in the former Soviet Union, Ukraine, Czech Republic, and Ethiopia.
Pushcart’s repertoire of musical theater includes interactive productions designed for in-school assemblies and public performances. The season will include: “Lift Every Voice: A Letter to the Editor” – A multimedia play exploring civil rights history; “Outta’ This World: The Adventures of Kalien the Alien” – A fun, engaging story tackling anti-bullying and social-emotional learning; “Cuentos del Árbol” – A bilingual musical celebrating Spanish and Latin American folklore; “Stone Soup…and other stories” – A collection of multicultural folktales emphasizing values and inclusion; “Holiday Tales: A Season of Miracles” – A heartwarming showcase of global holiday traditions.
Pushcart’s educational programs and community outreach offers in-school workshops, student productions, and drama residencies led by experienced teaching artists. Programs are designed to build confidence, creativity, and teamwork while fostering social justice awareness and progressive change.
Through its Outreach Initiative, Pushcart secures funding to bring arts programming to under-resourced communities, ensuring that all children, regardless of socioeconomic status, have access to quality arts education.
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