Pinewood Performing Arts (PPA) has had the honor of producing the Summer Musical at Pinewood Bowl since 1949. Before that, our organization led sing-alongs on the steps of the Capital during World War II, in an effort to raise the spirits of those back home while our Greatest Generation was away at war. The Pinewood Bowl Stage at Pioneers Park would likely not exist without our organization. We have been committed to providing affordable entertainment to Lincoln families for over seventy years, and our organization is committed to continuing this legacy for the next seventy years and beyond. We also provide a unique and valuable pre-professional theatrical experience to those volunteers who serve on our cast, orchestra, and crew every summer. This grant would help to secure the future for Pinewood Performing Arts and our community through supporting the ever-increasing costs of production in the form of performance rights for publishers, lighting and sound equipment rental, costumes, props, and set-building materials. We've had to share the Pinewood Bowl space with concerts in recent years which has tightened our time constraints to continue to produce our summer musical. This grant would allow us the flexibility to purchase materials to begin building our sets prior to gaining access to the bowl. This would ensure we can continue the beautiful shows now being offered through PPA.

In the past few years, we have worked to expand our impact on our community through intentional outreach and involvement with diverse populations who might not otherwise be aware of what we do — let alone come out to the park to enjoy our musical. Through collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lincoln, and Community Learning Centers in Title I buildings in Lincoln Public Schools, we have had the opportunity to raise awareness about our organization and to spark an interest in the performing arts in the young people we've had the pleasure of coming alongside. This grant would enable us to expand this program and to replace volunteers from our Board of Directors with educational professionals who have a passion for theater. This in turn increases our impact with these students, awakens a love for the performing arts in even more of Lincoln's young people. As part of these programs, we offer free tickets to the summer musical and concession vouchers to participants and their families. Additional grant money would enable us to expand this aspect of our outreach to offer low and no cost tickets to families who may not otherwise be able to come out and enjoy theater under the stars at Pinewood Bowl.