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May 29, 2025 – New York, NY – On Monday, June 2 at 5 p.m., TDF will host its annual Wendy Wasserstein Project ceremony at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 West 59th Street). Founded as Open Doors in 1998 by TDF and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein, this unique arts mentorship program pairs top theatre professionals with NYC public high school students for a season of shows and conversation. This special celebration will open with a performance by Broadway star Kimberly Marable (Chicago, Hadestown, The Lion King).

“In our 27th year of the Wendy Project, we have expanded to 27 schools, and by 2026 we will be in 30 NYC public schools throughout the city,” said Ginger Bartkoski Meagher, VP of TDF Programs. “Our mentors and teachers continue to bring students to shows and explore the joy, empathy, humanity, and community that live theatregoing fosters. We’ve learned that the act of repeated theatregoing strengthens our bonds as a community, lowers depression, and improves physical and mental health. We’re thrilled that these young theatregoers experience those benefits and can continue their healthy habit of seeing live performances by using their free TDF Memberships. This group also gains exclusive access to deep discounts JUST FOR THEM! We welcome them with open arms to the theatregoing community.”

Wendy Wasserstein always said that theatregoing “is the birthright of every New Yorker,” and TDF’s Wendy Wasserstein Project operates on that belief. Every season, dedicated theatre and dance professionals mentor groups of eight underserved New York City public high school students, bringing each cohort to six performances on Broadway and beyond throughout the school year. Every outing is followed by a lively post-show discussion, and the students keep journals of their theatre experiences, which are reviewed by and discussed with their mentors. Through this personal and dynamic interaction, TDF's Wendy Wasserstein Project fosters a deep appreciation of theatre and an understanding of its relevance in the students’ lives.

In 2012, TDF's Wendy Wasserstein Project became the first arts education program to receive a special Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. During the 2024-25 season, 34 mentors worked with 27 groups of students from NYC-area public high schools. To help continue their theatergoing journey, all participants received free TDF Memberships and access to a carefully curated and deeply discounted selection of shows.

The mentors for 2024-25 are:

Participating schools for 2024-25 are:

All Hallows High School, Bronx; Baccalaureate School for Global Education, Queens; Bronx Health Sciences High School, Bronx; Brooklyn High School of the Arts, Brooklyn; Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts, East Orange, NJ; Community School for Social Justice, Bronx; Denzel Washington School of the Arts, Mount Vernon, NY; East Side Community School, Manhattan; Edward R. Murrow High School, Brooklyn; Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School, Bronx; Family Life Academy Charter Schools HS, Bronx; Flushing International High School, Queens; Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School, Queens; Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School, Staten Island; High School of Economics & Finance, Manhattan; High School for Law, Advocacy and Community Justice, Manhattan; High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology, Brooklyn; Knowledge and Power Preparatory Academy International High School, Bronx; Millennium High School, Manhattan; Pan American International High School, Queens; Renaissance High School for Musical Theater and the Arts, Bronx; Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts, Manhattan; Robert F. Kennedy Community High School, Queens; Science Skills Center High School, Brooklyn; Dr. Susan S. McKinney Secondary School of the Arts, Brooklyn; Talent Unlimited High School, Manhattan; Young Women’s Leadership School of Manhattan, Manhattan.

To watch a brief video of Wendy Wasserstein in 2003 talking about co-founding the program with TDF, click here. (Wendy's comments begin 59 seconds into the video.)

To download Kimberly Marable’s headshot, click here.

KIMBERLY MARABLE recently starred as the iconic Velma Kelly in Chicago on Broadway. Additional Broadway credits include Hadestown, The Lion King, and Sister Act. International and North American touring credits include Hadestown (Persephone), Sister Act (Deloris Van Cartier), The Book of Mormon, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, and The Wedding Singer. Television/streaming: CBS's “FBI” and “Bull,” Netflix Anime’s “Cannon Busters” (Lorelai), NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert (Hadestown). Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Kimberly earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre modified with sociology from Dartmouth College. She was an adjunct professor for the Theatre Program at Drexel University. In 2012, Kimberly co-founded Broadway Serves, an affiliate program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which provides theatre professionals with community service opportunities. She serves as a Co-Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Entertainment Community Fund’s Looking Ahead program, is on the Entertainment Community Fund’s Human Services Committee, and serves on the Board of Trustees for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. @misskimizzo

Below is a list of major donors and funders who support TDF's Education programs:

Anonymous, The Aronson Foundation, The Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, The Cornelius N. Bliss Memorial Fund, The Bulova Stetson Fund, The Kenneth Goldman Donor Fund, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, Angela and Scott Jaggar Foundation, Inc., Phyllis Jo Kubey, Gina Maria Leonetti, Jacqueline LiCalzi, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, O’Melveny & Myers LLP., The Pinkerton Foundation, RBC Foundation - USA, Scenery Bags, The Shubert Foundation, Andrew and Merrill Silver, Sony USA Foundation, The Staten Island Foundation, TJX Companies, Inc., Earl D. Weiner

TDF Education Programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and the New York State Council on the Arts.

ABOUT TDF: Founded in 1968, TDF (formerly known as Theatre Development Fund) is a not-for-profit service organization dedicated to sharing the power of the performing arts with everyone. TDF’s mission is to engage a broad and diverse audience by removing the financial, physical, and invisible barriers to participation in the performing arts. TDF’s initiatives include the TKTS by TDF Discount Booths; TDF Memberships; the TDF Costume Collection; and TDF Accessibility, Education, and Public Engagement Programs. Those Programs include open captioned, audio described, and ASL-interpreted performances; Autism Friendly Performances; the Veterans Theatregoing Program; school programs serving more than 11,000 NYC public school students annually; and partnerships with over 150 NYC community organizations serving 18,000 people in the tristate area. TDF envisions a world where the transformative experience of attending live theatre and dance is essential, relevant, accessible, and inspirational.

Facebook/Instagram: @tdfnyc