President Trump is weighing deep cuts in his budget plan, including all funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). A major theater group in Oregon fears that could affect children’s access to one of history’s greatest playwrights. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland says it gets between $100,000 to $125,000 dollars annually in grant money from the NEA. Spokesman Eddie Wallace says part of that is for what’s called the Bowmer Project.
“Which is named in honor of our founder, Angus Bowmer," explains Wallace. "Certain schools in the area are identified as particularly in need. And so those tickets are free for them. 
"And they also get a backstage tour, and a discussion with an actor…sort of a full experience.”
Other students get discounted tickets. Wallace says roughly 800 to 1000 students come to Oregon Shakespeare Festival productions every year.
“And what we always find when we ask our members or folks who come back and work for the company professionally…so many say their first experience with OSF was on a school field trip.” 
Wallace says while the loss in NEA grant money might seem like a drop in the bucket for their $38 million budget, the outreach and influence to school kids is significant.
Copyright 2017, KLCC.
