This GivingTuesday, you can open the door for young artists to shine and make a direct impact on their lives right now.

At Theatre 202, one of the most powerful and unique things we do is pay our young actors. While many arts programs require youth to pay to participate or rely entirely on volunteers, we invest directly in our performers. All youth ages 14–24 in our annual community musical receive a $500 stipend, because youth artistry is powerful, essential, and worthy of real investment.

This matters. More than half of our participants are out of school and under- or unemployed, and 95 percent are Black youth from low-income families. This is a demographic that is historically underserved and often overlooked. And this year in DC has been especially turbulent, from federal budget cuts to discord in government to an extremely increased presence of law enforcement that many of our young people feel deeply. When the world around them feels unstable, creating safe, creative spaces for youth becomes not just important but urgent.

This is exactly why we create positive pathways for youth through the arts. Providing stipends removes financial barriers and allows us to engage youth and young adults in a consistent, caring community where they can lead, heal, and thrive. It helps rebuild connection, confidence, and belonging and reflects our deep commitment to equity.

Your end-of-year donation goes directly to youth stipends.
These stipends ensure that every young person, regardless of background or circumstance, can access high-quality arts education. They also open doors to future employment in the arts and help young performers build real pathways forward.

Our total goal is $10,000 to fund stipends for all 20 youth performers in our upcoming community musical, Pippin, which we hope to raise by the end of 2025.
This GivingTuesday, we are working to raise the first $5,000.

Your support will:

Fund youth stipends directly
Empower young changemakers to tell bold, urgent stories
Keep community-rooted theatre accessible to DC youth
Create stepping stones toward careers in the performing arts
Ensure that every actor in this production is honored, supported, and compensated for their artistry

As Pippin reminds us:

"We’ve got magic to do just for you,
We’ve got miracle plays to play.
We’ve got parts to perform, hearts to warm,
Kings and things to take by storm,
As we go along our way."

If you cannot give this year, you can still make a meaningful impact by sharing this campaign with your networks. Every repost and forward helps us reach more supporters.

Help us bring the magic of theatre to those who need it most and uplift the voices of the next generation.
Thank you for standing with our young performers!

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Want to learn more about Theatre 202? Check out this special feature on NBC:

https://www.nbcwashington.com/video/community/in-the-community/theatre-202-provides-platform-for-young-actors/3924926/

Or visit our website at www.theatre202.org and follow us on Instagram @theatre.202

We've Got Magic to Do: Support Young DC Artists at Theatre 202!