Dexter Announces $20,000 Grant to Portland Playhouse

PORTLAND, OR—Today, U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-3) announced a National Endowment for the Arts’ Shakespeare in American Communities: Schools grant for $20,000 to the nonprofit theatre, Portland Playhouse. The funding arrives at a critical moment, after the theatre lost a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts due to the theatre not aligning with President Donald Trump’s “vision” for the country. While the previous NEA funding for Portland Playhouse remains tied up in an appeals process, the Endowment is continuing to do their best to support our country's valuable arts and culture institutions.  

“The arts are central to Oregon’s identity,” said Representative Maxine Dexter, M.D. “It’s inspiring to see communities across the country support one another, protecting creativity, uplifting self-expression, and keeping the arts accessible to all. While Trump continues to devalue the arts and diminish their importance, this investment tells a different story. The Portland Playhouse is here to stay.”  

“We believe theatre belongs to everyone, especially our young people. This grant from the NEA will allow us to continue sharing Shakespeare’s stories with students across Portland through our Fall Festival of Shakespeare program,” Brian Weaver, Artistic Director, Portland Playhouse, said. "We’re deeply grateful to the NEA’s staff who champion the transformative power of the arts in our classrooms & communities. And, while we celebrate this support, we remain hopeful that this, and future, funding won’t be subject to sudden reversals, such as we faced in the Spring. Following a groundswell of community support to fill the gap, our commitment to bold, inclusive and artistically daring programming remains steadfast. We hope this grant will help ensure that those values endure.” 

This grant will help Portland Playhouse continue bringing Shakespeare performances and educational programming to schools across the region.  

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