With the successful restoration of the historic Majestic Theatre and Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, Las Casas Foundation not only wants to ensure the future of historic theatres – we want to share those theatres, and performing arts, with talented performers and appreciative audiences.
Dedicated to the development of the performing arts through education and scholarships and the restoration and preservation of historic theatres, Las Casas has developed a pipeline of theatre education programs for students between the ages of 10 and 18 to encourage aspiring performers, and build future theatre audiences through unique efforts designed to open the world of performing arts.
The Las Casas Performing Arts Scholarship Program, founded in 2009, has awarded nearly $1 million to deserving students who excel in the performing arts, making it the largest scholarship funding source of its kind in the United States. This annual program, which culminates in the Joci Awards, a one-night showcase of 25 talented performing arts students in San Antonio and the surrounding area, offers numerous educational opportunities and awards more than $105,000 in scholarships each year. The Joci Awards also serves as a Regional Award Program for the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. Two Joci winners get to participate in a week-long program in New York City, where they experience coaching with the industry’s top professionals and compete for additional scholarship funds on a Broadway stage.
Behind the Scenes supports students that do not have access or the means to participate in the performing arts. Each year, 40 selected students attend touring Broadway shows at the Majestic Theatre, study unique curriculum from each production and participate in master classes and talk-backs with the cast and crew to learn what it takes to bring a production to life.
Camp Broadway in San Antonio is designed to spark a love of theatre by facilitating Broadway professionals for a week-long intensive workshop series, culminating in a final performance at the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre.
Combined, these programs promote education and participation in the performing arts, both onstage and off, by cultivating performers, arts lovers, supporters and audience members.
