(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at Oakes Center in Summit, is proud to be the recipient of two significant grants that will support its work in the 2026-2027 season. Both the Shubert Foundation and the Summit Foundation have awarded Vivid Stage grants that will make their upcoming productions of premieres possible.
The Shubert Foundation granted $20,000 to Vivid Stage, which will support the company in their work this season. It is the nation’s largest funder dedicated to unrestricted funding of not-for-profit theatres and dance companies. Established in 1945, The Shubert Foundation is especially interested in providing support to professional resident theatre and dance companies that develop and produce new American work.
Summit Foundation awarded $5,000 to Vivid for the production of a new American play during its 2026-2027 season. For over 50 years, the Summit Foundation has strengthened the community by growing and granting philanthropic resources to address local needs and make a meaningful difference in the lives of neighbors. They specifically support organizations and projects that serve the people of the Summit area.
These generous supporters are a crucial part of this non-profit’s ability to build community with the audience by sharing contemporary, life-affirming stories that challenge, energize and entertain. Vivid Stage is the artistic home of New Jersey theatre professionals whose work has at its heart the essential goodness of people and the power of live performance to connect people through our shared humanity.
Vivid’s upcoming season includes three mainstage productions: B.I.N.G.O. by Erin Mallon, a workshop production of a new play; Life Expectancy by Catherine Butterfield, a New Jersey premiere; and It’s You by Laura Ekstrand, a world premiere production. These plays have been chosen for their humor, intelligence, and their perspective on modern life from birth through the golden years.
Vivid Stage was founded in 1994 as Dreamcatcher Rep, and is a non-profit professional ensemble of actors who build community with the audience by sharing contemporary, life-affirming stories that challenge, energize and entertain. Their work has at its heart a belief in the essential goodness of people and the power of live performance to connect people through our shared humanity. They expose theatregoers to ideas and lives like and unlike their own with the intention of awakening their imaginations and creating empathy for others. They deepen the experience of all their patrons with personal contact through receptions, talkbacks, and interactive programs.
The company’s activities include mainstage productions, improvisational comedy and cabarets, new play readings, works in a variety of media, and a menu of educational and senior outreach programs.
