The Playbill Community Service Award was created to acknowledge all of the ways young people at the Junior Theater Festival are giving back across the country. All groups attending JTF 2014 were encouraged to document their organization's community service projects and apply for this award. The projects could be anything from hosting a weekly afterschool program for under-served students to holding a food drive to performing at a nursing home.
Five finalists were chosen by a panel of adjudicators and are highlighted here on Playbill.com, where we now ask you to vote on which project is your favorite. The organization receiving the most votes will win a $1,000 cash prize to support their continued charitable efforts.
You can watch all the videos and vote below.
Each year young theatre lovers from around the country gather in Atlanta to take part in the three-day event that celebrates musical theatre and the numerous Broadway Junior and Kids Collection titles available for school-age performers.
JTF 2014 will take place Jan. 17-19, and Playbill.com will be reporting live from the event, keeping readers up to date on the exciting weekend of performances and special events. JTF has previously welcomed Alan Menken, Thomas Schumacher, Jeanine Tesori, Zac Efron, the stars of Newsies and more. Founded in 2003, the Junior Theater Festival is the largest of its kind in the world and attracts students and instructors from across the U.S. who gather to participate in workshops and lectures, as well as perform highlights from their respective productions.
Act 3 Arts Academy from Sandy Springs, GA (Act 3 Productions)