Entertainment
Community saves La Crosse Community Theatre’s production led by kids with disabilities after feds cut funding
The La Crosse Community Theatre’s commitment to inclusivity was put to the test recently when unexpected federal funding cuts threatened to cancel a production featuring children with disabilities.
The Big Bad Wolf nearly stopped the show, but the La Crosse community rallied, ensuring the Penguin Project would go on.
Erik Vose, executive director of the theatre, joined La Crosse Talk Tuesday to share how the project — which pairs youth with disabilities with peers in a fully staged theatre production — overcame the hurdle thanks to generous outside donations.
La Crosse Talk airs weekdays at 6-8 a.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk wherever you get your podcasts.
After four years participating in the Penguin Project, the theatre finally qualified for a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant this February. But last month, funding was abruptly terminated because the production no longer aligned with the current administration’s priorities.
Facing a financial gap, the Penguin Project’s upcoming production, Big Bad Musical — a sequel to The Three Little Pigs — was at risk. Vose said the community’s response was overwhelming, raising twice the amount of the lost grant, securing funding not just for this year but next as well.
Vose encourages local supporters to attend the show June 13–15 at the Lyche Theatre. Tickets are available at www.lacrossetheatre.org or by calling (608) 784-9292.
Kevin
June 4, 2025 at 11:28 am
Seems like a reasonable outcome. The folks that want it, need to pay for it! Not a federal task!
Tracie
June 5, 2025 at 9:22 am
All developed countries support their arts programs, helping to make them accessible for more than just the wealthy elite. Arts programs like the Penguin Project, bringing theatre opportunities to kids with a variety of disabilities who may not otherwise be given a chance are outliers to the normal arts education programs and so not always funded by the general public (often due to a lack of awareness). Each kid I’ve ever met who has participated, whether disabled or a non-disabled mentor, has come away with a sense of purpose, connection, empathy, and skills they didn’t know they had within them! Arts benefit the entire community, even if you don’t attend theatre, museums, or the symphony. Not for profit arts organizations pay taxes like any other business, community-based arts programs are run almost entirely on volunteer power (because productions themselves are expensive to license, never mind building sets and providing costumes) they bring in businesses (companies look for areas with a strong cultural arts presence), they bring customers to local restaurants, hotels, and retail businesses (especially small, family owned ones!), and time and time again, the arts have proven to be necessary. During the pandemic, how many shows were binge-watched? How many musicians gathered on Zoom to play when things were shut down? How many folks took the time to pick up a paint brush or learn how to sew? How many stories were read, written, developed? That’s all art, baby! Art is healing, in whatever form it takes. For the audience it’s there to entertain, yes, but also to provoke thought, provide social commentary, teach history, inspire hope, relieve sadness. For the creators it provides a voice, teaches life skills (no, really), and connects us to worlds and people we never knew existed.
If you don’t think we should be like other developed countries and support arts programs, then get yourself to some arts programs and learn a thing or two about what they do for the people there. Then donate your time or money.