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On Monday, May 4, NYC public school theatre artists will make their Broadway debuts in The 2026 Shubert Foundation High School Theatre Festival for NYC Public Schools. In its 12th year, this year’s Festival will be held at the Schoenfeld Theatre and will be hosted by Nathan Lane- currently starring in Death of a Slaesman on Broadway.
The Shubert Festival celebrates five outstanding high school student productions from the 2025-26 school year, selected from more than 30 productions across the city by professional theatre artists and theatre educators. Over the course of the festival’s 12-year history, school productions from all five boroughs have performed at the event.
This year will feature performances from:
CHICAGO
COME FROM AWAY
IN TRANSIT
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS—THE MUSICAL
The Shubert High School Theatre Festival showcases the ongoing excellent theatre work currently taking place in NYC public high schools, as well as highlighting the crucial skills of theatre study for the stage and in life: collaboration, artistry, discipline, focus, literacy, student voice, self-awareness, presence, and empathy. The evening focuses on the impact that a dedicated theatre program can have on students and school communities, enabling students to see theatre and the arts as a potential career path.
The Shubert Foundation, Inc. is the largest institutional funder of theatre education programs throughout NYC public schools and the nation’s largest private foundation dedicated to unrestricted funding of not-for-profit theatres, with a secondary focus on dance. In 2024, the Foundation provided totaled $40 million to 653 not-for-profit performing arts organizations across the United States. The Shubert Foundation, Inc. was established in 1945 by the legendary team of brothers, Lee and J.J. Shubert. Since 1977, more than $613 million has been awarded to not-for-profit arts organizations throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.shubertfoundation.org.
New York City Public Schools is the largest system of public schools in the United States. New York City Public Schools supports universal access to arts education through school support programs, student initiatives and the ArtsCount initiative, which tracks and reports student participation in arts education according to city and NY Standards. The Shubert High School Festival for New York City Public Schools highlights the impact of a dedicated theater education by showcasing student theatre work on a Broadway stage. For more information, visit NYCDOE Celebrate the Arts & Arts Education.
