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Department of Theatre and Dance

UW Theatre and Dance Receives $100,000 Endowment for Playwriting

April 20, 2009 -- The University of Wyoming's Department of Theatre and Dance has a lot to celebrate after receiving a $100,000 endowment for playwriting.

When University of Wyoming Professor William Missouri Downs, head of playwriting and play development, had a chance meeting with Brooks Reeves at a department store in Cheyenne, it set the stage for the donation to UW.

Brooks Reeves' father, Douglas Reeves, is the chairman and founder for the Center for Performance Assessment, an international organization dedicated to improving student achievement and educational equity. Douglas Reeves was looking to make a unique donation to his alma mater, and with the help of Dale Walker in the UW Arts and Sciences Dean's Office, the dots were connected and the result was a $50,000 gift (which will be matched by the Wyoming State Legislature) to create the Douglas B. Reeves Endowment for Playwriting.

Reeves has written more than 20 books and many articles on leadership and organizational effectiveness. He has twice been named to the Harvard University Distinguished Authors Series. Reeves was named the Brock International Laureate for his contributions to education and received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the Parents Choice Award.

"The new endowment is designed to encourage and support the writing and performance of original dramatic works at UW and to bring guest playwrights to campus," says Downs.

Downs and the Department of Theatre and Dance plan to celebrate the endowment with the Douglas B. Reeves New Play Festival in 2010.

Posted on Monday, April 20, 2009

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