Theater&…Federal Arts Policy, a presentation by Vivian Bui ’26, presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater at Princeton University

Theater&… is a series of presentations by seniors in the Program in Theater that demonstrates the power of theater to connect to, reveal, educate about, and share a wide range of issues, topics, and experiences. Princeton senior Vivian Bui ’26, a School of Public and International Affairs major with minors in Theater and American Studies, presents a public policy analysis and historical contextualization of the National Endowment for the Arts’ termination of funding grants and its effect on identity-based nonprofit theatres in New York City. In May 2025, the NEA unexpectedly terminated millions of dollars of funding to nonprofit arts organizations. Using interviews, case studies of New York City identity-based theatres, and historical analysis, Bui presents her findings on what this moment reveals about the current state of executive power, federal arts policy, artistic freedom of expression, and nonprofit theatre. Written as her senior thesis for her major and independent work in theater, this research project lies at the intersection of the arts and public policy. Bui provides one of the first academic analyses of an unprecedented decision less than a year after its occurrence and situates it within a decades-long history between the federal government and artists over freedom of expression.

Accessibility: The Drapkin Studio is an accessible venue. Guests in need of access accommodations are asked to contact the Lewis Center at LewisCenter@princeton.edu at least one week prior to the event date.