Federal grant to support production of Loving v. Virginia withdrawn
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Opera said a federal grant they were supposed to get for a recent project never came.
The grant, given by the National Endowment for the Arts, was meant to support the production of 'Loving v. Virginia.' 10 On Your Side previewed it in April.
World premiere of Loving v. Virginia opera to happen Friday night in Norfolk
The opera detailed the landmark Supreme Court case that helped overturned laws that prohibited interracial marriage in the United States.
John-Paul Schaefer, interim general director and CEO of the Virginia Opera, said they received news that the $25,000 grant from the NEA was being withdrawn May 8.
Schaefer explained that the funds were supposed to be dispersed towards the back end of the project.
'The reason given to us was that the funding priorities of the NEA had changed, although we felt as though we had complied with the original grant award all the way up until we produced the production of Loving v. Virginia,' Schaefer said.
Schaefer emphasized that it is highly unusual for a grant to be canceled this late in a project.
He said that the NEA grant is very prestigious and highly competitive, and the Virginia Opera was happy to be a recipient.
'It's certainly understandable if you get an award from an agency and you don't do the project or the project changes materially as you go through it,' Schaefer said. 'But that is not the case here. What we represented in our original application is what we put on the stages for all of Virginia to enjoy.'
This situation comes on the heels of President Donald Trump's proposed budget calling for the elimination of the NEA entirely.
As a result, the Associated Press reported that many organizations across the country have also had grants rejected or rescinded.
Schaefer added that there was no impact to the sold-out performances of Loving v Virginia across the state, but the loss of funding has still affected the organization.
'It has left us a hole in our funding that we are going to have to fill between now and the end of our fiscal year, at the end of June, to the tune of $25,000,' Schaefer said.
If you would like to support the Virginia Opera, .
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
9 hours ago
- New York Post
Disgraced actor Jeffrey Jones makes rare public appearance after child porn scandal
Disgraced actor Jeffrey Jones has made a rare public appearance more than 20 years after his infamous child porn scandal. The 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' actor, 78, appeared on a panel with several of his former co-stars at The Hollywood Show, where they discussed the iconic 1986 film. Discussing the cult classic, in which Jones played high school principal Ed Rooney, the actor revealed that he no longer lives in Los Angeles, Calif., though didn't disclose why. Advertisement 4 Disgraced actor Jeffrey Jones has made a rare public appearance more than 20 years after his infamous child porn scandal. Getty Images 'I moved to live in the desert. I didn't want to be in LA anymore, but I got my family here, and so little kids get old fast. I'm driving back and forth,' he said. 'I'm getting a place now in LA I've given up because I can't keep going back and forth from Burbank to the desert.' Advertisement The 'Beetlejuice' actor also talked about working with legendary director John Hughes, who died in 2009 at age 59. 'He entertained,' Jones said of Hughes, adding that he was collaborative. 4 The 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' actor, 78, appeared on a panel with several of his former co-stars at The Hollywood Show, where they discussed the iconic 1986 film. Getty Images 'Ed is trying to look into the house, and there was a window with a hose bed. So the shot was simply me standing on the hose bed trying to look into the window to see if I could find Ferris,' he said of his character's embarrassing moments. Advertisement 'So I went to the ground people and borrowed a shovel, and they had some peat moss, and I turned it into a swamp because I had nothing else to do. So it wasn't a plot point, particularly, it was just an attention to detail. That was the kind of thing that John liked.' Jones added that Hughes always stuck to his vision. 'Actually, John wanted what he wanted, and he got it,' he went on. 'But usually it was a fight. I mean it oftentimes was a fight because there was time and budget to consider, and John didn't really pay much attention to that.' 4 Jones played high school principal Ed Rooney in the cult classic. Advertisement The panel also featured actors Cindy Pickett, known for portraying Ferris' mom, and Jonathan Schmock, who played the Maitre D' at Chez Quis. Jones had a colossal fall from grace in 2002 when he was arrested on charges of soliciting a minor for nude photos and possession of child pornography. He pleaded no contest to soliciting a minor and prosecutors dropped the child pornography charge. The actor was sentenced to five years of probation, one year of psychological counseling and two years of drug and alcohol abuse counseling. As part of the deal, he was also ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. 'I am sorry that this incident was allowed to occur,' he said at the time. 'Such an event has never happened before and it will never happen again.' 4 The actor revealed that he no longer lives in Los Angeles, Calif. Getty Images Advertisement However in 2004, Jones was arrested once again for failing to register as a sex offender when he moved to Sarasota, Fla., and again in 2010 when he moved back to LA. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 250 hours of community service, in addition to three years of probation.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
As a generation of gay and lesbian people ages, memories of worse — and better — times swirl
WASHINGTON — David Perry recalls being young and gay in 1980s Washington D.C. and having 'an absolute blast.' He was fresh out of college, raised in Richmond, Virginia, and had long viewed the nation's capital as 'the big city' where he could finally embrace his true self. He came out of the closet here, got a job at the National Endowment for the Arts where his boss was a gay Republican, and 'lost my virginity in D.C. on August 27, 1980,' he says, chuckling.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Days of Our Lives spoilers week of June 9-13
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. There's lots of drama coming up in Salem this week. If you want to look ahead to what's coming up, or if you need to look back at last week's Days of Our Lives episodes, we've got you covered with the Days of Our Lives spoilers for the week of May June 9-13. More Soaps News The Bold and the Beautiful preview week of June 9The Young and the Restless spoilers week of June 9-13General Hospital spoilers week of June 9-13Beyond the Gates spoilers week of June 9-13The Bold and the Beautiful spoilers week of June 9-13 Here are your Days of our Lives spoilers for the week of June 9, courtesy of Soap Opera News: Monday, June 9"Salem prepares to say goodbye to John Black. Steve gives Kayla big news. Brady comforts Rachel. Ari shares a secret with Tate. Roman reassures a worried Eric." Tuesday, June 10"John's funeral service begins. Chanel asks Tate about the adoption. Rachel becomes increasingly upset. Bo and Hope continue to reconnect." Wednesday, June 11"John's funeral service continues. Bo defies doctor's orders. Johnny expresses his fear to Chanel. Shawn comforts Belle." Thursday, June 12"Marlena and John's friends reminisce at John's wake. Bo asks Steve to change his mind. Jack mourns and pays his respects to Abigail. Julie, Jennifer and Hope catch up." Friday, June 13"Kate sits vigil at Philip's bedside. Sarah and Xander clash over Victoria. Shawn apologizes to Jada. Belle admits a hard truth to EJ. Stephanie and Alex enjoy some romance." And in case you missed last week's episodes or need a refresher, here's what happened on Days of our Lives during the week of June 2, courtesy of Soap Opera News: Monday, June 2"Marlena sticks close to John's side until the end. Steve and Kayla reminisce. Hope, Shawn, and Ciara rally around Bo. Bo reunites with Zack." Tuesday, June 3"All of Salem grieves the loss of John Black. Kristen confides in Brady. Belle pulls back from EJ. Marlena breaks down." Wednesday, June 4"Hope, Shawn, and Ciara celebrate a miracle. Marlena's family and loved ones rally around her. Paul and Andrew decide to go through with their wedding plans." Thursday, June 5"Jack and Jennifer return to Salem. Holly comforts Tate. Chad and Cat go on a date. Ari and Gabi argue. Doug III confides in Leo." Friday, June 6"Stephanie's manuscript gets passed around. Kate urges Philip to wake up. Amy, Sophia and Tate tour the hospital. Carrie attempts to comfort Marlena. Jennifer rails to Jack about Chad and Cat." New episodes of Days of our Lives stream every weekday on Peacock.
