Trump Rescinds Grant To Princeton’s McCarter Theatre, Amid NEA Cuts

PRINCETON, NJ — McCarter Theatre, one of New Jersey’s premier centers for the arts, has lost its federal funding for the current season.

This comes after the Trump Administration released its 2026 budget proposal to Congress, which included eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities, and other smaller agencies.

With the cut in federal grant, the theatre’s public funding will now total $200,000 less than it did last year, officials said Tuesday.

McCarter received a letter notifying them that their approved grant for the current season had been withdrawn.

“Sadly, McCarter is far from alone in feeling the pain of this loss—artistic institutions across our community and country are learning of terminated grants to support programs that are underway,” Executive Director, Martin Miller; Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen and President of the Board of Trustees, Daniela Bonafede-Chhabra said in a message to the community and patrons.

“The arts build empathy, transform our children’s lives by sparking creativity and imagination, and connect us to each other. These shared experiences fulfill a basic human need and deserve to be enduringly supported in the kind of society we want to live in.”

Miller, Rasmussen, and Bonafede-Chhabra have called on the community to support the cultural non-profits in the community, and use their own voice to advocate for the importance of public support for the arts.

McCarter is an independent non-profit, with just a third of its budget covered by ticket sales.

“Our programs—from our work on stage and in local schools, to our access initiatives extending scholarships for youth and free and reduced-price tickets—are vulnerable to these unforeseen cuts,” Miller, Rasmussen and Bonafede-Chhabra said.

“McCarter’s values of justice and joy, beauty and belonging do not just exist on our stages: they are the guideposts for how our community shows up for each other.”

The NEA provides financial support for various artistic disciplines, including dance, theatre, visual arts, and film, with grants typically ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. This year, the agency had planned to distribute $3.73 million to 148 theatre organizations.

In his first term, President Donald Trump had proposed eliminating the NEA, but bipartisan support kept it running.

Patrons and community members can click here to donate to the McCarter Theatre to help replace critical funds.

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