Alliance Theatre Institute

About the Partnership

The Alliance Theatre and Johnny Mercer Foundation have a longstanding history of
collaborating to deliver highly impactful Musical Theater Composition programs to educators
and students. Established in 2018, this partnership launched the Alliance Theatre’s Musical
Theater Composition residency program, which demystifies the creative process for writing,
producing, and sharing new works of musical theater. Additionally, the partnership supports
professional learning opportunities for educators of all content areas to access Songwriting as
an arts-integrated tool for engaging, interactive learning and alternative assessment.

Two students at the Alliance Institute laughing together.

Student at the Alliance Institute singing.

Free Video & Instructional Resources

The Alliance Theatre Institute partners with districts and schools to elevate teacher practice and
impact student academic and social-emotional growth through arts integration, STEAM, and
theater. Designed to support school curriculum and individual classroom goals across all grade levels
and content areas, Institute programs include residencies, workshops, and professional learning events.

Presented by the Johnny Mercer Foundation and the Alliance Theatre, the Musical Theater
Composition Video Series includes:

⯈ Part 1: The Songwriting Process, (4) 10–15-minute instructional videos led by Eugene H.
Russell IV
⯈ Part 2: Introduction to Musical Theater, a 1-hour resource video led by Amanda Watkins
! Advisory: original lyrics containing adult language are used in “Millwork” (21:22)
and “Zazz” (30:26)
⯈ Modeling Strategies: The Songwriting Process, (5) 3-5-minute instructional videos led by
Eugene H. Russell IV (featuring 5 students from the Alliance Theatre’s Palefsky Collision
Project)

These videos are designed to stand on their own or as a complement to the others, offering
educators flexibility to explore, modify, and utilize these tools in a self-led, asynchronous format.
All videos, along with fully developed unit plans and instructional resources, are available for
free via vala, an innovative musical theater streaming platform.

Access Video & Instructional Resources

District Partners: How to Get Involved

The Alliance Theatre and Johnny Mercer Foundation have supported multiple school and district
partners in Georgia, including Atlanta Public Schools, Cherokee County School District,
Clayton County School District, Cobb County School District, DeKalb County School District,
Fayette County Schools, Fulton County Schools, Henry County Schools, and Rockdale County School District.
Additionally, this work has expanded to serve a national audience, including our collaboration with Detroit Public Schools. We are thrilled to support these partners and projects!

As we continue to expand, we will offer several new partners the opportunity to engage in a
fully-funded, 2-hour professional learning workshop focused on the Songwriting Process. These
workshops may occur virtually or in-person and will be crafted to address the specific content-
area and grade-level needs of up to (30) participating educators. Georgia communities (50+
miles from Metro Atlanta) and national partners from states outside of Georgia are encouraged
to express interest by completing this application form, and a representative from the Alliance
Theatre team will follow up to confirm next steps on a rolling basis.

About the Alliance Theatre Institute

The Alliance Theatre Institute partners with districts and schools to elevate teacher practice and impact student academic and social-emotional growth through arts integration, STEAM, and theater. Designed to support school curriculum and individual classroom goals across all grade levels and content areas, Institute programs include residencies, workshops, and professional learning events.