The Community Arts Center has been awarded a $2,500 grant from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. According to a news release, the funds will be used to underwrite the Student Summer Stock production of SpongeBob the Musical.

Each summer, the Student Summer Stock program offers 7th through 12th grade students in the regional area the opportunity to participate in the production of a Broadway-type musical onstage at the Community Arts Center in the historic Martin Theatre. Working with both Lycoming College and the Pennsylvania College of Technology, the CAC and local theatre professionals, these young people hone their skills in weeks of rehearsal before opening the production in late July. This year, virtual auditions were completed the beginning of May and a cast of 37 will begin rehearsal on June 1. The ensemble moves on stage in mid-July and SpongeBob opens on July 29.

“We talk a lot about intersecting with our community,” said Chuck Still, executive director for the center, according to a news release. “Student Summer Stock is just about our best intersection. This is art crafted here using the talents of our community. Thank you Highmark for helping us bring these talented young people to our stage.”

The Community Arts Center provides exceptional arts and entertainment for the community through programming that is appropriate to the diverse interests and needs of the regional audience it serves, the news release said. Since 1993 the CAC has been a vital part of the downtown Williamsport and Susquehanna Valley arts and cultural scene. For more information about the Community Arts Center and this grant, please contact Chuck Still, executive director, at cstill@caclive.com or 570-327-7654 or Ana Gonzalez-White, development director, at awhite@caclive.com or 570-327-7657.