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Joci had big dreams and continues to inspire Las Casas Foundation. In order to carry out her legacy, we are proud to launch a scholarship reserve fund in not only Joci’s memory but also the memory of her fellow community leaders and dear friends, Charline McCombs and Laura Richmond. This fund will ensure a future for the performing arts in San Antonio and beyond.
The Joci Straus Legacy Circle depends on your help to develop the Broadway performers and audiences of tomorrow by supporting students today. To date, we have awarded over $1.5 million in scholarships to deserving students of San Antonio and South Texas – making us the single largest scholarship program for the performing arts in the United States.
The awards are held each May on the stage of the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, following a week of truly professional rehearsals, culminating in a Broadway-caliber production that has been nicknamed the Tony Awards of Texas. In this one-night showcase, 28 students compete to receive over $100,000 in scholarships to pursue higher education. Two scholarship recipients go on to compete at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The Jimmys) in NYC. In 2022, our Best Lead Actor representative, Nicholas Barrón, won the entire competition. In addition, our Best Lead Actress representative, Anna Zavelson, placed in the top four and went on to star in this past summer’s New York City hit revival “The Light in the Piazza.”
All Joci Straus Legacy Circle donations are 100% tax deductible and will go directly to fund scholarships for students for the next five years. We thank you in advance for your support in highlighting the importance of theater and arts education locally and throughout the South Texas community.
We invest in the past, present, and future of the performing arts by preserving historic theatres and nurturing young theater artists.
