Jolie and Spencer Hosted Los Angeles Theater Fundraiser
The event supported youth access to live performances through the Stay Gold Project and City Year.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Should local schools prioritize partnerships with private organizations to expand student access to arts?
Angelina Jolie and Octavia Spencer co-hosted a fundraiser at the Aster Hotel to benefit the Stay Gold Project and City Year. The effort provided 35 students from Pio Pico Middle School the opportunity to attend a performance of The Outsiders at the Pantages Theater.
Why it matters
The Stay Gold Project aims to expand access to live theater for youth, connecting them with professional productions. Partnering with City Year helps ensure students from under-resourced schools receive academic and interpersonal support alongside these cultural experiences.
The Stay Gold Project has successfully reached 8,600 students and educators across 100 schools. The recent Los Angeles event provided a theater experience for 35 middle schoolers aged 12 to 14.
The players
Angelina Jolie
She is an award-winning actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian known for her advocacy work.
Octavia Spencer
She is an Academy Award-winning actress and producer who frequently supports educational and arts initiatives.
City Year
This is an education nonprofit that deploys AmeriCorps members to provide holistic student support in under-resourced schools.
Stay Gold Project
This organization is dedicated to increasing young people's access to live theater performances.
The details
AmeriCorps members provide essential tutoring and mentorship to students in under-resourced schools to support their development. The fundraiser at the Aster Hotel serves as a mechanism to facilitate broader access to live arts for young people across the city.
Timeline
1967: Susie Hinton wrote the novel The Outsiders.
1983: Francis Ford Coppola adapted the book into a film.
2023: The musical adaptation premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse.
2024: The Outsiders musical won a Tony Award for best musical.
Wednesday, October 1, 2026: The fundraiser and performance occurred in Los Angeles.
Market Landscape
The event highlights the growing intersection between commercial theatrical success and non-profit youth engagement initiatives. By leveraging high-profile celebrity partnerships, organizations are shifting how arts philanthropy is structured to reach under-resourced student populations.
Local students gain direct access to professional theater productions that might otherwise be cost-prohibitive. For the average resident, this highlights the ongoing role of private philanthropy in supplementing extracurricular opportunities within the public school system.
The takeaway
Supporting youth exposure to the arts can foster deeper academic and interpersonal growth through mentorship. Readers interested in similar causes can look for local youth outreach programs that partner with established city arts venues.
Further reading
Learn more about local efforts by browsing the Los Angeles Philanthropy section.
Live Poll
Should local schools prioritize partnerships with private organizations to expand student access to arts?
