The Stillwater Children’s Theatre is dedicated to providing young people with creative and meaningful experiences in all aspects of theatre art. Students learn theatre concepts through active participation to develop performance skills in acting, improvisation, singing, movement, and dance. Did you know that children who participate in the arts develop critical thinking, self-discipline, creativity, expression, teamwork, self-esteem, and commitment to excellence? It’s true -- learning is enhanced in the presence of joy. Come act with us!
Our mission is to develop the potential of young people from diverse backgrounds through performing arts training and performance opportunities. We are devoted to training, enriching, and inspiring all youth by igniting within them an enduring passion for the arts. We strive for our students to develop their own unique creative voice, their imagination, and their understanding of theatre and its role in society. Young people love plays, whether it’s acting on stage, working behind the scenes, or watching from the audience. It’s exciting, engaging, and just plain fun. Stillwater Children’s Theatre offers something for everyone. Even children who are shy about performing can help with stage crew, costumes, make-up, set design, props, and much more.
“Within our reach lies every path we ever dream of taking.
Within ourselves lies everything we ever dream of being.”
Since its founding in 2006, the Stillwater Children's Theatre has provided valuable educational and creative experiences for hundreds of young artists in a friendly and supportive environment. As an organization that believes in the power of live theatre to enrich the lives of children, families and communities, we embrace these core values:
ENSEMBLE
We program, cast and rehearse with the idea that all our performers equally contribute to a successful show, no matter how "large" their role or how many lines they have. We believe in assigning students multiple roles, and in challenging them to embrace both lead and supportive roles. We nurture a supportive, collaborative art making process --- not a competitive one.
STUDENTS AS ARTISTS
Whatever their age and ability level, our students are treated as artists. Their input is valued and they are encouraged to be a part of shaping the final product.
CHALLENGE & SUPPORT
We believe that the performing arts ... and theatre in general ... help students grow as artists and as people. Our program offers individualized attention, goal-setting, and just the right balance of challenge and support.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
We believe parental involvement makes our programs better. We will ask for help with various tasks related to mounting the best show possible. We are building an extensive group of performers, and a larger community of theatre-lovers that involves the performers' family members.
In order to make sure our values come through in every aspect of our program, we hire great teaching artists who happen to be exceptional at their craft and have both a love for THEATRE and CHILDREN. Our teaching philosophy is based on the "Challenge & Support" model of student development where meaningful growth happens when students are given artistic, personal, and academic challenges and provided a proportional amount of support --- skills, knowledge, motivation, encouragement --- to meet those challenges.