Founded in 1984, Stages Theatre Company (STC) is recognized as a leader in theatre production and education for children and youth. STC is committed to the enrichment and education of children and youth in a professional theatre environment that stimulates artistic excellence and personal growth. We offer a wide range of programs in the pursuit of our mission. Through our endeavors we aim to foster an appreciation of the arts, remain accessible to diverse populations, and realize the intrinsic value the arts have to offer to a child’s well-being and development.

The following operating values guide us in the fulfillment of our mission: Integrity, we sustain the highest level of integrity as individuals and as an organization; Accessibility, we strive to overcome barriers that block points of entry into our program; Innovation, we embrace a continual process of renewal and experimentation in theatre and arts education; Collaboration, we foster collaboration among professional artists and youth to create exceptional theatre; Entertainment, we maintain a commitment to entertain our audience in diverse ways; Challenge, we design programs that inspire students, artists, and audiences; Stability, we ensure organizational stability through fiscal responsibility, long range planning, and assessment and retention of quality professional staff.

We serve over 130,000 individuals annually through our production, training and in-school outreach programs, and we believe it is important that all children, regardless of ability to pay, have the opportunity to participate in our programs and reap the personal and educational benefits the arts have to offer. The primary way we insure accessibility is through the Open Door program. The goal of STC’s Open Door program is to eliminate the financial and geographic barriers that prevent some children, youth and young families from participating in STC’s production and education programming. To achieve this goal, the Open Door program provides (1) free tickets to our productions for low-income families; (2) need-based tuition assistance for young people who want to participate in our workshops and conservatory program; (3) free tickets to social service agencies, schools and other organizations serving socio-economically disadvantaged and at-risk children and youth; and (4) bus subsidies for schools who need financial assistance to transport students to our plays.

According to a report by the U.S. Labor Department Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), arts education helps students develop the skills necessary for succeeding in the workforce, including thinking creatively, problem solving, exercising individual responsibility, sociability and self-esteem. Theatre, in particular, has been found to help children and youth develop reading, writing and verbal skills. According to Harvard Graduate School of Education’s analysis of 188 studies, The Arts and Academic Achievement: What the Evidence Shows (Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland, 2000), drama activities improve students’ reading readiness, reading achievement, oral language and writing skills.

Through the implementation of our youth-focused mission we provide this community’s young people with positive experiences that help shape their lives and their ability to develop into contributing citizens and future community leaders. Gifts to STC’s annual fund play a vital role in making it possible for us to sustain and grow our programming while remaining affordable and accessible.