Childsplay

Theater productions - founded in 1977, Childsplay is a nationally and internationally respected professional theatre company that performs for children and families in Arizona. At Childsplay we believe that young people deserve to experience challenging, thought provoking theatre of the highest artistic quality. Our respect for the intelligence and creativity of children drives us to produce new and innovative works by the finest artists in theater, as we employ an ensemble of professional adult actors, directors, and designers to create exceptional theatre productions. Our new plays program is dedicated to creating original plays that speak to the contemporary experience of being a child. Childsplay reaches young audiences through four major performance programs - public performances, field trips, local and national touring, and virtual performances. In fy23, Childsplay held 62 public performances for 9,464 attendees, 88 fieldtrip performances for 18,840 attendees, 98 touring performances for 26,550 attendees, and 122 virtual touring performances for 3,025 viewers.

Education programs -Childsplay is a leader in educational arts programing, having established a reputation among educators for trustworthy, quality content that provides cross-curricular value. Education has always been key to the mission and programming of Childsplay. Within the past decade, specific education programs connected to academic curriculum have become an essential element of what the organization offers the community. The academy provides theatre training at our campus, and the education outreach department offers theatre experiences in the classroom. Professional development programs include drama frames, which works with elementary teachers to integrate drama into curriculum, and eyeplay, which works with early childhood educators to pair drama and literacy. In 2020, with the advent of covid-19, Childsplay created imagine together online,