Who We Are - Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theater & Academy

Since 1961, Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy has been an arts & Culture leader in North Alabama. We are a 501(c) Non-profit impacting more than 31,000 residents annually, including 21,000 children and youth. We provide theatre arts access through production, education and outreach while enriching the lives of children and families through theatre and arts education.

Our goal is to teach students life skills through stage skills, encouraging them to become self confident, academically successful, creative thinking citizens who are more likely to invest in their communities as adults. Our core programs include live children’s theatre productions, classes, camps, workshops, and arts education outreach. Our educational outreach includes after-school theatre programming and In-School touring programs. Recognizing the power theatre arts can have in the life of a child, we are dedicated to making sure that students see themselves reflected on our stages and are empowered to tell their own stories. We know that not every Fantasy Kid will become a Broadway Star, but they all will face job interviews and most will go on to apply for technical career training or college entry and the the skills they master at FPCTA (self-confidence, creative problem solving, team building, time management, public speaking, active listening, expanded vocabulary and reading comprehension skills, as well as emotional and social development) will propel them toward success, regardless of career path.

According to American’s for the Arts, students engaged in the arts are 4 x’s more likely to take part in a math or science fair, 21% more likely to vote at an early age, 17% more likely to volunteer in their communities, and most importantly, marginalized Low-Moderate Income students are more likely to graduate(the dropout rate for marginalized students is reduced from 22% to 4%) and 2x’s more likely to pursue higher education.

Fantasy Playhouse prioritizes theatre arts education for all by providing low cost programming to families with intentionally low ticket prices and tuition, along with full and partial scholarships for under-resourced students, free theatre arts programming to Title 1 schools, free admission to final dress rehearsals provided to organizations that serve under-resourced populations with little to no access to live theatre, and reduced price student matinees for mainstage productions that support State Education Department Curriculum standardsThis would not be possible without the support of our community.

The next phase of Fantasy Playhouse’s growth is committed to further closing the gap to students’ access to the arts in our area. In response to a 415% increase in attendance as our region grows to be the largest in the state, Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy purchased property that will become a home for family-oriented live theatre programming and all aspects of theatre arts training. This campus will host a 35,700 sq.ft. state of the art children's theater complex that will be fully accessible to the residents of the Terry Heights/Hillendale neighborhood as what Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle calls a “community destination Jewel” on the Holmes Avenue Corridor which the city is developing into a major pedestrian and bicycle thoroughfare, stretching 7 miles from downtown to the University of Alabama Huntsville to Cummings Research Park. This project is a catalyst for the revitalization of one of Madison County’s most diverse yet under-resourced areas of our city- where the median family income is $22,427.00 per year and where FPCTA has provided free services for over 18 years.