First Stage Children's Theater
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Founded in 1987 as First Stage Milwaukee, the First Stage Children's Theater has grown from a small but respected theater for young audiences to a nationally acclaimed company drawing annual audiences of more than 145,000 people. With a season including six mainstage plays and one touring production (more than 300 performances annually), First Stage has become one of the five largest professional children¹s theater companies in the United States and the second largest theater company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Additionally, the First Stage Theater Academy, founded in 1992, is the second-largest theater training program for young people in the nation. Its mission is Teaching Life Skills through Stage Skills, and it serves over 1200 students annually.
Recently, First Stage teamed up with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) to support the creation of a new center for arts education, which is a national model. The Milwaukee Youth Arts Center opened in late January of 2005 and is home to First Stage and MYSO administrative offices, classroom, and rehearsal spaces.
First Stage's performance venue is the Todd Wehr Theater of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.
The company's current leadership consists of Rob Goodman, Managing Director; Jeff Frank, Artistic Director; John Maclay, Associate Artistic Director.
