Quick Facts

Founded in 1987, First Stage Children's Theater has grown from a small 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 children's theater companies in the United States and the second largest theater company in Milwaukee. In addition to performances for family audiences, First Stage offers:

• Matinee performances for school groups—Every school group attending a matinee receives a free educator enrichment guide that offers suggestions for activities and discussion questions linking the production with the class curriculum.
  
• Multi-Cultural School Assembly Tours—Each season, First Stage tours a production to schools throughout Southeastern Wisconsin that highlights one of our community's cultures. Past tours have included African American, Latino, Hmong, German, Irish and Native American themes.
  
• Arts-in-education programs for area schools—First Stage spends more than 1,500 hours annually in classrooms throughout Southeastern Wisconsin offering pre-performance and post-performance classroom workshops, Teaching Through Theater (T3) programs and after school creative drama programs.
  
• First Stage Theater Academy is committed to providing theater experiences of the highest quality for young people and their families. Every young person should have the opportunity to attend and participate in theater. First Stage Theater Academy teaches life skills through stage skills—offering classes for students of all ages, cultures, and abilities.
  
• First Stage Children's Theater is a member of the Downtown Theater District and Theatre Wisconsin and is a Cornerstone Member of the United Performing Arts Fund. The company is the recipient of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts' 2002 Bravo Award for outstanding achievement in the performing arts.

A Note About Age Recommendations, Young Children and Babies
To assist you in choosing plays most appropriate for your family, we offer age recommendations that take into consideration a specific production's performance style, length and subject matter. Our plays can be enjoyed by children, teens and adults alike, but please remember—you are the best judge of your child's ability to understand and appreciate a specific play. Please note our new educational enhancements to the play descriptions, helping you to better prepare your family for the plays you select. If you have questions about a particular production, contact First Stage Artistic Director Jeff Frank at (414) 267-2981 (jfrank@firststage.org).

After careful consideration and much feedback from our patrons, we are putting a new policy in place beginning with the 06-07 season: We will no longer admit children under the age of three into the theater. While we understand that some families do not have the resources to leave their youngest children at home, we also recognize that crying babies, or loudly chatting toddlers, become a distraction for other audience members. Ultimately, we must make the theater experience as positive as we can for the greatest number of patrons. Please bear this new policy in mind when planning your visits.