The Children’s Theatre Project
The Children’s Theatre Project is an opportunity for young people interested in theatre to get experience in the many aspects of this art form. Most of the young people who come to us at auditions, or for theatre camp and workshops, want to be on stage, acting, singing and dancing! And there are certainly many opportunities to do all that, but we also offer the chance to be a part of creating a show from its beginning all the way to closing night. We have youth stage managers and assistant stage managers, backstage grips and spotlight operators; young thespians can also work on set building and painting, makeup, props and art design for posters and programs.
During our Winter and Summer Vacation Theatre Camps, all young actors registered for the camp are members of the cast of that year’s show; they learn about performing while rehearsing and presenting a musical in five days! And our recent Saturday morning workshops gave interested young people the chance to explore how to prepare for an audition, as well as practice the art of improvisation. Future workshops and/or classes could include singing techniques, basic dance skills, acting/character work, makeup application and character makeup, stage combat and mask making.
Interested in participating in CTP productions, have a question? Contact Director Karen Braz.
To see if the Children’s Theatre Project is currently holding auditions, CLICK HERE!
Children’s Theatre Project History
In the spring of 1996, the Executive Board of the Community Players of Concord, NH gave its approval to Karen Braz and Barbara Woodman for the founding of a youth theatre arm of the then 68-year-old organization, and the Children’s Theatre Project was born. In that inaugural season of 1996 – 1997, the CTP produced Kenneth Grahame’s THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, rehearsing at the Immaculate Heart of Mary’s Sunday School building and performing at the Annicchiarico Theatre, as the Players had not yet completed construction of its Studio.
By the fall of 1997, however, the Studio had been built and the CTP’s second show, THE CLOWN WHO RAN AWAY, was able to rehearse and build a set in our own space; we also moved our performance to the Concord City Auditorium that year. And the 1997 – 1998 season was also the first time the CTP offered its Winter Vacation Theatre Camp; campers worked on acting skills through various scenes from well-known plays, and learned about dance, singing and makeup from several guest teachers during the week.
And so the CTP has continued, offering experiences in theatre for hundreds of young people since its founding. We produce a fully-staged show, alternating between straight and musical, every year in October at the Concord City Auditorium; we offer a musical Winter Vacation Theatre Camp every February during the public schools’ break; we have offered Saturday at the Studio workshops, giving students the chance to learn more about acting, dance, singing, and fencing; and in 2004 we were named Best Children’s Theatre at the NH Theatre Awards, and our costumer, Lisa Tillotson, for that year’s show, ANNABELLE BROOM, THE UNHAPPY WITCH, was awarded Best Costumes – Community for her work on the show!
We hope to have many more years in which to provide area youth with opportunities to explore the wonderful world of theatre; after all, they are the future of the arts in the state, and in the country! They are our future actors, technicians, sponsors and supporters, and the more we nurture them, the better off we’ll ALL be!
Children’s Theatre Project Shows and Camps
Note: We have linked many of the show programs for the CTP’s productions to the names of the productions below. You can click on the name of a production to see if its program is available online.
1996 – 1997:
- THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS at the Annicchiarico Theatre
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp – Scenes at the Studio
1997 – 1998:
- THE CLOWN WHO RAN AWAY at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “The Saga of the Silver Gull”
1998 – 1999:
- THE LAND OF THE DRAGON at the Christa McAuliffe Auditorium
- No Winter Vacation Theatre Camp
1999 – 2000:
- ROBIN HOOD at the Christa McAuliffe Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
2000 – 2001:
- 5th Anniversary Production – BUGSY MALONE, JR. at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Grease”
2001 – 2002:
- THE HOBBIT at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Once Upon A Mattress”
2002 – 2003:
- WILEY AND THE HAIRY MAN & THE MISCHIEF MAKERS (Guest Director: Greg Stuart) at the Annicchiarico Theatre
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”
2003 – 2004:
- ANNABELLE BROOM, THE UNHAPPY WITCH at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Bye, Bye, Birdie”
2004 – 2005:
- TALES FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Once on this Island, Jr.”
2005 – 2006:
- 10th Anniversary Production – THE RELUCTANT DRAGON at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Fiddler on the Roof, Jr.”
2006 – 2007:
- HOW TO EAT LIKE A CHILD And Other Lessons in NOT Being a Grownup at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Godspell, Jr.”
2007 – 2008:
- CHARLOTTE’S WEB at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Guys and Dolls, Jr.”
2008 – 2009:
- CINDERELLA The World’s Favorite Fairy Tale at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Seussical the Musical, Jr.”
2009 – 2010:
- THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Tales from Hans Christian Anderson”
2010 – 2011:
- 15th Anniversary Production – HONK! JUNIOR at the City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “The Pied Piper of Hamelin”
2011 – 2012
- Disney’s 101 DALMATIANS and THE ARISTOCATS KIDS at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Disney’s Aladdin, Junior”
2012 – 2013
- THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Bugsy Malone, Junior”
2013 – 2014
- BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, JR. at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
- Summer Camp “Songs, Scenes and Silly Short Shows!”
2014 – 2015
- THE SOMEWHAT TRUE TALE OF ROBIN HOOD at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Once On This Island, Jr.”
- Summer Camp “Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, Jr.”
2015 – 2016
- 20th Anniversary Production SHREK THE MUSICAL, JR. at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “The Story of Hansel and Gretel”
- Summer Camp “Seussical the Musical Jr.”
2016 – 2017
- SHINING PRINCESS OF THE SLENDER BAMBOO at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Madagascar – A Musical Adventure Jr.”
- Summer Camp “High School Musical Jr.”
2017 – 2018
- THE WIZARD OF OZ Young Performers Edition at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Disney’s The Jungle Book Jr.”
- Summer Camp “Guys and Dolls Jr.”
2018 – 2019
- THE SECRET GARDEN at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr.”
- Summer Camp “Disney’s Aladdin Jr.”
2019 – 2020
- Disney’s FROZEN JR. at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Dear Edwina Jr.”
- Summer Camp “High School Musical II Jr.” (cancelled due to COVID-19)
2020 – 2021
- 25th Anniversary Production – Disney’s DESCENDANTS at City Auditorium (cancelled due to COVID-19)
- Summer Camp “Songs, Scenes and Silly Short Shows — in the Park!”
2021 – 2022
- ALL TOGETHER NOW! at City Auditorium
- Summer Camp “Peter Pan, Jr.”
2022 – 2023
- THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Young@Part at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Willy Wonka JR”
- Summer Camp “Bugsy Malone Jr.”
2023 – 2024
- FINDING NEMO, JR. at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “Fiddler on the Roof, Jr.”
- Summer Camp “Sister Act Jr.”
.2024 – 2025
- CHARLOTTE’S WEB at City Auditorium
- Winter Vacation Theatre Camp “The Story of Hansel and Gretel”
- Summer Camp “Moana JR.”