Theatre Is Engagement... 

… and engagement is at the core of Commonwealth Theatre Center’s commitment to this community. Your support is instrumental in providing deep, meaningful theatre experiences to every young person we serve--whether it's our Outreach in classrooms, or Conservatory engagement. Some current program highlights include:

Residencies:

RESILIENCY is an in-depth residency that leverages the proven power of theatre to open a candid conversation with youth and their families about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), the effect of ACEs on physical and mental health, and how resilience can be learned and implemented at any age.

Outreach:

DRAGON UP! by Maggie Lou Rader
Oro the Dragon just turned twelve, is struggling to learn to breathe fire to be a “real” dragon, and now finds himself in charge of guarding the great dragon treasure. However, when he’s arguing with Meetra, the Muskrat Knight, a monster steals the treasure from under their snouts. Will Oro and Meetra find the treasure? Will they learn how to express their emotions and resolve conflict in a healthy way? This two-person, interactive, fairy tale makes room for laughter in the witty adventure while thoughtfully connecting with kids’ worries and how to tackle them. This is a production teaching social emotional learning skills. 

THE HISTORY OF NOW by Keith McGill  | World Premiere
A teacher is teaching a book in her class and it gets banned.  Three of the students discuss and debate the significance of access to information and whether to protest the book being banned. Through protest, they realize they are a part of history and that history is NOW, not just years ago.  Since the banned book is a poetry book, they also explore different types of poetry -- found poetry, sonnet, hip-hop, etc. A brand new play by Keith McGill, THE HISTORY OF NOW uses modern musical styles like hip-hop juxtaposed against more classical poetic styles like sonnets and haiku to talk about recent relevant history (picking up after the Civil Rights Movement and continuing through the 21st Century) to teach the value of all poetic forms of writing. The audience becomes characters in the story, as they get pulled into the songs and poems with our actors. 

Acting Classes and Theatre Training:

Nationally renowned theatre training for youth – From introductory to professional – CTC's acting classes at the Walden Conservatory include instruction in acting, directing, playwriting, stagecraft, stage combat, dance, movement, voice, and more. A mainstage season of plays brings classic and contemporary works to life for theatre-going audiences performed by our talented youth performing artists.

Keeping young people engaged with the world around them takes commitment. Your donation will expand the reach and depth of our programming and will help us stay innovative and comprehensive in our work. The giving levels above reflect the types of activities that you're supporting today.

 

Thank you for your generosity, and for your commitment to OUR community!

Who We Are

Commonwealth Theatre Center (CTC) develops youth and our community through excellence in comprehensive theatre education and performance. Our 45-year history of creating and providing innovative theatre arts programming in Greater Louisville engages 55,000+ individuals in a typical year. CTC’s programming includes:

• Interdisciplinary Blue Apple Outreach workshop and residency programs ranging from childhood literacy to high school history, math, and life skills, professional touring performances for youth and families, and professional development opportunities for teachers.

• Intensive, year-round Walden Theatre Conservatory theatre training program for youth ranging from introductory to professional as well as student-produced and acted performances, an alumni program, professional performances, and adult acting classes.