Child's Play Touring Theatre Educational Programs
Child's Play Touring Theatre, 5097 N. Elston Ave., #203, Chicago, IL 60630
About
Child's Play Touring Theatre Educational Programs offers writing workshops for students in school, after school programs, and summer camps for children and teens. The program also runs workshops and residencies, as well as professional development for educators. In addition, Child's Play Touring Theatre Educational Programs presents shows such as Kids for President!, Hands Together, Heart to Art, The Great Green Adventures of R-Man and Earth Kid, and Global Energy: The Musical, all based on stories, poems, or themes connected to children and young writers.
Child's Play Touring Theatre Educational Programs is a nationally recognized 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that has been performing stories and poems written by young people since 1978. Over the years, it has reached over 4.5 million children, educators, and adults through workshops, residencies, after school programs, and summer camps, and has performed the original works of over 30,000 young writers. The organization has traveled throughout the country, visiting 45 states from Alaska to Florida and Maine to California. Its leadership includes Co-Founder and Executive Director June Podagrosi and Co-Founder Victor Podagrosi, who founded Child's Play in 1978. The mission of the program includes sharing, encouraging, and validating the creativity of children by performing original works of theatre, music, and dance adapted from literature written by young authors, motivating children to write and think creatively, enhancing writing education in schools through drama-based approaches, and elevating the status of theatre for young people by providing full-time employment to theatre artists. Over the years, it has developed multiple partnerships with other arts education organizations to bring enhanced arts curricula to schools and communities throughout the United States, and its Hands Together, Heart to Art program became a finalist in the NCASS Creative and Innovative Awards Program. The organization also has space and costumes available for rent.
Last updated April 18, 2026.
Child's Play Touring Theatre Educational Programs is a nationally recognized 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that has been performing stories and poems written by young people since 1978. Over the years, it has reached over 4.5 million children, educators, and adults through workshops, residencies, after school programs, and summer camps, and has performed the original works of over 30,000 young writers. The organization has traveled throughout the country, visiting 45 states from Alaska to Florida and Maine to California. Its leadership includes Co-Founder and Executive Director June Podagrosi and Co-Founder Victor Podagrosi, who founded Child's Play in 1978. The mission of the program includes sharing, encouraging, and validating the creativity of children by performing original works of theatre, music, and dance adapted from literature written by young authors, motivating children to write and think creatively, enhancing writing education in schools through drama-based approaches, and elevating the status of theatre for young people by providing full-time employment to theatre artists. Over the years, it has developed multiple partnerships with other arts education organizations to bring enhanced arts curricula to schools and communities throughout the United States, and its Hands Together, Heart to Art program became a finalist in the NCASS Creative and Innovative Awards Program. The organization also has space and costumes available for rent.
Last updated April 18, 2026.
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