Talespinner Children’s Theatre is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2011 by Alison (Ali) Garrigan. After many years of dreaming of a professional children’s theatre for the young people and families of her community, the moment that put things in motion came about at a Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) artists’ meeting, when Executive Artistic Director Raymond Bobgan, asked what was missing from the theatre world of Cleveland. “A professional children’s theater” was the resounding response. Ali knew it was time to go to work, envisioning “something that was smart and unique, a place where children would be honored and engaged, as well as a place where artists could have a voice, stretch and grow.”
Talespinner’s first season included two productions: Tale of the Name of the Tree, and the Magic Flute. For the first ten years of Talespinner’s existence, we produced exclusively world premiere, original works, all by playwrights from Cleveland and its surrounds, creating a space by which we have been able to intentionally foster local talent and artistry. Talespinner has been the home for more than 40 new plays in the ten years since, both on our main stage and in our touring productions, and we look forward to continuing to support amazing contributions to the world of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) as we enter our second decade, and as we now operate under a hybrid model in which we generate and commission new work with playwrights and teams from Northeast Ohio, and produce vital, relevant, exciting, and fun work from the existing world of TYA nationally and internationally.
Ali retired in 2019, and Ara Beal stepped in to lead the organization through many transitions during her tenure, which ended in 2021. During this time, Talespinner moved to a Pay-What-You-Choose model for all of our performances. In 2022, Heather Utsler-Smith became the Executive Artistic Director, joining Production and Operations Manager Ren Twardzik, and hiring Rebecca Burcher as Director of Education. They represent the full-time leadership of Talespinner Children’s Theatre today, along with a talented and growing community of teaching artists, directors, designers, stage managers, actors, and other creatives.
Currently, Talespinner offers six professional theatrical productions each season: two specifically designed for children ages 0-5, and four for children ages 5 and up, and the grownups they bring with them to the theatre. Significantly, all of our productions are designed to be sensory friendly/relaxed, and to include accessible performances which include tools and designs meant to address the needs of d/Deaf and hard of hearing patrons, those who are blind or have low vision, and patrons who have sensory processing disorders and/or who are on the Autism spectrum. As part of our educational programming, we also offer multiple touring productions annually, with shows aimed at PreK and Kindergarten students, students in grades K-3, and students in grades 4-6, that are accompanied by workshops, residencies, and other educational opportunities.
Talespinner’s education programming includes adaptive and inclusive classes, workshops, and camps for children ages 0-15. We have a growing in-school residency program, in which our partnerships are shaped around the particular needs of each school and each class. These residencies vary from more traditional theatrical experiences to utilizing the principles of creative and process drama to teach academic content standards to creating performance troupes. Talespinner also offers professional development opportunities for teachers.
In 2023, we moved from our longtime home at Reinberger Auditorium to our current home at 78th Street Studios. This move allowed us to expand our educational offerings, improve our internal operations, and included the creation of a blackbox space dedicated to our Youngest Audiences Series of shows for children ages 0-5, as well as the development of a flexible performance space for immersive and non-traditional performances. We are excited about the continued growth that is to come, and hope that you’ll join us as we envision a world in which all children see themselves represented onstage.
We believe that theatre should be for everyone. And we know that in order for this to become a reality, that access must be woven into every aspect of the work that we do. From ticketing and scholarship policies that ensure that cost is no barrier to participation, to our adaptive and inclusive educational programming, to intentional accessibility design that artistically incorporates tools for d/Deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and low vision patrons, and those with sensory processing disorders and/or who are Autistic into every single production – All Means All at Talespinner.
We believe that theatres are centers of community, and that Talespinner should be deeply present in our neighborhood and the city of Cleveland as a whole. We believe in partnership, and in working alongside other amazing organizations to provide services in spaces in which children exist for free, like schools, libraries, community centers, parks, and more.
We believe that inclusion means ensuring a diverse group of voices in every step and at every possible level. We believe in the “nothing about us without us” model, in which stakeholders from disabled communities are compensated for their time and expertise as they work with us to shape our accessibility designs and programming. We commit to being an anti-racist, equitable, and justice-centered organization for those who work for us, and for our community. We believe that theatre has the responsibility to be both a mirror and a window: an opportunity for children to see themselves represented onstage, and to gain insight into lives that differ from their own, toward greater empathy and understanding. We engage in identity conscious casting, understanding that we are intersectional beings, and that the combination of our identities and experiences impact upon the stories we tell onstage.
We believe that learning is a lifelong process. With that, we know that we may not get it exactly right the first time, or all the time. We will always respond with openness when someone is willing to call us in, and will listen to hear, not to respond.
We believe that children are smaller people, not lesser people. We believe that all children should have access to high quality arts education and are committed to providing a safe space for children to be brave, take risks, and explore while they learn about themselves and others, and grow as creators. We are dedicated to providing significant scholarship opportunities to ensure that cost is no barrier to learning and growing, and are deeply engaged in spaces in which children exist for free, like schools, libraries, parks, community centers, and more. We are also committed to sharing our knowledge to further the growth of adult learners and toward more equitable theatre and educational communities, through workshops and professional development.
© 2021 All rights reserved
Made with ❤ with Elementor