Imagination Stage

Imagination Stage
Name	Imagination Stage
Type	Nonprofit children's theater
Founded	1979
Founder	Joy Zinoman
Headquarters	Bethesda, Maryland
Location	Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Key people	Joy Zinoman, Adam Burke, Diana Reed

Imagination Stage Imagination Stage is a professional theater organization for children located in Bethesda, Maryland, founded in 1979. The organization produces plays, educational programs, and community initiatives, collaborating with regional theaters, museums, and arts organizations across the Washington, D.C. area. Its work has intersected with institutions and figures in the performing arts, civic life, and philanthropy.

History

Imagination Stage was founded by Joy Zinoman in 1979 and developed programming alongside institutions such as the Kennedy Center, Strathmore, Arena Stage, Folger Shakespeare Library, and National Theatre. Early touring and residency work connected the organization to partners like Smithsonian Institution, National Park Service, Montgomery County Public Schools, George Washington University, and American University. Over the decades, leadership transitions and capital campaigns engaged donors including the National Endowment for the Arts, Ford Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and local entities such as Montgomery County Executive's Office. Imagination Stage’s expansion projects involved architects and cultural planners who have worked with Lincoln Center, Boston Center for the Arts, Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Mission and Programs

The organization’s mission centers on inspiring children through theater and arts learning, reaching families and educators in collaboration with groups like Save the Children, Young Audiences Arts for Learning, Teach For America, AmeriCorps, and the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center. Programming has been supported by grants from National Endowment for the Humanities, State Arts Councils, and private foundations such as The JPB Foundation and The Kresge Foundation. Imagination Stage’s professional staff have participated in convenings and networks including Association of Children’s Museums, League of American Orchestras, Theatre Communications Group, Americans for the Arts, and CulturalDC to align pedagogical models with peers at Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and Columbia University School of the Arts.

Facilities and Campus

The theater operates a campus in Bethesda notable for accessible design and family-friendly spaces, developed with consultants who have designed for Graham Auditorium-style venues and institutions like Baltimore Symphony Orchestra halls and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts facilities. Renovation and capital improvement efforts drew on partnerships with local government bodies including Montgomery County Council and regional cultural planners who have worked on projects for Metro (Washington Metro), Bethesda Urban Partnership, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. The campus includes rehearsal studios, a flexible mainstage, and classrooms similar to those used at Children’s Theatre Company (Minneapolis), Seattle Children’s Theatre, Chicago Children's Theatre, and National Theatre for Children venues.

Productions and Curriculum

Productions range from adaptations of literary works to original plays and musicals, intersecting artistically with playwrights, composers, and directors connected to Tony Awards, Obie Awards, and institutions such as Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Baltimore Center Stage, Goodman Theatre, and The Public Theater. The curriculum integrates elements of storytelling, movement, and design and has influenced or collaborated with training programs at The Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Peabody Institute, Boston Conservatory, and Marymount Manhattan College. Youth ensemble work and school residencies have paralleled initiatives at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse's youth programs, and Alliance Theatre Company while engaging guest artists who have worked with PBS Kids, Sesame Workshop, Disney Theatrical Group, Nickelodeon, and DreamWorks Animation.

Community Outreach and Partnerships

Imagination Stage’s outreach includes touring programs, in-school residencies, and family-oriented festivals developed with partners like Montgomery County Public Libraries, Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District, Arts Council of Montgomery County, Maryland State Arts Council, and national youth-serving organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Collaborative initiatives have involved cultural diplomacy and civic education efforts paralleling programs by U.S. Department of State, Peace Corps, UNICEF USA, and local public health campaigns with Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Cross-sector partnerships have included collaborations with performing ensembles and arts organizations like Washington National Opera, National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center Education, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and Capital Fringe.

Awards and Recognition

The organization and its leadership have received support and recognition from national and regional arts funders and awards programs including the National Endowment for the Arts grants, recognition from the American Alliance of Museums, awards tied to the Helen Hayes Awards, endorsements related to the Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council, and civic honors from Montgomery County Council and local chambers such as the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce. Artistic collaborations and productions have been noted in coverage by institutions such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, WAMU (American University Radio), and arts reviewers associated with American Theatre Magazine and Playbill.

Category:Children's theatre companies in the United States Category:Theatres in Maryland