Play-ing Around

“I believe the children are our future.” -Whitney Houston, “Greatest Love of All”

Everyone with a love for the stage remembers their first performance. Whether it happened at five years old or forty five, the rush is the same: Taking your first deep breath as you walk onstage, blinded by the lights, adrenaline pumping as you try to remember anything you are supposed to be doing over the applause from the audience. Be it a theatre production, dance recital, concert, stand up, what have you, you were hooked. For many within the Savannah theatre community, this inciting incident was brought to them via the Savannah Children’s Theatre.

For decades, the Savannah Children’s Theatre has been a performance staple within the Coastal Empire for children and adults alike, offering a fun, safe, and inclusive venue for people to celebrate not only their first time onstage, but every theatrical accomplishment after that. With a mission to “inspire, educate, and entertain,” they have continually ensured that all kids have an outlet to develop their love for live theatre. Through their non-profit programming, they offer classes and camps to kids from 4 years old to seniors in high school, each culminating in a performance at the end of their semester; because of this, SCT produces upwards of 25 productions every year, ranging from aerial dance recitals to full-blown Broadway-style presentations of objectively popular shows (their 2023 production of “Phantom of the Opera” was second to none). Truly, those children who work with SCT are often better set up for the rigamarole of the theatre community than most professionals within the industry.

Savannah Children’s Theatre’s most recent production, "Disney's Frozen,” was a smash hit, bringing in families from across the southeast to see their favorite Disney characters live and in person. However, despite the spectacle of seeing the show from an audience standpoint, it is obvious that the true magic was happening onstage with the actors. One budding actress playing “Young Elsa” stated, “Theatre is all about feelings, emotions, and being the part… It brings a new kind of energy into you; you're not looking at them, you are BEING that role.” Another actress, cast as “Young Anna,” went further, sharing her love for her castmates and the importance of her SCT family in encouraging her to continue pursuing acting: “I [like] how everyone is being very kind and I get to meet all of these very kind and caring people. It’s so fun, and if you try it once you will want to try it again. It’s magical.”

As of publishing this article, “Frozen” has closed, but don’t fret! Savannah Children’s Theatre has just posted their 2026-2027 season, which includes hits such as “Matilda” and “Finding Neverland.” Furthermore, coming up in July, SCT’s next big production featuring artists 16 years of age and up will be “Something Rotten!” a witty and satirical musical following a playwright named Nick Bottom as he works to thwart the undeserved successes of his arch nemesis… William Shakespeare.  This production is suggested for audiences 13 years of age and older.

For more information on classes, tickets, and donations (SCT is a non-profit, after all), please visit their website at https://www.savannahchildrenstheatre.org, and follow them on social media!