Fantacy Works Youth Theatre

Mission Statement:
Fantasy Works Youth Theater, Inc. is a non-profit educational theater company providing opportunities for students to learn by exploring their interests and developing their skills through theater; Fantasy Works supports arts education and literacy efforts through the development of innovative partnerships, standards-based curriculum materials, and theater resource services.

One way we fulfill this mission is by hiring high school and college students as our summer series directors, choreographers, managers, designers, musicians and technicians. Providing these unique paid internships for Rhode Island's emerging artists is what sets Fantasy Works apart from other Rhode Island theaters.

Vision Statement:
Our vision is to create a permanent state children's theater that would become a highly visible asset for the State of Rhode Island. To achieve this vision, we will collaborate with those who share a commitment to children, the arts, and education in the RI community. In three years time, we envision ourselves capable of:

  -Training arts leaders to run and manage after-school theatre arts programs thereby meeting the demands for this invaluable service to our schools
  -Providing more opportunities in Rhode Island for employment in the theater arts
  -Expanding our summer programs across the state to meet the growing community demand
  -Creating a permanent resource of affordable costume, set and sound rentals that would be made available to youth groups across the state
  -Offering productions targeted to school groups with accompanying curriculum units keyed to the National Education Standards

Ultimately our goal is to transform our organization into a state treasure that is a testament to Rhode Island's support of its youth, education, and the arts.

History:
Fantasy Works Youth Theater developed from an original paper in talent development written by Ann O'Grady as she pursued her doctorate at the University of Connecticut. The paper was entitled "The Real Work of Fantasy," and described a theater company run by high school and college students considering careers in the arts who all assumed jobs just like those in professional theater as they put on a production with younger students.

In 1987 the wheels were set in motion, and Fantasy Works opened as a two-week summer camp run by student directors working in collaboration with professional mentors. One hundred shows and eight thousand children later, Fantasy Works has grown into the largest youth theater in RI producing a student-run summer musical series, after-school programs, and original plays for educational venues as well as training program for students interested in careers in theater.

Our graduates have gone on to work on Broadway, national tours, summer stock theaters, community theaters, and schools. Our alumni include professional directors and choreographers, casting agents, production managers, arts administrators, technicians, teachers, and supporters of the arts. We have an active alumni network that helps our emerging artists make the transition to professional employment.

We are an ensemble company: a community of emerging artists where respect, responsibility, and collaboration are the values that guide us.