Scholarship Application - All Programs

Tacoma Little Theatre works hard to make our programs accessible for our community. Our camps and classes are priced based on the true cost to run the program and pay our staff for their time and energy. We recognize that, although we cannot lower the cost of participation, finances can create a barrier to participation in our programs. In response to that knowledge, we have, through intentional budgeting, grants, and the contributions of generous donors, built an ongoing scholarship fund. Anyone is welcome to apply to receive financial support for any of our education programs through this scholarship fund.

Scholarships are awarded based on need, as well as our available resources. Applications are processed in order of receipt. It can take 5-8 business days to process, but you should hear back from us with confirmation of what scholarship amount we can approve. We are unable to approve full scholarships. TLT is dedicated to honoring each request and making sure that every adult and child who wants to experience theatre art can do so through our programs.

We won’t ask you for anything in exchange for the scholarship. We may send an optional survey at some point in the year following your participation to seek some feedback, and possibly testimonials that can help us secure grants for future programs.

We do ask that, whether your student is participating through a scholarship or not, they attend each class or rehearsal, come on time, and participate fully in the process. Every cast member is a vital part of the experience.

If you have questions about our programs, or your scholarship application, please email education@tacomalittletheatre.com. Please also consider signing up for our ‘youth theatre’ email list to be notified of upcoming opportunities at the theatre!

Thanks for considering joining us at TLT, and we look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

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SONNETS FOR AN OLD CENTURY - An Off the Shelf reading

Tacoma Little Theatre's Off the Shelf program is excited to present Jose Rivera’s Sonnets for an Old Century, directed by Suzy Willhoft and featuring some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest actors.  This production will play Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at 7:30pm.

Could you tell your life story in the space of a moment?  Here, 17 individuals are assembled somewhere between life and afterlife. This is their final chance to tell moving, funny, and sometimes surprising stories about their life on earth. These small but powerful monologues might remind you of a more modern and urban Spoon River Anthology.  They each speak their peace and we will be listening!

Sonnets for an Old Century features the talents of: Emily Cohen, Ashley Evergreen, Daniel Garcia, Laurice Roberts, Jason Sharp, and Charlie Stevens.

Tickets for the September 21, 2022 performance at 7:30pm are $10.00 for non TLT Members, and FREE for those who are members. Tickets may be purchased online at www.tacomalittletheatre.com, or by calling our Box Office at (253) 272-2281.

TLT's OFF THE SHELF

We know that there is a tremendous amount of wonderful theatre that deserves to be heard but sometimes just doesn’t get an opportunity. With “Off the Shelf”, local directors and actors will be bringing some scripts to life that we hope you will find entertaining, challenging and educational to our stage. We hope that you’ll sit back and enjoy an evening of theatre. You never know, you might see one of these shows on our mainstage in the future.

Terms of Endearment

Directed by Blake R. York

September 10 - September 26, 2021
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:00pm

Pay What You Can: Thursday, September 23rd at 7:30pm

$27 Adults - $25 Students/Seniors/Military - $20 Children 12 & Under

Run Time: Act 1-49 minutes Act 2-50 minutes There will be a 15 minute intermission

Larry McMurtry’s beautiful and touching story comes to life in this new stage adaptation.

Though Emma is often exasperated by her highly opinionated mother, Aurora, they talk every day about their problems, from Aurora finding unexpected love even as she becomes a reluctant grandmother, to Emma's struggle in her troubled marriage. But when they need one another most, will they be able to find courage in each other? This funny and touching story captures the delicate, sometimes fractured bonds between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, and lovers, both old and new.

Recommended for Ages 12+ 

Featuring:
Stephanie Leeper as Aurora
Anastazja Bury-Quinn as Emma
Scott C. Brown as Garrett
Derek Mesford as Flap
Danielle Locken as Patsy Clark/Doris/Nurse
Jay Lurvey as Doctor Maise

PROGRAM

Reviews

South Sound Arts
The Suburban Times

Clue: On Stage

Directed by Jennifer York

October 22 - November 7, 2021
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:00pm

ADDED PERFORMANCE
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 at 10:30PM

Pay What You Can: Thursday, November 4th at 7:30pm

$27 Adults - $25 Students/Seniors/Military - $20 Children 12 & Under

Run Time: Act 1-44 minutes Act 2-45 minutes There will be a 15 minute intermission

Was it Miss Scarlet with the lead pipe in the library? See if you can figure it out!

Based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie which was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. The tale begins at a remote mansion, where six mysterious guests assemble for an unusual dinner party where murder and blackmail are on the menu. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects. Led by Wadsworth – the butler, Miss Scarlett, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, and Colonel Mustard race to find the killer as the body count stacks up. Clue is the comedy whodunit that will leave both cult-fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to figure out…WHO did it, WHERE, and with WHAT!

Recommended for Ages 12+ 

Run Time: Act 1- 45 minutes.

Featuring:
Mauro Bozzo as Wadsworth
Hana Hahn as Yvette
Robin Mae Becar as Miss Scarlet
Dana Messina Galagan as Mrs. Peacock
Deya Ozburn as Mrs. White
Mark Peterson as Colonel Mustard
Jason Sharp as Professor Plum
Frank Roberts as Mr. Green
Valentine Fry, Keith Ordonez, Janice Williams, Allen Melo, and Gunnar Johnson as Ensemble

PROGRAM

Reviews

The Wizard of OZ

Directed by Andrew Coopman
Musical Direction by Jeff Bell

16 Performances!

Friday, December 10th at 7:30pm
Saturday, December 11th at 7:30pm
Sunday, December 12th at 2:00pm
Wednesday, December 15th at 7:30pm
Thursday, December 16th at 7:30pm
Friday, December 17th at 7:30pm
Saturday, December 18th at 7:30pm
Sunday, December 19th at 2:00pm
Tuesday, December 21st at 7:30pm
Wednesday, December 22nd at 7:30pm
Thursday, December 23rd at 7:30pm
Friday, December 24th at 2:00pm
Tuesday, December 28th CANCELLED
Wednesday, December 29th CANCELLED
Thursday, December 30th CANCELLED
Friday, December 31st CANCELLED

Pay What You Can: Thursday, December 16th at 7:30pm

$29 Adults - $27 Students/Seniors/Military - $22 Children 12 & Under

Run Time: Act 1-1:10 Act 2-1:00 minutes There will be a 15 minute intermission

Spend the holidays over the rainbow in the merry old land of OZ!

Click your heels together as you experience one of the most famous stories of all time come to life on our stage. Based on the classic MGM movie musical and the book by L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of OZ has been enchanting families for generations. Follow the yellow brick road and join Dorothy, her little dog Toto, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion as they journey over the rainbow to the merry old land of Oz in search of the great and powerful Wizard. Will he grant them their hearts’ desires? With all your favorite songs, including “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” “If I Only had a Brain,” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” this timeless musical will sweep you into a magical holiday adventure.

Recommended for All Ages 

Featuring:
Jolee Zamira as Dorothy
as Aunt Em/Glinda
David Breyman as Hunk/Scarecrow
Noah Bruckshen as Hickory/Tin Man
Chris Serface as Zeke/Cowardly Lion
Stephanie Leeper as Almira Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West
Joseph Woodland as Professor Marvel/Wizard of OZ
John Limitone as Uncle Henry/Emerald City Guard
Taylor Colvill as Dance Captain and Ensemble
Chap Wolff as Ensemble
Evie Merrill as Ensemble
Luke Miller as Ensemble
Thea Frances Yumang as Ensemble
Jess Mackey as Ensemble
Derek Mesford as Ensemble
Isabela Quesada as Ensemble
Sage Stevens as Ensemble
Allen Melo as Ensemble
Stefanie Van Rafelghem as Ensemble
Jennifer Weddermann as Ensemble
Tony Hay as Ensemble
Erik Davis as Ensemble
Chloe Longacre as Ensemble
Kaitlyn Whitten as Ensemble
Asha Grace as Ensemble

PROGRAM

Reviews

The Suburban Times

A Chorus Line

Directed and Choreographed by Eric Clausell
Musical Direction by Jeff Bell

March 11 - April 3, 2022
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:00pm

Pay What You Can: Thursday, March 24th at 7:30pm

ASL Interpreted performance on Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 2:00pm

$29 Adults - $27 Students/Seniors/Military - $22 Children 12 & Under

Run Time Act 1: 0:58 Act 2: 1:03

This ONE singular sensation is back to finish its run!

From the pen of legendary composer Marvin Hamlisch, comes this Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning singular sensation! Casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete, and for 17 dancers, this audition is the chance of a lifetime and what they’ve worked their whole lives for. A Chorus Line brilliantly evokes both the glamour and grind of showbiz, and is the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all on the line. The iconic score features such classics as “What I Did for Love,” “One,” “I Hope I Get It”, and more! With its celebration and true-to-life depiction of performers and their struggle to achieve greatness on the Broadway stage, A Chorus Line has earned unanimous praise as one of the true masterpieces of live theater.

Recommended for Ages 12+ 

Featuring:
Heather Adams Arneson as Lara
Hannah Ashcraft as Ensemble
Ian Bartlett as Mark
Haunz Stroschein as Gregory
Mallory Carbon as Judy
Richard Cubi as Mike
Loucas Curry as Richie
Roycen Daley as Paul
Emma Deloye as Maggie
Nick Fitzgerald as Bobby
Valentine Fry as Kristine
Melanie Gladstone as Val
Anna Herron as Vicky
Keola Holt as Diana
Devin Jackson as Ensemble
Danielle Locken as Sheila
Annelise Martin as Ensemble
Allen Melo as Ensemble
Derek Mesford as Don
Rebecca Nason as Ensemble
Micheal O’Hara as Zach
Alan Plaster as Ensemble
Whitney Shafer as Cassie
Natalie Silva as Bebe
Josh Wingerter as Al
Thea Frances Yumang as Connie

PROGRAM

Reviews

OLY ARTS
The Suburban Times

The Happiest Song Plays Last

Directed by Marilyn Bennett

April 29 - May 15, 2022
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:00pm

Pay What You Can: Thursday, May 12 at 7:30pm

ASL Interpreted performance on Sunday, May 15, 2022 at 2:00pm

$27 Adults - $25 Students/Seniors/Military - $20 Children 12 & Under

Run Time: Act One- 1:15 Act Two- 1:00

PROGRAM

Tacoma Little Theatre and University of Washington-Tacoma join together!

In a barrio living room in North Philly, an activist-turned-music-professor moonlights as the local soup kitchen queen. Halfway around the world, her cousin relives his military trauma on the set of a docudrama that’s filming in Jordan. With the Egyptian revolution booming in the distance, these two young adults try to sing a defiant song of legacy and love in the face of local and global unrest.

Recommended for Ages 12+ 

This show contains the following:
THEMES OF PTSD AND STORIES OF THE HORRORS OF WAR
FREQUENT STRONG PROFANITY
A FLASHING LIGHT EFFECT
SIMULATED VIOLENCE
SEXUAL SUGGESTIVENESS
NON-NICOTINE, NON-TOBACCO, NON-TAR BASED THEATRICAL CIGARETTES

Featuring:
Terence Mejos as Elliot
Maria-Tania Bandes B. Weingarden as Yaz
Jesus Villegas Rivera as Agustin
Shailendra (Shelly) Jain as Ali
Katie Jones as Shar
Wade Hicks as Lefty

Reviews

The Suburban Times

STACIA RUSSELL

Stacia joined the Tacoma Little Theatre board of Directors in August 2022. TLT is where she fell in love with the theater and her husband Chad Russell. She is motivated by her children and family to help shape a world where they feel safe to express themselves. She believes that children should be engaged early in life to be expressive and learn how to self-advocate. She believes the theatre is a perfect space for development of such skills for youth and adults. Currently the Finance Director for Kent Youth and Family Services and previously with Greentrike as Finance Manager, Stacia has spent 10+ years in not-for-profit finances supporting youth and families in the Puget Sound Area. She is excited to bring her experiences to TLT.

BRENDA BALLINGER, TREASURER

BOARD TERM 2022-2025

Brenda retired from a 30 year career at Russell Investments, a global investment management firm that was founded in Tacoma in 1936.  Her journey there included many roles ending as the Finance Director of Financial Planning and Analysis.  While employed at Russell, she participated in many events that were focused on serving the Tacoma Community.  She is also a member of Quota of Tacoma, a community group that focuses on the under serviced women and children of Pierce County.  Brenda is delighted to bring her knowledge and enthusiasm to the TLT Board.

The Luck of the Irish

Directed by Lydia K. Valentine

June 3 - June 19, 2022
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:00pm

Pay What You Can: Thursday, June 16 at 7:30pm

Talkback: Sunday, June 19, 2022 after the 2:00pm performance. Free for all.

ASL Interpreted performance on Sunday, June 19, 2022 at 2:00pm

$27 Adults - $25 Students/Seniors/Military - $20 Children 12 & Under

Run Time: Act 1-1:09 Act 2-1:07 minutes. There will be a 15 minute intermission

PROGRAM

What would you do if someone claimed your home was theirs?

When an upwardly mobile African-American couple wants to buy a home in an all-white neighborhood in 1950’s Boston, they pay a struggling Irish family to “ghost-buy” a house on their behalf. Fifty years later, the Irish family wants “their” house back. Moving across two eras, The Luck of the Irish explores racial and social issues and the universal longing for home.

Recommended for Ages 12+ 

Featuring:
Laurice Roberts as Lucy Taylor
Mark Peterson as Rex Taylor
Janice Williams as Hannah Davis
Joshua Davis as Rich Davis
Amy Van Mechelen as Nessa Charles
Jason Sharp as Joe Donovan
Jill Heinecke as Patty Ann Donovan
Joseph Grant as Mr. Donovan
Debbie Birkey as Mrs. Donovan
Micah Williams as Miles

Reviews

The Suburban Times

Silent Sky

Directed by pug Bujeaud

July 8 - July 24, 2022
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm
Sundays at 2:00pm

Pay What You Can: Thursday, July 21 at 7:30pm

ASL Interpreted performance on Sunday, July 24, 2022 at 2:00pm

$27 Adults - $25 Students/Seniors/Military - $20 Children 12 & Under

Run Time: Act 1-62 minutes Act 2-38 minutes There will be a 15 minute intermission

The true story of a brilliant, history-making woman, hitherto unknown to many of us.

This true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications; Henrietta and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth.

Recommended for Ages 12+ 

Featuring:
Jessica Robins as Henrietta Leavitt
Jillian Faulk as Margaret Leavitt
Mason Quinn as Peter Shaw
Rachel Permann as Annie Cannon
Deya Ozburn as Williamina Fleming

PROGRAM

Reviews

Alec Clayton Blog
The Suburban Times

KALEIDOSCOPE REGISTRATION FORM

ENTERING COMPANY REGISTRATION FORM

Fall Education 2022

Fall Classes 2022

After School Class: Race to the Finish or Best Little Theatre in Town

Starts: September 26, 2022

Meets: Mondays and Wednesdays 4PM - 6PM in person at Tacoma Little Theatre

Performance: November 5, 2022

Ages: 6-14

Tuition: $200

Instructor: TBA

Description: Our after school classes create opportunities for students to learn and explore through the process of putting on a play! From going through an audition process to the final bow, we'll teach about all that goes into putting on a show, and mentor our young actors in their performance art skills. Both of our show options for this class are musicals, meaning there will be lots to learn about singing and dancing, as well as acting techniques. We'll make our final show choice before class begins, based on enrollment.

After School Class: Frumpled Fairy Tales

Starts: September 27, 2022

Meets: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4PM - 6PM in person at Tacoma Little Theatre

Performance: November 5, 2022

Ages: 6-14

Tuition: $200

Instructor: Lani Mokler and Becca Jourden

Description: Our after school classes create opportunities for students to learn and explore through the process of putting on a play! From going through an audition process to the final bow, we'll teach about all that goes into putting on a show, and mentor our young actors in their performance art skills. This production will focus on a variety of acting techniques through the telling of a few familiar fairy tales-- all with a bit of a twist!

Homeschool Class: The Best Little Theatre in Town or A Race to the Finish

Starts: September 27, 2022

Meets: Tuesdays and Thursdays 1PM - 3PM in person at Tacoma Little Theatre

Performance: November 5, 2022

Ages: 6-14

Tuition: $200

Instructor: TBA

Description: Our classes create opportunities for students to learn and explore through the process of putting on a play! From going through an audition process to the final bow, we'll teach about all that goes into putting on a show, and mentor our young actors in their performance art skills. Both of our show options are musicals, meaning there will be plenty to learn about singing, dancing, and acting techniques! We'll make our final show choice based on enrollment.

Homeschool class (13-18): Actor’s craft

 If your homeschooled student is high school aged and is looking for an intensive acting experience, they might enjoy this new class at TLT! 

This class will focus on the actor's craft through a variety of exercises and challenges. The students will work collaboratively with their instructor to put together a final presentation to showcase the acting skills they have practiced during the class session. Scripts and material will be selected by the instructor based on the needs and skills of the students enrolled. 

We need a minimum of 5 students to make this class happen. If fewer than 5 students enroll, a full refund will be offered to all enrolled participants.

Improv: for teens and adults

Watch for enrollment to open soon!!

Starts: September 29, 2022

Meets: Thursdays in person at the STAGE RIGHT building next to Tacoma Little Theatre.

Teen class (12-17) meets from 4:30-6:00 PM and

Adult class (18+) meets from 6:30-8 PM

Performance: TBA. Last class date is November 3rd.

Ages: 12-17, OR 18+

Tuition: $150

Instructors: Bjorn Sorenson & Salvatore Frattallone

Description:

Yes! We have an improv class for teens, AND we have one for adults as well! If you have fooled around with improv before, you’ll learn ways to improve your game. If not, you’ll gain some great experience in the art of made up theatre. Whatever your performance experience, this class is available to everyone! The skills you can build in a class like this one go a long way to building confidence in yourself as a performer and public speaker.

SEASON 2020-2021

While Tacoma Little Theatre wasn’t able to perform in person during the 2020-2021 season, we still made sure to bring great theatre to life in a virtual format!