About The Traverse City Children’s Theater

The Traverse City Children’s Theater is a Non-profit Children’s Theater in Traverse City, Michigan.  It is partners with the Traverse City Old Town Playhouse.

History of the Traverse City Children’s Theater

Keli Macintosh and Pat Kelsey, two Old Town Playhouse volunteers, met working on Brigadoon in 1990. Both were frustrated that there was little theatrical opportunity inside or outside of the school system for kids. Keli was galvanized and moved into action. Macintosh began meeting later that year with Phil Murphy, then Theatre Director at NMC and Jim-Bob and Lucy Stephenson, formerly of Interlochen Arts Center’s Summer Camp. The group of four founded TCCT In the fall of 1991. The Stevensons managed the first class activities with a year-long program, which resulted in the first public performances by the new theatre and its first class of kids.

Macintosh had a tireless commitment to the growth and stability of the burgeoning theatre group and worked diligently over the years to form an organization that could address the needs of a growing community. From several venues and with help from lots of volunteers and organizations like NMC and the Opera House, they continued to keep their fledgling program alive.

After some initial work at NMC, the group began using the Opera House. The Stephensons left the organization after the first year. In addition to the Stephensons and Mackintosh, Don Kuehlhorn, and Michael Kay were early instructors for TCCT. Macintosh and Murphy knew that to survive they had to grow into a more self-sustaining operation. But to do so, they needed to be a part of a larger non-profit organization. In the first spring of operations Macintosh and Murphy approached the Old Town Playhouse and a new collaboration for both organizations began. A more extensive board was formed and Keli became the first official manager, albeit still unpaid.

The first major production after that initial year of classes and performances was Peter and the Wolf, directed by Judy Harrison and done in cooperation with the Encore Society, beginning a series of additional productions with the Encore Society including Tubby the Tuba and The Night Before Christmas. By now, long-time OTP volunteer June Neal had become involved with the group, and along with her friend Barbara "Boots" Guile (Steppenwolf Theatre; Michigan Ensemble Theatre) and Maggie Lally (Adelphi University, Michigan Ensemble Theatre) developed summer programs, the first at Unity Church. Anne Marie Oomen (Interlochen Arts Academy) also came to work with the group. The next summer Missoula Children’s Theatre brought their first program to TCCT.

TCCT Grows Up

In 1997, Macintosh left the area and the management of TCCT was taken over by June Neal as the part-time manager who invariably worked full-time. The OTP organization, which up till that time had been reluctant to devote extended resources to TCCT, recognized that the children’s theatre division of OTP was growing up. With a deftly orchestrated plan, Neal’s position as part-time manager was solidified and paid, sharing some work with the Playhouse paid staff. From there things started to take off. Having June in place allowed TCCT to add a regular schedule of classes, fall, spring and summer main stage productions along with the Missoula Children’s Theatre (a visiting one-week summer program). Before long TCCT began to build a name and reputation as a quality, well run operation for kids.

Our

current Educational Director of the Old Town Playhouse is Mychelle Hopkins, who brings her longstanding expertise to continue the growth and professional legacy of the TCCT.

Meet Mychelle, the Education Director for TCCT and Old Town Playhouse…

Mychelle Hopkins holds her Master’s Degree from the prestigious Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, England where she studied as a Fulbright Scholar. She has received critical acclaim as a Director and Actress both regionally and internationally. Her theatrical background is extensive with over thirty years of professional experience.

Mychelle joined the resident company of The Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan in 2005 after 15 years at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre where she began her tenure as its Youth Theatre Director and was promoted to serve as the organization’s Associate Director. Her theatrical affiliations includeThe Houston Shakespeare Festival, The Royal Shakespeare Company in England and The Athens Theatre Center in Greece. Serving as an Adjunct Professor in the Western Michigan University’s Theatre Department, Mychelle introduced thousands of students to the joy and challenge of Theatre. A native of Northern Michigan, she returns to Traverse City with her husband, Steve Smith, their son Macready and daughter Molly.

Traverse City Children’s Theater GOVERNANCE

The Board of Trustees is the primary entity governing Old Town Playhouse. Additional governing boards include the Board of Artistic Directors, the Board of Governors and the Traverse City Children’s Theatre Board.

Board of Trustees
Rick Korndorfer - President
Brian Dungjen - Vice President
John Dew - Treasurer & Chair of Producer’s Circle
Marcia Bellinger
June Neal - President TCCT
Brett Nichols - Chair, Artistic Committee
Kristina Nichols
Jessica Rickard
Chris Wendel
Phil Murphy - OTP Executive Director (Ex-Officio)

Artistic Committee
Brett Nichols - Chair
Barbara Goodearl - Secretary
Jill Anton
Bernadette Groppuso
Joe Kilpatrick
Joe Rice

Traverse City Children’s Theatre
June Neal - President
Denni Don Hunting - Vice President
Peg Brace - Treasurer
Jessica Rickard - Secretary
Abby Alexander - Student Representative
Kat Brown
Michael DeAgro
Pinkie Hoffmann
Sheri Wallace
Barb Witkop

Old Town Playhouse Staff
Phil Murphy, Executive Director
Mychelle Hopkins, Education Director
Carly McCall, Executive Assistant
Martin Wolf, Building Manager
Judith Heffron, Box Office Manager

Affiliations

Old Town Playhouse
Supports TCCT by providing us with performance, office and classroom space. Also by including TCCT under its not-for-profit status as TCCT’s umbrella organization. Thank you, OTP!
http://www.oldtownplayhouse.com/

Great Lakes Children’s Museum
TCCT’s co-producer of our 2005 production of ‘Life in a Pond’, an educational play about the ecology of pond life.
http://www.greatlakeskids.org/

Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs
The Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs is committed to supporting and furthering the arts in Michigan. The Old Town Playhouse and TCCT performance seasons are funded, in part, by a grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.
http://www.michigan.gov/hal/

Very Special Arts (VSArts )
Very Special Arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith. VSArts is creating a society where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. TCCT has partnered with the Traverse City Chapter to co-host classes and events and will co-produce a school touring play under TCCT’s Education Through Theatre Program.
http://www.vsarts.org/

In-House Programs:

Mainstage Productions
TCCT produces three to four mainstage productions a year. Participants are 9 to 18 years of age with auditions starting about 6 weeks before the scheduled opening date.

Li’L Broadway
In progress throughout the year, the Li’l Broadway program offers a series of classes in Broadway-style singing, acting and dance. At the end of each year (December) the program will culminate in a Broadway-style production, which is just like the original given Broadway hit only slightly shortened for an all student cast. See our Lil’ Broadway section, below, for details about this terrific new program.

Summer Performing Arts Camp 
Our four-week intensive schedule of classes (designed for kids 8 to 16 years of age) is designed to educate and stimulate that aspiring young actor in your family. Our program includes training in Acting, Dance, Singing, Improvisational Sports, Shakespeare and Shop (where students will learn the basics of Prop-Making, Set and Scene Design). Visiting artists augment training with one-day special workshops in such thing as Mime, Play writing and Clowning. At the end of the session, students get to perform on the mainstage in a grand musical production. Classes begin in late June and run Mondays through Fridays, 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Tuition: $400

Mighty Mite Musical Theatre 
This fun camp will cover acting, dance and singing. It’s a great way to introduce very young (from 5 to 7 years of age) actors to the thrill of musical theatre. At the end of the camp students will perform a in a fun musical. Mondays through Fridays from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Starts in July and runs for 3 weeks. Tuition: $150.00.

One-Week Intensive
This program packs a lot in just one week! Designed for experienced students from 8 to 18 years of age. Groups of students with staggered schedules work quickly to mount a play with pre-fab sets and costumes to be performed on the mainstage. Training/rehearsals are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM during early August. Tuition: $90. Entry by audition only. 

Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop 
This program is designed for teen (young adult) students from 12 to 20 years of age. Advanced techniques are studied while students rehearse for a production to be mounted in our studio theatre. Tuition: $100. Entry by audition only. Auditions tend to be in late June with performances in early August.

Special Program: Lil’ Broadway

Traverse City Children’s Theatre (TCCT) is going Broadway!
TCCT’s ‘Li’l Broadway’, is made up of a series of special classes in acting, dance and singing that will culminate in a major performance of an adapted Broadway hit play—these shows are just like the great Broadway hits, only slightly shortened for its student cast.

How does it work?
Throughout the spring, summer and fall, look for classes on our schedule marked with the Li’l Broadway logo. For students interested in auditioning for our Li’l Broadway shows (usually in performing in December), they must first have taken the Li’l Broadway classes in singing, acting and dance, which will be labeled as Li’l Broadway classes 1, 2 and 3. Enrollment in TCCT’s Summer Performing Arts Camp fulfills all 3 requirements.

Do students have to take these particular classes to audition?
No. Similar classes taken at other institutions can be regarded as fulfillment of the requirement provided that the student can demonstrate that they have received the prerequisite training. Involvement in previous sessions of TCCT’s Summer Performing Arts Camp will also be accepted.

Does taking the Li’l Broadway classes guarantee being in the Li’l Broadway productions?
No. These classes are likely to improve a student’s chances of joining the cast by covering scenes, dances and songs that will be used during the audition, but being cast in the play is NOT guaranteed.

When are the auditions?
Auditions will tend to be held at Old Town Playhouse in late September. Rehearsals begin early October and run Mondays through Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00. Some Saturday rehearsals may be added. Students enrolled in Li’l Broadway classes during the fall can still audition.

There’s a tuition of $90 to $95 for each of the Li’l Broadway classes; will cast members of Li’l Broadway production also pay a tuition?
Yes. The rehearsal process will include a continuation of the training received during the prerequisite classes. The tuition for cast members will be $120. As always, tuition assistance is available for families in need.

Can a student enroll in a Li’l Broadway class without wanting to audition for the December production?
Sure! Students who just want to take a class without being in the show are welcome.

I still have questions!
Call the TCCT Director at (231) 947-2210.