Theatre History

The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati's rich history began over 80 years ago. In 1924, The Junior League of Cincinnati developed a plan to introduce tri-state area children to the magic of theatre. Their plan evolved into The Children's Theatre, which incorporated in 1947. In 1993, the Board of Trustees made a decision to revitalize and upgrade the organization, and they hired well-known imaginative talent Jack Louiso as Artistic Director. Under his leadership, the organization has risen to a new level of professionalism.

Today, The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati continues its unique tradition. We introduce young audiences in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana to the performing arts through professional, fully-staged productions that appeal to parents and educators while teaching morals and values. Each season, we present three one-hour children's productions aimed at children ages 4 and up. Weekday matinees are held for local school students, while weekend performances are for the public.

The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati is committed to providing more than just theatre to our patrons. We strive to include dance, visual art, opera, and a variety of musical styles into our repertoire, helping children to understand all aspects of theatre - and expanding their awareness of all of the arts in the community, leading to more opportunities for self-expression and creativity. Our goal is to entertain and delight local audiences through quality, family-friendly arts entertainment at an affordable price, while helping our patrons grow through exposure to theatre and the arts. It is our hope that all children in the tri-state area - many of whom have never experienced live theatre - will have the opportunity to attend productions and incorporate the lessons they learn into their everyday lives. Whether it's through the values in Aesop's Fables or the beauty of American Sign Language featured in Beethoven by Heart, we believe that art, fun and education must work hand-in-hand to cultivate young minds.

The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati works in concert with educators to support and complement their existing curricula, both through the shows we select and the study guides we create with the assistance of our Educational Advisory Board. These study guides are provided to educators and parents as a tool to assist learning before and after their visit, maximizing the theatre experience.

The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati is a member of the League of Cincinnati Theatres, Northern Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau, and TYA/USA. We are also listed with cincinnatiArts.com, Enjoy the Arts, CinStages.com, and Arts In Ohio.

Enriching the lives of children and their families for over 80 years.