NTPA is celebrating 30 years with the 30th Anniversary Celebration Series including events all throughout 2021. This celebration will kick off with a 30th Birthday Celebration commemorating the founding of Plano Children’s Theatre with the NTPA – Plano production of “The Wizard of Oz” in honor of the very first show produced in 1991.
A commemorative ceremony will take place Saturday, February 27, 6:00 PM (just before the 7:15 PM performance of Oz), and will recognize Founder Sara Akers together with founding board members President Rebecca Egelston Caso, Dick Anthony and Lanny Wren. We will also be honoring our longest-serving Board Members, Longest Serving Board Officers, and other members of the current NTPA organization culminating with a proclamation presented to NTPA by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Anthony Ricciardelli.
“We couldn’t be more proud of the legacy of 30 years of impact on Plano and the North Texas region,” says NTPA CEO Darrell Rodenbaugh. “We begin by celebrating Plano Children’s Theatre, created by Sara, which represents the “heart and soul” of the foundation upon which North Texas Performing Arts has been built.”
North Texas Performing Arts has gone on to become the largest non-profit youth theatre in the country, serving more than 120,000 youth and adults annually across North Texas through varied performing arts education programming and initiatives, and has expanded to include seven theatre companies including youth theatres in Plano, Fairview, Frisco and Dallas, its adult Repertory Theatre, Starcatchers Theatre, and the NTPA Academy, a full-time performing arts conservatory. NTPA was recently named DFW area’s “Theatre of the Decade” by online publication Broadway World.
The Celebration Series continues in April with the NTPA – Frisco grand opening in the Nack Theatre. In June NTPA – Dallas celebrates five years with its production of Peter Pan. In July, NTPA – Fairview celebrates fifteen years with Les Misérables, NTPA Repertory Theatre celebrates five years with its production of Little Mermaid, and NTPA launches its new adult theatre program with The Sound of Music. NTPA – Starcatchers celebrates its 25th year of providing therapeutic drama programming for children and adults with disabilities in September with High School Musical. The series concludes recognizing over ten years of NTPA’s production of Scrooge – The Musical and the service of a decade of leadership provided by CEO Darrell Rodenbaugh.
“We are thrilled to celebrate 30 years of NTPA and the fulfillment of a dream where young people in our community can discover the magic of theatre,” says NTPA Governing Board President Elly Marsh. “We are grateful to our founder, Sara Akers and our three original board members, Rebecca Egelston Caso, Dick Anthony, and Lanny Wren for their dream of a place where youth of all walks of life could discover the magic of theatre, and the ten years of vision and dedication our CEO, Darrell Rodenbaugh, has given.”
Join us for our 30th Anniversary celebrations throughout 2021 with productions, performances, events and more!
