The Growing Stage - The Children's Theatre Of New Jersey

Entering the 27th Anniversary Season of The Growing Stage (TGS) in 2008/2009, our mission remains to nurture the development of the performing arts through education, and to create, produce, and perform works that engage the entire family. We seek to be a model of excellence in theatre for young audiences and strive to develop new initiatives through the arts, on both the stage and in the classroom, which will enhance and benefit the lives of our young people across the state.

Description:
Founded in 1981, The Growing Stage is a thriving center for the performing arts that engages a community of professional equity actors and artists, community players, students, teachers and families who share in the wonder and enriching environment of theatre. We offer children throughout the state, performances on our Main Stage as well as an extensive educational program in our facility. Our touring company travels statewide with our production of Tales from the Garden, a performance piece celebrating the history and lore of New Jersey. Growing Stage programs have become pivotal in delivering arts exposure to underserved students in many schools throughout northern New Jersey who would not otherwise be offered live theatre, music and dance.

Based in Netcong, “where all roads lead to” throughout our state, the Growing Stage reaches out to families predominately throughout northern New Jersey. Last season’s Main Stage audience alone brought over 16,000 young people into our theatre of which approximately 80% of our audience was paid; we had 1,000 students enrolled in our classes, workshops and summer day camp; and we annually perform on average before 5,000 students through our school performances and residencies.

Schools, such as El Primer Paso, a nearby Latino pre-school in Dover, are partners with The Growing Stage in reaching new families. The active mailing list for all of our programming extends beyond the counties of Morris, Warren and Sussex into Somerset, Hunterdon, Essex, Passaic and Bergen.

The Growing Stage is committed to the vision that by raising our own artistic standards we in turn will be
 Advocating for the importance of the arts in our children’s education throughout our state.
 Encouraging the need for excellence in our art form as an effort to create our next generation of audience.
 Bringing attention to our particular story and the positive economic impact the arts can have on a community.
 Extending our mission of bringing the performing arts into the lives of our children and their families.

In preparing our programs, whether artistic or instructional we look for guidance through the philosophy first stated by Sara Spencer, a pioneer in the field of professional theatre for young audiences, that “I am inclined to trust children with the truth, and allow them to draw their own conclusions. Not to tell them what to think – but require them to think.”

History:
In 2005 we marked the tenth anniversary of The Growing Stage’s re-opening of the Palace Theatre. In addition to being the only theatre solely dedicated to young audiences in New Jersey that owns its own facility, the restoration of the historic Palace Theatre has been recognized by both the state and local governments as a catalyst in the revitalization of the re-emerging community of Netcong, New Jersey. In 1995 when we purchased the theatre, the facility was in a desperate state of disrepair. Filled with debris left behind by the bankrupt moving and storage company which owned the property, the only record it found its name on was the “let it burn” list created by the local fire department. Now thirteen years later; twenty 30-yard dumpsters of debris removed; countless volunteer hours; and over $ 1,000,000 raised and invested back into the facility; the Palace Theatre is on the County, State and National Registers of Historic Places. The Growing Stage has not only been seen as a prime example of how the arts can stimulate a local economy and encourage revitalization, but artistically our work in creating professional, quality theatre for young audiences on both the stage and in the classroom has been recognized throughout the State of New Jersey. To date, more than 250,000 people have been exposed to the wonder of the performing arts on our theatre, in their classrooms and gymnasiums.

Accomplishments of 2007/2008:
• We have continued our collaborative partnership with Young Audiences of New Jersey, expanding the cultural opportunities of our patrons beyond theatre.
• We presented an additional Main Stage presentation this season, bringing our total to six, with a reprise production of A Midnight Cry which was funded by Bank of America.
• We completed the last room open to the general public in our theatre. The concession area/store is now open with the hope of helping us to raise additional earned revenue and awareness in our programming. We also completed our balcony gallery area by installing a wheelchair lift, which makes all three floors of our facility 100% ADA compliant.
• In April Stephen L. Fredericks, Executive Director for the Growing Stage served as a panelist for “Arts & Culture as Vehicles for Redevelopment” for New Jersey Future Conference held in New Brunswick.
• In May, 2008 our facility hosted the Culture in Context exhibit by the State Museum.
• We conducted a twenty-day residency at the ECO Charter School in Camden creating a new play with their fourth graders which they presented for their families and community in June. One of the students that worked on the piece wrote, “Thank you for giving me my voice.”
• The Growing Stage and our founder, Stephen L. Fredericks were awarded the Sara Spencer Award by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education’s, which recognizes a theatre and individual for making significant contributions to the field of theatre for young audiences.
• In June our theatre was awarded a $126,914.00 grant from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust to begin Phase I of our restoration of the front façade. Of the 25 historic sites to receive financial support, our application was one of two to receive 100% of the requested funding.
• In July The Growing Stage received notification that we will be receiving our first Cultural Trust funding. The request is focused on the establishment of a facility maintenance fund to ensure the future of the Palace Theatre.
• In September, TGS Executive Director Stephen L. Fredericks received the 2008 Exemplary Performance in Nonprofit Management Award from the Community Foundation of New Jersey. This award is presented annually to recognize an outstanding and dedicated chief executive who has demonstrated exemplary nonprofit leadership, has accomplished significant accomplishments, and has made a significant impact on New Jersey.
• In October, TGS Executive Director Stephen L. Fredericks received the 2008 Applause Award from the New Jersey Theatre Alliance in recognition to his leadership as Chair of the Board of Trustees. A role he served for eight years.

Contact people:

Stephen L. Fredericks, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Thomas J. Romano, General Manager, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (973) 691-7069

Address:

7 Ledgewood Avenue, Rte. 183 P.O. Box 36 Netcong, NJ 07857 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.growingstage.com

Directions:

From Eastern New Jersey & New York Take Route 80 West to Exit 27B. Then follow signs for the circle and Route 183 North. Stay to your right. At the Netcong Circle, follow signs for Route 183 North,. . . (more)

Miscellaneous Information

Do you accept court-appointed community service volunteers?
	Yes

Last updated on March 5, 2009