History

Seattle Children's Theatre (SCT) is one of the most prominent theatres for young audiences and among the top 20 regional theatres in the country. Our programs empower young people to make new discoveries about themselves and the world around them while building a lifelong interest in the arts. The mission of Seattle Children's Theatre is to provide children of all ages access to professional theatre, with a focus on new works, and theatre education.

Founded in 1975, SCT first produced plays in the Poncho Theatre, at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. SCT started as a program of the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, with initial funding from the City of Seattle and PONCHO (Patrons of Northwest Civic, Cultural and Charitable Organizations). Some of the earliest supporters of the organization were teachers and graduate students from the University of Washington's Masters Program in Theatre for Youth (one of the few of its kind at the time).

Since its inception, Seattle Children's Theatre has strived to provide innovative artistic programming and professional theatre for the young people and families of the Puget Sound region. SCT moved into the 482-seat Charlotte Martin Theatre in 1993, the 275-seat Eve Alvord Theatre in 1995, and completed the Allen Family Technical Pavilion, which consists of the paint, costume, prop, and scene shops as well as rehearsal and classroom spaces, in 2000. This state-of-the-art facility was the first self-contained theatre complex built for young audiences in the nation, and has since been used as a model for other theatres.