September 10, 2025

From early childhood, we imagined, acted, told stories, sang, and danced. Children are the future of theater at Weathervane, where they explore the potential to make the most impact in our community through children’s theater.

What Do We Know About Children’s Theater?

From the early stages of life on Earth, people have passed down stories, myths, and cultural traditions through performance. The lure of performing–singing, dancing, acting, storytelling, reading–is an undeniable one.

From the beginning, children spend their days acting, imagining, and playing pretend with their friends and family. Their innate desire for theater is what sparks the need for children’s theatre programs.

Children’s theater can take on many forms. From improvisation, role plays, miming, and masked dramas to puppet plays, performance poetry, radio dramas, and storytelling, children have limitless opportunity to create.

And since those early performances for fun, children’s theater has now grown to become more sophisticated and advanced, similar to theater for adults. 

Whether performing in productions or watching theater productions for kids, theater plays a crucial role in learning and development. Through participating in activities that are fun and allow them to express emotions, kids learn important life skills that just can’t be taught in a school classroom.

As the world demands much of children to constantly learn and figure out who they want to be, theater provides a creative means for development and support.

Theater exposes children to expressive language used within the context of the show. This engages them with dialogue, tone, and rhythm so they start to grasp what characters mean, not just what they say.

Performing in theater also serves a crucial role in community building. It offers a way for families to connect and share experiences, and even create art together. Children can then learn about responsibility as they play a role in a team. To do this they must learn how to better communicate with others.

Putting themselves in the shoes of characters, develops a higher level of empathy. Playing the role of others and acting in performances with valuable life lessons, allows children to feel the emotions of those characters, just as they can with others in real life.

Exploring theater, at any skill level, in a supportive environment allows them to learn and grow. While finding a sense of self, building skills that boost their confidence and creativity, students form relationships with other students and staff members that can last a lifetime.

Weathervane’s Goal and Role

Weathervane Playhouse began its arts education at its beginning in 1969. With the purpose of developing life skills, becoming compassionate artists, community members, and leaders, and to inspire and challenge. But most importantly, what a child gains from the experience is entirely up to them, and at their own pace.

At the time, schools in Newark had a hard time incorporating arts into their curriculum since it requires funds, adequate space, and staffing.

It was then that Weathervane Playhouse became the only consistent professional arts programming in Licking County!

In 2006, this children’s theater program was named Weathervane Young Artists’ Repertory Theatre, to implement Matthew Trombetta’s vision of offering year round programming, and full scale productions devoted to the education of young artists. This program has since been renamed Weathervane Theatre Academy (WTA).

In these summer workshops, which last 2 weeks, students learn theater vocabulary, learn how to create their own production, play theater games, and hone in their talents in puppetry, acting, dancing, and singing.

Thanks to sponsors and Licking County partnerships, Weathervane Theatre Academy is able to host 7 productions a year, with children aged 3 to 18 years old!

The supportive community has helped children learn real theater design and technology, perform in front of large audiences, and receive scholarships and grants for this theater education. Any child has the opportunity to learn as much about theater as they choose, and from whatever starting point..

Therefore, children’s theater at WTA requires a team of hard-working and caring staff to assist the challenges and needs of each individual kid, meeting them where they are at. As well as with the same amount of preparation and excitement provided for the adult programs.

Growing bigger and bigger each year, Weathervane recently renovated the children’s theatre space, The Larry W. & Dawn Holt Anderson Children’s Theatre, adding new seats, platforms, lights and sound equipment, after the enclosing of the theatre and addition of restrooms in 2010.

Some years, classes have reached over 50 students! Some of these wonderful productions include Annie, The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins.

Weathervane strives to keep theater and community rich and alive through the sumer education and productions for children. The same “Summer Magic” in the adult summer stock series can be sprinkled among the cast of children at the youngest of ages as they experience their show come to life.

WTA Invites You and Your Family!

The growing children at the Weathervane Theatre Academy are the ones who will soon be making a difference in our community. With the valuable lessons and skills they learn here at Weathervane, we want to continue arts education for all.

Your aid in donating to or attending a WTA show, supports the brave children acting in each production.

Weathervane Theatre Academy is thrilled to share the amazing history of children’s theater and all the potential it unlocks for kids with the wonderful community that makes it happen.

Check out our 2026 production line up announcement to reserve your ticket! Registration details to get involved in or attend a production are listed on our website.