Together, We Are Setting the Stage for Success

As spring classes and productions have begun, we are so excited to kick off our first spring fundraiser as First Act Theatre Arts where we will be Setting the Stage for Success - for our students, our families, and our organization.

While we have been fortunate to continue programming amid the Covid pandemic, it has taken its toll financially. Where we used to host classes in five locations, we are now down to three. Our enrollment has been cut in half, as well as our audience sizes. Unfortunately, our expenses remain about the same. We always strive to be good stewards of our finances while keeping our fees reasonable. To continue our programming and set the stage for the success of our future, we are aiming to raise $75,000 this spring. This will allow us to further our mission as well as continue to offer scholarships for our HEART students and others who need assistance.

We hope you will join us in Setting the Stage for Success! The fundraising campaign begins today and will culminate with the Cocktails & Cabaret event on Saturday, April 23rd. There are several ways to participate:

Support our First Act Ambassadors - Ten First Act families will be promoting our campaign in a friendly competition to raise funds for First Act. Be on the lookout for their social media posts and feel free to like, comment, and share their posts so that more people have the opportunity to help us Set the Stage for Success! We will honor our very first Ambassador of the Year at Cocktails and Cabaret on April 23rd.

Sponsor Cocktails & Cabaret - Do you own a small business? Or know someone who does? Sponsorship of Cocktails & Cabaret offers several levels of great benefits while supporting First Act Theatre Arts. Become a sponsor HERE.

Plan to Attend Cocktails & Cabaret - Invite your friends and join us for an evening featuring a silent auction, drinks, appetizers, and special entertainment highlighting our Acting, Vocal, and Dance Studios. Saturday, April 23rd 5:30 p.m. at Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center in Overland Park. Seats are limited. Get your tickets HERE.

Make a Donation - Can’t make the event, but want to be part of Setting the Stage for Success? Make your tax-deductible donation HERE.

Volunteer to Serve at Cocktails & Cabaret - Help the evening run smoothly. We need volunteers for set up, check-in, check-out, etc. Contact Ellen Breth to sign up.

Good news! We have a great start on our goal and have already raised $10,551! Thank you for prayerfully considering how you can help us Set the Stage for Success! 

Winter shows are in full swing, but spring auditions are coming fast. Auditions are Friday, February 25th from 4:30-8:30 p.m. at the locations listed below:

Les Miserables (School Edition):
First Act Studios (6800 W. 153rd St. Suite A, Overland Park, KS 66224):

James and the Giant Peach:
Word of Grace (11950 E State Rte 350, Raytown, MO 64138)

The Wizard of Oz:
Lenexa United Methodist (9138 Caenen Lake Rd, Lenexa, KS 66215)

NOTE: Due to the popularity of the Winter Special, we are offering it again in the spring session! Students ages 8-18 enrolled in a Spring 2022 class, are automatically eligible to audition for a Spring 2022 production! If you’re busy in the spring, but still want to do a spring show without taking classes, you can waive the enrollment requirement. Students who audition without enrolling in classes will be charged a $450 Production Fee (compared to $195 for enrolled students). A $255 non-refundable deposit will be due before auditions and a balance of $195 due after casting.
Congratulations to the two incredible casts of Clue and the amazing cast of Descendants! We're not done with winter shows, though! Make sure you catch Oliver! and Seussical at the Bell Center at MidAmerica Nazarene University this month!

Oliver - February 10-13
Seussical - February 17-20
Summer is coming quickly, which means it is time to start planning!

Our overnight camp registration opens this Friday, February 4th!

We are still finalizing our day camp locations. Stay tuned for registration for those to open shortly! For now, learn more about the camps offered and check out our incredible themes and shows! We have two new offerings this year that we are very excited about: Behind the Scenes camp in partnership with our Drama Camp and a new full-day camp titled Curtain Up!
Thank you to all who supported the Dance Company Shoe Drive! We collected just under 3,000 pairs of shoes and raised about $1,200! Congratulations to the cast of Descendants who won our cast contest by collecting the most shoes per cast member at 7.2, and to the runner-up cast, Oliver, who collected 5.9.

And a very special recognition to the Dance Company member who collected the most shoes – Emily LaBarge! Emily and her family collected 569 pairs of shoes – that’s almost 20% of the total we collected altogether! Thank you so much Emily for your perseverance, dedication, and organizational skills throughout this drive.

Stay tuned for more opportunities to support the Dance Company coming this spring!
February 10-13 - Oliver!
February 17-20 - Seussical
February 25 - Spring Auditions
February 26 - Spring Callbacks
First Act Theatre Arts ~ (913) 681-3318 ~ firstactkc.org