A 2nd Act: Theater for Tomorrow

Childsplay helps young audiences understand the world and their place in it

The phrase “past performance is no guarantee of future results” is often used in the financial industry. If applied to the arts sector, you would see how a Tempe-based nonprofit has consistently debunked this notion since its inception 47 years ago. 

Childsplay’s purpose of storytelling to young audiences has, and continues, to remain relevant in tackling the most difficult subjects. “We respect our audience and their intelligence,” said Dwayne Hartford, Childsplay’s artistic director. “I feel it’s my responsibility to always leave the audience with a sense of agency and the possibility they can take action. We tell them stories that mean something to them and give them hope.”

Believing in theater’s power to influence young people’s lives propelled David Saar to create Childsplay. While attending Arizona State University for his master’s degree, he discovered the demand for a genre of theater that helps young audiences make sense of big and small issues through story.

“Young people have a chance to see something on stage they’re going through and perhaps gain a new insight,” Hartford said. “They might also see something that doesn’t relate to them and provides a totally different way of looking at something. I believe there are no taboo subjects. If it’s a story a young person can relate to, it can be on stage.”

Both Saar and Hartford have drawn from personal experiences to create innovative works. Saar wrote “The Yellow Boat,” a play about a little boy who uses his artistic abilities to help him and his parents through horrific challenges. This true story is based on Saar’s son, Benjamin, who was born a hemophiliac and contracted pediatric AIDS through a transfusion and died in 1987 at the age of 8. This sad, beautiful and joyous play told from Benjamin’s point of view changed the face of theater for young audiences in this country and throughout the world. 

“David and Childsplay have always known that young people are capable of complex thinking and emotions. They face them in their lives and want to talk about and understand them,” Hartford said. “By not approaching challenging topics, we’re doing a disservice to our audience.”

Childsplay’s young audiences and their families are not the only ones who have experienced learning and growth and have been profoundly impacted by its high artistic value work. Hartford, who has been with the organization for 34 years and just finished his eighth season as artistic director, developed his voice as an award-winning playwright. 

Hartford was unaware he was a writer until he wrote “Eric and Elliot” during his recovery from a suicidal depression episode. He wrote the play about teen depression and suicide to give voice to what someone going through this might be feeling and to offer hope and a way forward. Childsplay has continued to produce the play on and off for more than 20 years because it remains a serious problem.

Just as Childsplay has never shied away from thought-provoking topics in its performances, it is embracing its next act by redefining itself and its place in the post-pandemic world. Precipitated by the pandemic and the significant impact it had on the performing arts, the organization is in the midst of a transition. Childsplay is leaning into the idea that it is more than a theater company. As such, the nonprofit’s original mission statement has been updated to reflect its unique position at the intersection of artistry and learning. 

Schools were the focus this year, both field trips and in-school performances, while public performances in the theater were reduced due to cost. Childsplay is looking inward at how educational programs can be expanded and how it can use its assets fully and more efficiently, including its Campus for Imagination & Wonder. A future fundraising campaign exploring new ways of doing business and conducting market research also supports Childsplay’s adaptation and long-term sustainability. 

“As we transition, the world for young people is very different in 2024 than it was 10 or 20 years ago,” Hartford said. “I don’t believe we can continue to do an entire season of standard proscenium where actors are on one side and the audience is on the other. I think there’s still a place for that in the world, but we have to recognize they are consuming content much faster and a lot more of it. We are looking at developing more immersive theater programs.”

In a typical year, Childsplay has an annual audience of 250,000 students, teachers and families. This expansive reach, along with the nonprofit’s evolution that is underway, is a guarantee of tremendous future impact yielding priceless community results.

“I’m proud of the fact that we’ve helped conversations, which is what you hope all art does,” Hartford said. “Art gives people an entrance into a conversation. That’s a beautiful thing.”

To learn more, visit childsplayaz.org.