Herberger Theater Center Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Herberger Theater Center
Tenants

Address	222 East Monroe Street Phoenix, Arizona United States
Coordinates	33°27′04″N 112°04′15″W / 33.451073°N 112.070731°W / 33.451073; -112.070731
Type	Performing arts center
Capacity	Center Stage: 800 Stage West: 320 Kax Stage: 120
Opened	1989
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The Herberger Theater Center is a special place in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, where people can enjoy live performances. It has three stages! Its main goal is to help performing arts grow in Phoenix. It's known as a top spot for shows and a big supporter of the arts community.

Discovering the Herberger Theater
Inside the Theater: Stages and Shows
Learning Through Arts: Education Programs
Gallery
See also

Discovering the Herberger Theater

The Herberger Theater Center (HTC) opened in 1989. It was an important part of making downtown Phoenix a lively place again. The theater is named after the founder of the Herberger's department store.

Many different theater groups call HTC home. They put on all kinds of shows, from dance to improv comedy and plays. Both local groups and touring companies from other places perform here. While plays and musicals are common, you might also see performances by the Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona.

Inside the Theater: Stages and Shows

This theater in downtown Phoenix is one of the best places to see a show. It feels big, but also cozy, so you can really feel close to the performance. The Herberger Theater Center is located at 222 E Monroe.

It is home to six main theater groups:

Arizona Theatre Company
Center Dance Ensemble
iTheatre Collaborative
Arizona Broadway Theatre
Arizona Opera
Childsplay

Other groups like Valley Youth Theatre, Arizona Jewish Theatre Company, and Teatro Bravo also perform here sometimes.

Theater Stages and Seating

The Herberger Theater Center has three main stages:

Center Stage: This is the largest stage, seating 800 people.
Stage West: This stage can seat 320 people.
Kax Stage: This is a flexible "black box" space that seats 120. It can be set up in many ways for different shows.

More than 40 different performances happen at the Herberger Theater Center each year. About 175,000 people and 30,000 school children visit the theater annually.

Lunch Time Theater

The Herberger Theater Center also has its own "Lunch Time Theater" series. These are short, one-act plays performed during weekdays. They feature new and upcoming theater groups on the Kax Stage. This program is a great way for young theater companies to show their work. The plays usually last about 30 to 45 minutes.

Art Exhibits

To make the center even more welcoming, visitors can see art by Arizona artists. These art shows are in the Upper Steele Pavilion and change every three months.

Learning Through Arts: Education Programs

The Herberger Theater Center offers cool programs to help young people learn about and get involved in the arts.

Multicultural Theater Camp

Since 2001, the Herberger Theater Center has worked with Free Arts for Abused Children. This program helps young people heal through performing arts. Teenagers from group homes and shelters in Maricopa County get to create and experience art. They attend a two-week theater camp at the Herberger Theater Center.

During this special camp, guest artists and volunteers teach the kids about:

Improvisation (making things up on the spot)
Developing characters
Making masks
Costumes and props
Technical parts of theater, like lights and sound

The young campers create the entire show themselves. The camp ends with a final performance for everyone to enjoy.

Arizona Young Artists' Competition

The Herberger Theater Center and Center Dance Ensemble also team up for an annual competition. This event, which started in 1999, shows off the amazing talent of young Arizona artists. Artists aged 15 to 19 can compete in:

Acting
Dance (Modern, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Tap)
Voice

During the competition, young artists learn about how auditions work. They also get to meet and talk with experienced arts professionals. After auditions, four people are chosen for each category to perform in front of a live audience. For example, in the voice category, each artist sings two songs. In acting, each artist performs two monologues. Judges choose a winner for each category. There is also a winner chosen by the audience's votes!

The winner in each category receives a $1,000 scholarship. This money helps them continue their education in the arts.

Wolf Trap Program

Another program with the Center Dance Ensemble is called Wolf Trap. In this program, artists from the Center Dance Ensemble visit preschools and Head Start classrooms. They train parents and teachers to use performing arts as a way to teach. The program finishes with a field trip to the Herberger Theater. About 1,000 children get to participate on stage in movement activities, ballet, and music sessions.