Peppermint Creek Theatre Company facts for kids

Peppermint Creek Theatre Company is a theater group that started in Mason, Michigan. It is now based in East Lansing, Michigan. The person who founded the company and is also a co-Artistic Director is Chad Badgero.

The Story of Peppermint Creek Theatre Company

How It All Began

The Peppermint Creek Theatre Company began in 1995. It was first called the Peppermint Creek Players. In its early days, the company put on one play each summer. The first two shows were held at Mount Hope Presbyterian Church. Later, they moved their performances to the MSU Gardens Conservatory.

From 1995 to 2000, Peppermint Creek became known as an exciting new performing arts group. They were not afraid to try new things and believed strongly in the power of theater. After spending a year in New York City, Chad Badgero returned with a big goal. He wanted to make Peppermint Creek a full non-profit organization. This meant they would put on a full season of shows each year. A non-profit organization uses any money it earns to support its mission, rather than giving it to owners or shareholders.

Why "Peppermint Creek"?

The company's name comes from a small creek near Chad Badgero's childhood home in Mason, Michigan. When he was in fifth grade, Mr. Badgero looked at old maps of Mason. He found where his house would have been, and on those old maps, the creek was called Peppermint Creek. Even though the creek's name has since changed to match the road it crosses, the name "Peppermint Creek" stayed with Mr. Badgero. When it was time to name the theater group, this personal and meaningful name felt just right.

Where Peppermint Creek Theatre Performs

Over the years, Peppermint Creek Theatre Company has performed in many different places. These include art galleries in Lansing like Basement 414 and Creole Art Gallery. They have also performed at Mount Hope Presbyterian Church, Woldumar Nature Center, MSU Auditorium Room 49, and MSU Greenhouses. Today, the company performs at the Miller Performing Arts Center.