About the Theatre
Imagination Stage was founded as BAPA (Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts) in 1979 in response to the urgent need for arts education for young people. The company was renamed Imagination Stage in 2001 in anticipation of its move to its downtown Bethesda theatre arts center in 2003. Imagination Stage has grown from a handful of children in a single classroom to a full-spectrum theatre arts organization, with theatre productions by professional actors and artists. Unlike most children’s theatre companies, Imagination Stage commissions new works for children every year. These productions have been recognized with awards and productions by other companies around the world.
Petite Rouge, A Cajun Red Riding Hood
12/11 - 2/8/2025
Based on the book Petite Rouge by Mike Artell, illustrated by Jim Harris Book, Music, and Lyrics by Joan Cushing Directed by Nathaniel Claridad Petite ...
Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood
12/14 - 2/8/2025
Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood brings a lively twist to the classic fairy tale, following Petite Rouge, a duckling in a red hood, ...
Mother Goose
3/1 - 4/13/2025
Written by Janet Stanford Directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer Through innovative puppets, props, and original music, eight classic Mother Goose rhymes come gently and tunefully ...
Dory Fatasmagory
6/18 - 8/3/2025
Adapted for the stage by John Glore Based on the book by Abby Hanlon Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma It's tough being the youngest! ...
RELATED STORIES
PETITE ROUGE: A CAJUN RED RIDING HOOD To Open At Imagination Stage
by A.A. Cristi - November 12, 2024
IMAGINATION STAGE will present PETITE ROUGE: A CAJUN RED RIDING HOOD, a fresh take on the classic tale set in the Louisiana bayou. ...
Interview: Theatre Life with Alina Collins Maldonado
by Elliot Lanes - October 08, 2024
Today’s subject Alina Collins Maldonado is currently living her theatre life at Folger Theatre where she can be seen as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet. The production runs through November 10th....
Review: WINNIE THE POOH at Imagination Stage
by Jennifer Muscato - September 30, 2024
If you ever find yourself in Bethesda, Maryland, with children, you should also find your way to Imagination Stage. ...
Review: MISS NELSON IS MISSING! at Imagination Stage
by Jennifer Muscato - June 24, 2024
Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard is a beloved children’s book that’s been read in homes and schools for decades. My 7-year-old son jumped at the chance to see the story being performed at Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Maryland and, in the end, turned to me and said unprompted, “I liked that p...
OYEME, THE BEAUTIFUL Comes to GALA Theatre This Week
by Stephi Wild - May 20, 2024
GALA Theatre will present the premiere of Óyeme, The Beautiful, a powerful production brought to life by the talented students of Paso Nuevo, GALA’s esteemed youth program. ...
Imagination Stage to Present MISS NELSON IS MISSING! This Summer
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 15, 2024
Imagination Stage presents MISS NELSON IS MISSING! this summer. Join the fun as students search for their missing teacher in this delightful family-friendly show. Learn how to purchase tickets....
Mosaic Theater Company to Present REFLECTIONS ON HOME: A Celebration of Immigrant Voices
by Chloe Rabinowitz - May 13, 2024
Mosaic Theater Company will present the 2023-2024 Catalyst New Play Festival—Reflections on Home: A Celebration of Immigrant Voices. Learn how to purchase tickets....
Imagination Stage Reveals New Leadership
by Stephi Wild - March 20, 2024
Imagination Stage Board President, Dr. Kim W. Barnette proudly announces the selection of Joanne Seelig Lamparter as Chief Artistic Programming Officer of Imagination Stage, the nationally-prominent regional theatre and positive youth development powerhouse. ...
Interview: Theatre Life with Psalmayene 24
by Elliot Lanes - March 06, 2024
Today’s subject Psalmayene 24 is someone we can aptly classify as the whole package when we talk about artists in the DC theatre community. He is an accomplished writer/actor/performer and educator whose work has been enjoyed by audiences of all ages over the years. Currently Psalmayene 24 is the di...
Arts on the Horizon to Present World Premiere of OFF THE PAGE
by Chloe Rabinowitz - March 04, 2024
Arts on the Horizon, a non-verbal theatre company whose programs are specifically designed for children ages 0 to 6, will present Off the Page, a world premiere play, as part of its 2023-24 season. Learn more about the show!...
Past Shows
Winnie the Pooh
9/21 - 10/27/2024
From the stories of A.A. Milne Dramatized by Le Clanché du Rand Music by Allan J. Friedman Lyrics by A.A. Milne and Kristin Sergel Directed ...
Miss Nelson is Missing!
6/20 - 8/10/2024
The fifth graders of Smedley Elementary School’s Room 207 are not just badly behaved–they’re the “worst kids of all!” No matter what their sweet and ...
Cinderella: A Salsa Fairy Tale
2/15 - 4/5/2024
A bilingual Cinderella with a twist that kids will love! What will happen to Cinderella at the ball … game? That's the surprising question in ...
Mouse on the Move
1/13 - 2/11/2024
Part of Imagination Stage's Theatre for the Very Young series, Mouse on the Move is best for ages 1-5. Two adventurous mice are ready to ...
Jungle Discovery
12/26 - 1/14/2024
Jungle Discovery is an engaging and immersive interactive experience for children ages 3-6 and their adults. Participants enter a fantastical jungle world where they may dress up as ...
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
9/22 - 10/22/2023
Back by popular demand - THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW returns with performances in English and Spanish! Using more than 70 beautiful, larger-than-life puppets and original ...
Arts for All! Children's Festival is a FREE , fun, hands-on celebration of performing and visual arts especially for children ages 1-8 on October 21 ...
Nate the Great
6/21 - 8/11/2023
Art matters in this musical mystery! A boy who loves detective work and calls himself Nate the Great is thrust into solving not one, but ...
Aquarium
1/14 - 2/12/2023
Enter a fantastical island world where fish soar through the air, lemons light up the sky, and sheep go parading by. With gentle music, puppets, ...
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience
11/17 - 1/9/2023
Mo Willems; book: Mo Willems; lyrics: Mo Willems; music: Deborah Wicks La Puma. Charlotte Martin Theatre:...
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience
11/16 - 1/8/2023
When clothing suddenly falls from the sky, Wilbur J. Mole Rat stuns the colony with his decision to get dressed! In a community where baring ...
A Year with Frog and Toad
11/18 - 1/7/2023
A musical celebration of friendship and holiday fun! In this hit Broadway musical, two best friends with opposite personalities wake up from hibernation and enjoy ...
S.P.I.E.S. 2: Flight of the Hawk
10/29 - 11/20/2022
Join S.P.I.E.S. in person, where it is more interactive than ever! This follow-up to the online hit S.P.I.E.S. & the Lost Treasure of Atlantis combines ...
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
10/15 - 10/22/2022
Adapted from the award-winning novel, this play tells the touching story of a young Chinese American girl and her family moving from China to the ...
Mr. Popper's Penguins
6/22 - 8/7/2022
Mr. Popper, a painter of modest means, dreams of taking an Antarctic adventure. So hes thrilled when a penguin named Captain Cook waddles out of ...
The Alibis
7/1
We challenged eight playwrights to find the comedy in crime in this rogue's gallery of ten-minute plays wrapped in a classic whodunnit. When eccentric billionaire ...
The Snow Queen
12/12 - 2/28/2021
Join us this winter for a new kind of theatre experience designed expressly for the current moment. A virtual show with Imagination Stage allows your ...
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
11/23 - 1/5/2020
This enchanting musical is based on C.S. Lewis' adventure story about four children of war-torn England, who accidentally enter the land of Narnia by climbing ...
Inside Out
11/2 - 11/24/2019
The Gloucester County Institute of Technology...
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
9/28 - 10/27/2019
Eric Carle's strikingly bold images spring to life in the stage production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which tells the tale of the hungry caterpillar's ...
The Ballad of Mu Lan
6/26 - 8/18/2019
Alvin Chan; dir: Eric Johnson. World Premiere...
Escape from Peligro Island
4/27 - 5/2/2019
Finegan Kruckemeye; dir: Kathyrn Chase Bryer....
Dickens's Davy Copperfield
2/16 - 3/31/2019
Janet Stanford; music: Tim Guillot; dir: Janet Stanford....
Anatole: Mouse Magnifique
2/9 - 3/24/2019
book: Lee Becker, John Maclay; music: James Valcq; dir: Tom Story....
Play In A Day
2/23
Six professional Washington, D.C. area theatre companies will write, direct, rehearse and perform original plays based on similar themes in only 24 hours. The plays ...
Cinderella
11/3 - 1/6/2019
Alyn Cardarelli; music: Steve Goers; dir: Kathyrn Chase Bryer....
CHARLIE BROWN (REVISED)
6/23 - 8/12/2018
You're a Good Man, Charlier Brown
6/23 - 8/12/2018
book: Clark M. Gesner; lyrics: Clark M. Gesner, Andrew Lippa; dir: Aaron Posner....
The Princess & The Pauper - A Bollywood Tale
2/10 - 3/18/2018
Anu Yadav; music: Ashwin Subramanian; dir: Janet Stanford....
Charlotte's Web
11/18 - 1/7/2018
adapt: Joseph Robinette; dir: Kathryn Chase Bryer....
The Smartest Girl in the World
10/7 - 10/29/2017
Miriam Gonzales....
Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure
6/21 - 8/13/2017
book: Rachel Rockwell; lyrics: Michael Mahler, Rachel Rockwell; music: Michael Mahler; dir: Kathryn Chase Bryer. World Premiere...
BYE BYE BIRDIE (YPE)
7/12 - 7/13/2017
The Jungle Book
4/22 - 5/28/2017
Don't miss one of The Magik Theatre's first shows to tour nationally in over 50 sold out venues around the US! Adapted faithfully from Rudyard ...
The Freshest Snow Whyte
2/11 - 3/18/2017
Psalmayene 24 ; music: Nick “tha 1 da” Hernandez; dir: Psalmayene 24 ....
Play In A Day
2/18
Six professional Washington, D.C. area theatre companies will write, direct, rehearse and perform original plays based on similar themes in only 24 hours. The plays ...
Disney's Beauty and the Beast
11/19 - 1/15/2017
book: Linda Woolverton; lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice; music: Alan Menken; dir: Kathryn Chase Bryer....
Disney's Beauty and the Beast
11/19 - 1/15/2017
book: Linda Woolverton; lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice; music: Alan Menken; dir: Kathryn Chase Bryer....
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
10/8 - 10/30/2016
With his handmade silk suits, wide array of hats and tiny gold pocket watch, Edward Tulane was the most exceptional toy in Abilene’s room. He ...
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
10/8 - 10/30/2016
With his handmade silk suits, wide array of hats and tiny gold pocket watch, Edward Tulane was the most exceptional toy in Abilene’s room. He ...
The Little Mermaid
6/22 - 8/14/2016
Janet Stanford; trans: Hans Christen Andersen; music: Matthew Pierce; dir: Kathryn Chase Bryer....
Getting to Know... Once Upon A Mattress
8/10 - 8/11/2016
Looking for Roberto Clemente
4/13 - 5/22/2016
Karen Zacarias; music: Deborah Wicks La Puma; dir: Janet Stanford....
Footloose
3/11 - 3/13/2016
One of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results. When Ren and his mother move from ...
Jack and Phil, Giant-Slayers, INC.
2/3 - 3/13/2016
Charles Way; dir: Janet Stanford....
A Year with Frog and Toad
11/24 - 1/10/2016
Spend The Summer With Frog and Toad Kids will love A Year With Frog and Toad, a musical based on Arnold Lobel’s popular children’s book ...
When She Had Wings
9/23 - 11/1/2015
Suzan Zeder; dir: Kathryn Chase Bryer....
Sinbad: The Untold Tale
4/8 - 5/31/2015
Charles Way; dir: Janet Stanford....
Wiley and the Hairy Man
2/4 - 3/8/2015
Suzan Zeder; book: Harry Pickens; dir: Kathryn Chase Bryer....
101 Dalmatians
11/19 - 1/11/2015
In London, dalmatian parents, Pongo and Perdita happily raise their dalmatian puppies, until the monstrous Cruella De Vil plots to steal them for her new ...
The Addams Family
1/9 - 1/11/2015
THE ADDAMS FAMILY, a comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, features an original story and it’s every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ...
The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Theatre:
6/25 - 8/10/2014
The BFG adapt: David Wood; dir: Kate Bryer....
Cinderella: the Remix
4/9 - 5/25/2014
Psalmayene 24 ; music: Nick Hernandez; dir: Psalmayene 24 . World Premiere...
Rumpelstiltskin
2/5 - 3/16/2014
Robyn Flatt Studio Theater: - B. Wolf; music: B. Wolf; dir: Kathy Burks....
Lyle the Crocodile
11/20 - 1/10/2014
The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Theatre: Kevin Kling; music: Richard Gray; dir: Kate Bryer....
The Wind in the Willows
6/22 - 8/14/2011
This musical retelling of the classic is faithful to the novel and features the beloved characters Mr. Toad, Mole, Ratty and Mr. Badger. It is ...
George and Martha- Tons of Fun
4/9 - 5/28/2011
The two endearing hippos from the James Marshall picture books stomp onto stage in this warm and funny musical adaptation. George and Martha are best ...
The Day John Henry Came to School
4/16 - 5/28/2011
Johnny is a typical 5th grader, way into video games and not especially motivated at school. Imagine his surprise one night when there's a loud ...
Perseus Bayou
2/5 - 3/13/2011
This award-winning musical sets the classic Greek myth of Perseus and his quest for the snake-headed Medusa in post-Civil War Louisiana. To save the bayou ...
Videos
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Prayer for the French Republic
Theater J (10/30 - 11/24) | |
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Rigoletto
Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater (12/7 - 12/15) | |
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Broadway Center Stage: Legally Blonde
The Kennedy Center - Eisenhower Theater (6/6 - 6/15) | |
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Czech National Philharmonic
Center for the Arts at George Mason University (2/7 - 2/7) | |
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Summer, 1976
Studio Theatre (11/13 - 12/22) | |
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The Other Americans
Arena Stage (10/18 - 11/24) | |
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The Acting Company: The Comedy of Errors
Hylton Performing Arts Center (2/15 - 2/15) | |
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Leopoldstadt
Harman Hall - Shakespeare Theatre Company (11/30 - 12/29) | |
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Dungeons & Dragons The Twenty-Sided Tavern
The Kennedy Center - Eisenhower Theater (7/22 - 8/3) | |
| VIEW SHOWS ADD A SHOW | ||
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