Mission

Enchantment Theatre Company's mission is to inspire children to DREAM, EXPLORE, THINK, and CONNECT through imaginative storytelling onstage and in the classroom. We bring stories to life in a way that encourages children to DREAM about who they are and may become, to EXPLORE story from different perspectives, to THINK using inductive reasoning, and to CONNECT to other people, cultures and ideas. Our programs encourage children to discover how to live in a complex world so that they grow up to be curious, creative, and compassionate young adults.

What We Do

Enchantment Theatre Company was founded by Landis Smith, Jennifer Blatchley Smith, and Leslie Reidel as a touring company in 1979 with a pledge to introduce children to magical and meaningful theatre by transforming extraordinary literature into extraordinary theatre and a philosophy that the best of theatre for children should be judged on the same merits as adult theatre. Over 3 million children worldwide have since been inspired by Enchantment's productions and arts education programs.

All of Enchantment's productions are original adaptations of new and classic literature combined with original or classic music. Drawing on great theatrical traditions from around the world - from Japanese Bunraku theatre to Indonesian shadow puppets, from Italian commedia dell'arte to French mime and mask work - we weave these elements together in compelling productions of beauty and inspiration. Our approach to epic storytelling blends physical and ensemble-based theatre traditions with masked actors, magic and illusions, puppets, and music, resulting in a captivating theatrical experience that encourages children to DREAM, EXPLORE, THINK, and CONNECT.

Whether it's our work at home or across the nation, ETC ensures that children are exposed to transformative theatre experiences that inspire, educate, and stimulate their creative spirit, particularly in communities whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited. Enchantment has toured its original productions all over the world, appearing each year in 30-40 states. We have performed in such sophisticated urban arts venues as New York's Lincoln Center, Washington D.C.'s John F. Kennedy Center, and Philadelphia's Kimmel Center and Annenberg Center, as well as in small town high school auditoriums and performance tents from Maine to Texas. We have also toured in Asia six times, performing in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. Enchantment has also shared the stage with more than 70 orchestras nationwide with its special symphonic works that pair great stories with great music for the benefit of school and family audiences.

OUR PROGRAMS
National/International Theatrical Tours: Each year, Enchantment takes one of its major works on the road to reach school groups and families well beyond Philadelphia. These tours generally cover 30-40 states where audiences of 50,000-100,000 children see our shows - often giving many children their first theatrical experience.

National/International Symphonic Tours: Enchantment provides a unique front-of-the-orchestra theatrical event that enlivens and enriches symphonic concerts for young people. Performing on stage with the orchestra, we help tell the story of the music and captivate the attention of young audiences. We have performed with more than 70 premier orchestras nationwide and in Canada.

Philadelphia Regional Tours: In spring of 2014, Enchantment launched its new arts access initiative, Enchantment Everywhere. These imaginative, professional productions travel to schools, arts venues, parks, and neighborhoods, literally anywhere there is a community of families and children. Enchantment Everywhere productions ensure that children and families within the region have access to high-quality theatrical productions, regardless of their ability to pay. Since its founding, we have opened the door to theatre arts for over 75,000 children and 3,000 educators from over 150 schools across the Greater Philadelphia region.

Philadelphia Mainstage Productions at the Annenberg Center: Starting in the spring of 2018, Enchantment will regularly perform our productions as the Resident Children's Theatre at the Annenberg Center. By uniting forces, Enchantment and the Annenberg Center will be leaders in theatre and arts education for young audiences, stepping into the next decade with a sound business model. The ultimate vision of the newly formed alliance will be to offer the Annenberg Center's family audiences magical theatre productions on a regular basis; to foster a collaborative exchange of knowledge, skills, and perspectives between professionals and the next generation of artists and artisans; to enhance Enchantment's artistic innovations; to expand our ability to reach more children and families in the Philadelphia region; and to strengthen our business structures, ensuring our sustainability for generations to come.

In-School Arts Residencies: Enchantment operates this program in collaboration with the School District of Philadelphia and with schools who have special populations of children such as the PA School for the Deaf. Through Enchantment's education programs, students experience live theatre, explore a variety of theatre forms, study with professional artists, and create a theatrical piece of their own to perform before their peers and families.