| ABOUT US | OUR MISSION | OUR HISTORY | STATE TOUR VIDEO |
 Fantasy
Theatre Factory
is a professional touring theatre created in New York in 1977, by
Ed Allen and Mimi Schultz, performing artists and teachers. The company
expanded, incorporated as a Florida Not-for-Profit in 1982, and has toured
nationally, internationally and the State of Florida since that time. As
a touring theatre, we are uniquely different from housed
theatres in that our audiences do not come to our theatre space; we
take theatre to our audience. This gives particularly underserved
communities the best access to our programs. We perform in rural and
inner city schools, theatres, parks, hospitals, community centers,
practically everywhere. Sets, props, costumes - even actors must be able
to travel for extended periods of time. In this manner, Fantasy Theatre
presents more than 400 Florida programs reaching over 150,000 people each
year. Our mission is to make more quality theatre programs available to
more people. Fantasy Theatre’s programs are an evolution of more
than eighteen years of performing and teaching in Florida. Company
founders/directors are recognized for their exceptional talent and
entertaining programs, and also as effective teachers and mentors in a
wide variety of performance skills and arts administration. They have
taught at the Ringling Brother’s Clown College, at Florida Professional
Theater Assoc. (FPTA) workshops, colleges, schools and international
festivals. For the 98/99 season, Mimi Schultz was awarded “Arts
Educator of the Year” for our Dade County programs for children.
The company is housed in South Miami-Dade County with offices/warehouse
and rehearsal space. An additional warehouse space of 2000 sq. ft. has
been rented for the 2008/2009 season for rehearsals. |
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| OUR MISSION | |||
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Fantasy Theatre is dedicated to creating original quality theatre programs for children and families and to making these programs accessible to more people of all cultures and backgrounds. To reach the greatest amount of people with our theatre programs, Fantasy Theatre is a touring theatre, traveling throughout Florida, the Southeast and Internationally to theatres, schools, fairs, libraries and outdoor festivals. We have developed, as part of our mission, a free admission policy for critically ill children and other special constituencies. |
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| OUR HISTORY | |||
| About Our Programs: | |||
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We present theatre
for family audiences. Our 13 touring shows
appeal to pre-school, elementary, family, adult and senior audiences. Our
versatile style of performance often blends old vaudeville forms-- mime,
magic, clown, masks, juggling, comedy and improvisation into classic
theatre programs. Our shows cover themes of: Children’s Literature,
Reading, Ecology, Social Service, Black History, Dance, English, and
Music. We present Local and National Artist Programs. We can
individualize our shows for virtually every type of audience. Fantasy
Theatre has a long history of working closely with school systems
throughout Florida. As a Florida State Touring Company (for 13 years), we
travel to over 20 Florida counties each season. Fantasy Theatre’s
Artist-In-Education Program features shows and workshops for
children and in-service training for teachers. We partner with the
Broward, Dade, Hillsborough and many other Florida School Boards yearly to
present residency programs. We perform over 400 programs in schools
yearly. In 97/98, we began producing our own Theatre
Field-Trip Program throughout South Florida. This program serves
areas that previously could not afford to bring theatre to them. (Downtown
Lauderdale, Liberty City, Hialeah and South Dade). We have 5 students in
our Theatre Internship Program with the University of Miami
and Dade County High Schools. |
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| Special Community Outreach: | |||
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In 1993, the company’s
Mission Statement was amended to include a stronger commitment to
providing free programs for critically ill children and
their families. We created Project Smile. This community outreach
program sets aside funding for organizations that service critically ill
children. Since then, over 7,000 children and families have attended our
programs at no cost. Project Smile is a permanent component of our
company programs. 10% of all ticketed seats are free. Fantasy
Theatre is in our 3nd year of a year-long residency for
At-Risk juveniles at Henderson Mental Health Center, ages 13-18. This
program brings 2-3 artists weekly into the Center for theatre, dance,
music, visual arts, video, circus skills and voice workshops. In 1992,
Fantasy Theatre initiated our Business of the Arts program.
We mentor independent artists and small theatres - helping them secure
bookings, develop marketing plans, and advance their grant writing and
fundraising skills. Examples of local artists who have benefited from our
program: Gold Coast Theatre Company; Martin Holtz, playwright; Puppet
Guild of S. Fl.; Children’s Cultural Coalition. Joey Martinez and Andrew
Pond. |
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| International Tours: | |||
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Fantasy Theatre has toured the world to expand
international awareness and appreciation of Florida’s performing artists.
We toured Tokyo, Japan in 1987, and the Arctic Circle in 1988 for the
United States Armed Forces. The company performed in France and Holland
for two weeks in Summer 1990, The Grand Bahamas Islands in 1993, and
England’s Covent Garden Street Festival in 1994. In 1997 company members
performed in Venezuela for the United Family Communications conference.
The company returned to the American School in Paris in 1998. A tour in
South America is in negotiation for 2001. |
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| Financial Support: | |||
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Fantasy Theatre is a longtime recipient of state, regional
and local grants from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs (since
1982), Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council (since 1982), the Broward
Cultural Affairs Council, Hillsborough Council of Arts, Dade County
Schools Outside Agency Grant, and numerous Foundation project support.
Since 1994, Fantasy Theatre has served as fiscal agent for multiple Metro
Dade Arts Council program grants. Mimi Schultz, Artistic Director, has
served on the Metro-Dade Hannibal Cox grant panel for the past 2 seasons.
For 1999/2000, Fantasy Theatre has partnered with the Department of
Environmental Resource Management to present over 50 environmental
programs in schools, community centers, fairs and festivals in South
Florida. |
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| Local and Regional Outreach: | |||
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Fantasy Theatre programs include community events, theatre and school shows and residencies, at-risk workshops, field-trip programs and special events. During 98/99(last complete) we hired over 100 Florida artists in over 350 shows. Our artists are culturally diverse (see section on Demographics). We present a National Artist Program (NAP), bringing national touring theatre artists, storytellers and musicians into Florida. We also present a Local Artist Program (LAP) that supports, identifies and helps market emerging local artists. Fantasy Theatre produces entertainment for large fairs and festivals throughout Florida, reaching thousands of people with its fully-staged shows and street theater. 1999 marked Fantasy Theatre’s 14th year at the Dade County Youth Fair, performing 2-3 shows daily over the fair’s 18-day run. Since 1989, Fantasy Theatre has produced all Children’s Theater entertainment for the 4 day, Miami Beach Art Deco Festival. |
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Initiated in 1997, we produce our own Theatre Field-Trip Program yearly throughout South Florida. This program has grown and now serves areas that previously could not afford to bring theatre to them. (Downtown Ft. Lauderdale, Liberty City, Hialeah and South Dade, North Miami and downtown Tampa.) | ||
| FTF ON STATE TOUR | |||
| Touring Theater at it's best... | |||
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Please note that we are utilizing a MySpace tv plug-in to display this video. Any "recommended" video immediately following the viewing of Fantasy Theatre Factory's presentation is made by myspacetv.com and is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Fantasy Theatre Factory.
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© 2006 Fantasy Theatre Factory, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
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