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History of Imagination Theater
Chicago’s award-winning Imagination Theater is a touring company that uses interactive theater to address social issues, educate communities, and improve life quality for participants of all ages.
From it’s inception in 1966, Imagination Theater has remained committed to the principles that the creative arts are essential to the full development of the individual; that all people have the ability to express themselves creatively; and that theater has a unique and important capacity to communicate to all people, regardless of age of perceived abilities.
With 42 years of innovative community service, Imagination Theater has gradually expanded its mission to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse audience. |
Timeline
1966
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Company founded by Eunice Joffe as “Playmakers”. |
| 1969 |
The company revises and expands its Participatory Theater Programming to serve children (and later adults) with physical and developmental disabilities. In these first years an emphasis in residency work begins to define who the company is. |
| 1974 |
Company is reincorporated as Imagination Theater, Inc. |
| 1978 |
IT’s participatory theater programming is adapted to meet the often-neglected recreational therapy needs of senior citizens. |
| 1985 |
IT launches the Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program (CSAPP) for children and adolescents in grades 2-6 (Touch) and 7-12 (No Easy Answers). On average, the CSAPP results annually in 450 visits to the ‘Safe Room’ for counseling, and 35 first-time disclosures of child sexual abuse. |
| 1988 |
IT creates its Substance Abuse Prevention Program (SAPP), for children and adolescents in grades K-12. |
| 1989 |
A third presentation is added to the CSAPP program for Pre-K children, called Safe and Free. |
| 1994 |
IT premiers its Violence Prevention Program, serving junior and senior high school adolescents. |
| 1995 |
Senior programming continues to expand with help from The Rothschild Foundation. 1994-95 is the first season of Senior Spotlight, a production that uses live music and interaction with senior audiences to activate memory and imagination, to increase confidence and ‘sense of play’ in its participants, and stimulate social interactions. |
| 1996 |
IT creates its conflict resolution show, Whatcha Gonna Do About It, for 3 separate age groups: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 (and later High School). The show teaches 6 conflict resolution skills students can use to stay out of fights. |
| 2000 |
IT begins offering Custom Designed Workshops, allowing the company to reach out to a more diverse audience with a greater range of social-issues related programming. |
| 2001 |
IT premiers Ease the Tease (written in conjunction with Judy S. Freedman, LCSW) to help students better cope with being teased and bullied. Judy Freedman’s ground-breaking book, Easing the Teasing: Helping Your Child Deal with Name-Calling, Ridicule, and Verbal Bullying, is published by Contemporary Books in September, 2002. |
| 2001 |
IT revises its Substance Abuse Prevention Program by adding 2 new interactive presentations (What Now!? and Now What!?) for students in grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-12. Each show examines peer pressure and healthy decision making, and encourages students to find healthy alternatives to non-prescription medications and positive ways of reducing stress. |
| 2002 |
IT debuts Show Some Respect, an energetic and interactive show that encourages participants to be open to differences of all kinds and helps participants explore the many ways we can show respect to ourselves, our friends, our parents, our teachers, the bus driver and the lunchroom worker. |
| 2002 |
IT teams up with Chicago Police Department's Area 5 Youth for the Peer Jury Sentencing Program. The PJSP was designed to provide first time truant offenders a creative opportunity to explore healthy decision-making, develop positive coping skills, and build self-esteem. |
| 2003 |
Imagination Theater debuts its communication script, Let’s Talk (grades 6-8 and HS), and its Staff Development Workshop Menu (teachers, camp counselors). |
| 2004 |
IT performs its first show written for college-aged students--College Orientation 101: Beyond the Books--to help freshmen adjust to college life and troubleshoot challenging social situations. |
| 2006 |
IT expands its residency programming through ARTS BLAST! -- offering long-term arts workshops involving theatre games, team-building and student-created performances at Chicago-area park districts and schools. |
| 2007 |
IT premiers two new shows, written by popular demand: Responsibility Counts (Grades K-2, 3-5th and 6-8th), and E-Etiquette: The Password to Cyber-bullying and Internet Safety (Grades 3-5th, 6-8th and High School). |
| 2008 |
Imagination Theater currently reaches more than 80,000 participants in over 500 workshops and presentations each season. |
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Awards and Recognition
At each step along the way, Imagination Theater's programs have received wide acclaim. The company has been recognized with several awards, including:
- Illinois Governor’s Award for the Arts
- Continental Bank Foundation’s Community Service Award
- Chicago Department on Aging and Disabilities’ Critical Difference Award
- Children’s Theater Association’s Drama for Human Awareness Award
- Illinois Theatre Association’s Excellence in Children’s Theatre Award
- Non Profit Financial Center’s ORBA Award for Excellence in Financial Management
- Arts & Business Council’s ABBY Award for Excellence in Non Profit Management
- Recognized by Attorney General Lisa Madigan for “Providing Excellent Services to Victims of Crime.”
Imagination Theater also receives constant recognition from the media, including: Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, Pioneer Press, Chicago Suburban News, Life Newspapers, Press Publications, Lerner Newspapers, PerformInk, WBEZ, Channel 7 (featured on Chicagoing with host Bill Campbell), and was most recently featured on WGN (Channel 9) by Jane Boal as “Chicago’s Very Own” and on Fox News Chicago.
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