Mission
It is the mission of the North Valley Playhouse to entertain and educate by providing
live theatrical productions and class instruction of the highest quality.
It is the mission of the North Valley Playhouse to entertain and educate by providing
live theatrical productions and class instruction of the highest quality.
History
The North Valley Playhouse began as a dream Jeana Whitaker, a high school drama
teacher, she would open auditions for the spring musical production to the community to
bring a higher level of quality and promote community involvement. The response from
the community was overwhelming. Many community volunteers auditioned and were
thankful for the opportunity to create theatre since a community theatre did not exist in
this area. The audiences also responded favorably and were grateful for opportunities
to experience quality community theatre without having to drive more than twenty miles
away.
Since 2003 the Playhouse has grown from an inspiration into a young and exciting 501 (c)
3 non-profit theatre company. Our very first production, All I Really Need to Know I
Learned in Kindergarten, was noticed by Kyle Lawson of the Arizona Republic saying
“High marks are given by readers for director, Jeana Whitaker, and the cast of this
heartwarming comedy.”
In addition, we also began our educational programs in the summer of 2003 with our
first drama camp. We had 15 students who were so excited that they couldn’t wait for
the next camp! Our second round of educational classes was offered during December of
2003. The students created original holiday stories and had a great deal of fun learning
the art of storytelling, improvisational theatre and basic acting techniques.
Our next production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was performed in March of 2004.
Chris Page, from the Scottsdale Tribune reviewed the show and commented that, “It’s a
weird adaptation for “Midsummer,” but it works in a kicky way. In fact, I’d venture that
it makes “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” speak more to modern teens --- with it’s story of
crushes, pranks, and hey, even a literal “jackass” --- than dour Romeo and Juliet does.
Whatever the case, it feels good. Good in that rare kind of way.” The play was
performed outdoors in a Spanish-style courtyard and under the direction of Jeana
Whitaker, was modernized to make the play more accessible to today’s families. For the
2004-2005 Season, the Phoenix Arts Commission awarded NVC Playhouse a grant to pay
for a Shakespeare in the Park production of The Taming of the Shrew. This grant
enabled NVCP to offer the production to the community for free. Further enabling this
community theatre to truly serve its community and providing greater access to
Shakespearean theatre for people of all ages.
The last show of the season, Alice in Wonderland, was staged in May of 2004. This was
a full children’s production with a cast of 24 children. Due to a lack of rehearsal space,
the cast would spend up to six hours a day on Saturdays and Sundays for two months to
prepare for this production.
In its second season, NVP continued to climb the ladder of success with its second
summer camp, Get Smart, followed by The Taming of the Shrew and PS Your Cat is
Dead!. In addition, NVP contracted after school programs with two charter schools and
created our community outreach educational program and did a special performance of
The Red Shoes for a Mother/Daughter Tea at Biltmore Fashion Park.
The North Valley Playhouse finally found a permanent home and opened its new
performance space in April 0f 2005. The official Grand Opening event was August 20,
2005. During the summer of 2005, NVP expanded its summer camp to three weeks with
four different instructors and ending with a spectacular musical production. In addition,
NVP created a “summer nights” program to provide performance opportunities to
newcomers with “garage band” performances, stand-up comedy, improvisation, a murder
mystery dinner theatre, and a children’s talent show.
For the 2005-2006 season, NVP was again awarded a grant from the Phoenix Arts
Commission for Shakespeare in the Park, as well as a Capacity Building Grant to help
the company grow. In addition, the Arizona Commission for the Arts awarded NVP a
sponsorship grant for 2005. The season productions include The Cemetery Club, You’re
a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Love Boat Goes to Verona, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest, and James and the Giant Peach.
The 2006-2007 season consists of ten productions, with ten performances each and
utilizing the talents of five different directors. The season includes Streetcar Named
Desire, The Gin Game, The Last Five Years, Hooray for Holidays (a musical review),
Getting Even, Six Degrees of Separation, Moonlight and Valentino, Diet! The Musical (an
original musical collaboration with a local writer and composer), The Jungle Book (our
annual children’s production) and Working. NVP also offers many classes for children,
adults, and seniors throughout the season. Many great things are in store for this little
company with a big heart.
The North Valley Playhouse began as a dream Jeana Whitaker, a high school drama
teacher, she would open auditions for the spring musical production to the community to
bring a higher level of quality and promote community involvement. The response from
the community was overwhelming. Many community volunteers auditioned and were
thankful for the opportunity to create theatre since a community theatre did not exist in
this area. The audiences also responded favorably and were grateful for opportunities
to experience quality community theatre without having to drive more than twenty miles
away.
Since 2003 the Playhouse has grown from an inspiration into a young and exciting 501 (c)
3 non-profit theatre company. Our very first production, All I Really Need to Know I
Learned in Kindergarten, was noticed by Kyle Lawson of the Arizona Republic saying
“High marks are given by readers for director, Jeana Whitaker, and the cast of this
heartwarming comedy.”
In addition, we also began our educational programs in the summer of 2003 with our
first drama camp. We had 15 students who were so excited that they couldn’t wait for
the next camp! Our second round of educational classes was offered during December of
2003. The students created original holiday stories and had a great deal of fun learning
the art of storytelling, improvisational theatre and basic acting techniques.
Our next production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was performed in March of 2004.
Chris Page, from the Scottsdale Tribune reviewed the show and commented that, “It’s a
weird adaptation for “Midsummer,” but it works in a kicky way. In fact, I’d venture that
it makes “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” speak more to modern teens --- with it’s story of
crushes, pranks, and hey, even a literal “jackass” --- than dour Romeo and Juliet does.
Whatever the case, it feels good. Good in that rare kind of way.” The play was
performed outdoors in a Spanish-style courtyard and under the direction of Jeana
Whitaker, was modernized to make the play more accessible to today’s families. For the
2004-2005 Season, the Phoenix Arts Commission awarded NVC Playhouse a grant to pay
for a Shakespeare in the Park production of The Taming of the Shrew. This grant
enabled NVCP to offer the production to the community for free. Further enabling this
community theatre to truly serve its community and providing greater access to
Shakespearean theatre for people of all ages.
The last show of the season, Alice in Wonderland, was staged in May of 2004. This was
a full children’s production with a cast of 24 children. Due to a lack of rehearsal space,
the cast would spend up to six hours a day on Saturdays and Sundays for two months to
prepare for this production.
In its second season, NVP continued to climb the ladder of success with its second
summer camp, Get Smart, followed by The Taming of the Shrew and PS Your Cat is
Dead!. In addition, NVP contracted after school programs with two charter schools and
created our community outreach educational program and did a special performance of
The Red Shoes for a Mother/Daughter Tea at Biltmore Fashion Park.
The North Valley Playhouse finally found a permanent home and opened its new
performance space in April 0f 2005. The official Grand Opening event was August 20,
2005. During the summer of 2005, NVP expanded its summer camp to three weeks with
four different instructors and ending with a spectacular musical production. In addition,
NVP created a “summer nights” program to provide performance opportunities to
newcomers with “garage band” performances, stand-up comedy, improvisation, a murder
mystery dinner theatre, and a children’s talent show.
For the 2005-2006 season, NVP was again awarded a grant from the Phoenix Arts
Commission for Shakespeare in the Park, as well as a Capacity Building Grant to help
the company grow. In addition, the Arizona Commission for the Arts awarded NVP a
sponsorship grant for 2005. The season productions include The Cemetery Club, You’re
a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Love Boat Goes to Verona, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nest, and James and the Giant Peach.
The 2006-2007 season consists of ten productions, with ten performances each and
utilizing the talents of five different directors. The season includes Streetcar Named
Desire, The Gin Game, The Last Five Years, Hooray for Holidays (a musical review),
Getting Even, Six Degrees of Separation, Moonlight and Valentino, Diet! The Musical (an
original musical collaboration with a local writer and composer), The Jungle Book (our
annual children’s production) and Working. NVP also offers many classes for children,
adults, and seniors throughout the season. Many great things are in store for this little
company with a big heart.
About Us
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