| History |
|
For almost 25 years, B Street Theatre has been delighting audiences of all ages. Founded by actor Timothy Busfield in 1986 as Theatre for Children, Inc., the company’s first focus was a touring theatre company for children. The B Street Theatre School Tour (formerly known as Fantasy Theatre) was and continues to be extremely popular in the community— performing 12 times per week, 38 weeks a year. The School Tour has received critical acclaim by the media, educators and most importantly, the estimated 3.6 million California children (currently about 200,000 per year) who’ve attend performances. For many children, The B Street Theatre School Tour is their only exposure to the live theatre.
In 1991, in an effort to broaden the success of B Street Theatre School Tour, Timothy Busfield and his brother Buck Busfield created B Street Theatre. Most of the plays produced each year are world, national, West Coast or regional premieres. B Street Theatre has enjoyed stunning success since its inception, most notably growing its season subscription from 385 in 1996 to over 7,000 in the 2005-2006 season. B Street Theatre has been named Best Live Theatre (14 consecutive years) by The Sacramento News & Review and Best Performing Arts Organization 13 times by Sacramento Magazine; B Street Theatre performs to approximately 70,000 adults annually. In 2002, the company embarked on a third endeavor to allow families to experience live, professional theatre together. The B Street Theatre Family Series produces a four-show season of professional theatre presenting plays for school field trips during the week and the general public on weekends. Long term, B Street Theatre plans to build a new, two-theatre, state of the art, performing arts complex to house the B Street Theatre Family Series (365 seats), and B Street Theatre (250 seats). Upon its completion in 2012, the new B Street Theatre Performing Arts Complex will be the first theatre facility dedicated to children’s theatre in Northern California. For information about the project please contact Managing Director, Bill Blake, at 916.443.5391 x107. Theatre for Children, Inc. is the parent organization of B Street Theatre, B Street Theatre Family Series and B Street Theatre School Tour. |
