Kids Taking Center Stage
For Executive Director Sien Moon, her love and labor on behalf of Knoxville Children’s Theatre in the beginning was personal. It gave her daughter and son meaningful artistic direction when they first became involved in KCT productions in 2009. Ultimately, it gave her son his passion, initial training, and mentorship for a dream-come-true profession as a New York-based theatrical lighting designer.
Sien joined the KCT board soon after her children got involved, was later asked to be board chair, and subsequently in 2018, be executive director. Sixteen years later, after witnessing thousands of children impacted by participation, and many more thousands by their first exposure as audience members to live theatre, it has become her passion.
“The reason I am here is I see KCT doing such great things, changing lives daily. Kids from all socio-economic backgrounds who are lost or shy, become confident, creative, happy, involved, invested in contributing.”
In 2008, when children’s theatre across the country often meant adults putting on plays for kids, KCT co-founder, the late Zack Allen, an actor, playwright, and director, had an uncommon vision: theatre of children, by children, and for children. Today children and young people are not only the actors, singers, and dancers, but also KCT academy-trained set, lighting and costume designers, and technical and stage management crews. All shows are based on children’s literature with a few Disney musicals interspersed, which are traditional money-makers, Sien explains, adding people who come for “Frozen” might not attend “The Miracle Worker.”
Kids Waiting in the Wings
“KCT has experienced tremendous but steady growth since our first Tyson Street location which seated 60.” The KCT company moved to the Churchwell/Central location in 2013 with a small lobby, limited seating, stage, and classrooms. Most of the shows sold out. Classes had a continual waitlist.
In 2016, the hunt for a bigger space began. “It seemed we looked at every building in Knoxville. We identified a space in 2019, then COVID happened and we had to back off, and it sold in the interim.”
Post-pandemic, sold-out audiences and the demand from kids wanting to train at the premier theatre and academy continued to grow.
Sien turned to Justin Cazana, a Principal in the Avison Young Knoxville office, to find a bigger facility. “Justin asked what my dream location would be. I told him I had always wanted to be on the World’s Fair Site because that’s where so many children’s activities occur, like the reading festival and Dogwood Arts.”
When Justin attended an event at the Foundry, he spoke to the owner, Marianne Greene, who had purchased The Foundry in 1993, developing it into a venue for weddings, receptions, proms, and other events. Justin told her he had someone interested in the building when she decided to sell.
“A few weeks later,” Sien explains, “Marianne called Justin and asked who was the interested party? What I’ve learned since is that she was ready to retire, but picky who she sold the Foundry to.” When Marianne learned it was KCT, plans for the sale moved forward.
“We had to leave our old location and move in quickly by March. We did some short-term adapting, painting, building a stage, and turning the main hall into a temporary auditorium, seating 160. As of August, we’ve had three productions, held our spring term of academy classes, and hosted 23 week-long summer camps,” she adds. Along with fulfilling her dream site in Knoxville’s downtown arts district, Sien adds the new location is more convenient for East Tennessee families. “You just pop off the interstate at Western Avenue. And, there’s plenty of parking!”
The Next Stage – The KCT Capital Campaign
Architects for the renovation, McCarty Holsaple McCarty, have reimagined The Foundry to expand the second level with an auditorium that seats 250 plus a second “black box” performance space seating 100, rehearsal hall, scene and costume shops, lighting/sound booths, lobby and restrooms. Five new academy classrooms, and renovated administrative offices and restrooms will complete the lower level. Three existing sheds store set pieces and construction materials.
“With 10+ productions a year, four-week rehearsals, and three-week show runs, there’s a lot of overlap,” Sien explains. “Two performance spaces will give more children more opportunities. The renovation allows more performances including smaller productions in the black box. We’ll serve many more children with hands-on training. We have waiting lists for academy classes so our revenue stream will increase as we can serve more students.”
“KCT does a lot with a little. Historically, 70-75% of our revenues are earned – which is not true of most nonprofits. We don’t have a huge staff and we manage on a small budget. No child has to pay to participate in a production. For children who cannot afford academy class tuition, we fund scholarships. We keep ticket prices low (children $13, adults $16) so more families can attend.”
“We’ve launched a capital campaign, The Next Stage, with a goal of twelve million dollars, four million for purchase of The Foundry and eight million for the renovation, with stage and backstage addition the biggest expense. Our goal is to raise it all in 18 months to two years, so we don’t have debt.”
Donations and pledges of any size are welcome and can be over a five-year period. The campaign has naming opportunities for many areas or features. Purchase a seat for $5,000, or a front row for $10,000, and name it in honor of a child or grandparent, for example. Corporate sponsorships are available with larger naming opportunities such as the stage, the auditorium, black box, even the building.
“We love our place in Knoxville’s thriving creative hub for the performing arts with so many production companies and artistic organizations,” Sien says. “Actually, KCT has more annual attendees than any other theatre in the area. We’re excited to bring our audiences downtown to spend money and fuel our economy as we build audiences for other theatre groups.”
Kids’ Lives Dramatically Impacted
At the previous venue, more than 1,000 children participated in productions and took classes annually. More than 12,000 East Tennessee children annually attended productions. But, KCT gets more student matinee requests from surrounding county schools than they could accommodate. KCT’s staff is excited that the expansion means they can serve more children. “Studies show if you get a child to the theatre before the age of eight, regardless of socio-economic background, you’ll see improvement in literacy and standardized test scores. If you get them involved in theatre production, it impacts them even more dramatically.”
Along with improved literacy, creativity, attention span, and academic performance, theatre participation helps children develop life skills for success: discipline, leadership, collaboration, and confidence in public speaking.
KCT Kids Kicking It!
KCT is old enough to witness career outcomes. Zack’s first student intern got her degree, moved to New York and within two years won two Tonys for producing. Sien’s son has designed lighting for a live Amazon Prime show in Paris. A current Dollywood production hired KCT actors for both younger and older Dolly roles. After studying in KCT’s technical design program, students have gone on to Belmont, UNC School of the Arts, SCAD, Fordham, and American Academy of Arts. Another former student is with the Tennessee Arts Commission. Among other professions, many are lawyers, having developed public speaking skills at KCT.
Zack’s original vision for this treasure in Knoxville’s performing arts community has grown into an artistically ambitious investment that’s worthy of the thousands of East Tennessee children KCT will continue to serve.
“So many children find their passion through the arts. If they’re not exposed to it, they may never find their passion, their place, or their people!“
Sien Moon, KCT Executive Director
After a decade in management at Bell South, Sien left the corporate world behind for full-time motherhood with her twins (the reason she would get involved with KCT). “If someone had told me I would be running a children’s theatre in the same space as the Strohaus [at The Foundry], a place my college friends and I loved, I would have laughed! But, I’ve seen so many children find their passion, their place, and their people in the performing arts. I want this place to be here long after I am gone for them to pursue their creativity.” Sien welcomes donation inquiries or learn more at KnoxvilleChildrensTheatre.com