(Huntsville, AL) - After a nationwide search, Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy is excited to announce that Taylor Bogan has been hired as FPCTA’s new Education Director. She will join FPCTA starting July 3, 2023. 

“We are incredibly excited to have Taylor joining us at FPCTA.” said Karen Mockensturm, Executive Director. “Her decades of experience in the classroom and background in theatre for young audiences will undoubtedly bring new and exciting educational offerings to our families and our region.”  

“I am thrilled to join the FPCTA team on their mission to enrich the lives of children and families through arts education.” stated Taylor Bogan. “I am excited to share my knowledge and passion for the arts with the greater Huntsville community. I am honored to continue a legacy of high-quality arts education experiences at FPCTA.”

Taylor Bogan is an actor, singer, director, and arts educator who grew up at the New Jersey Shore. She began her career at seven, auditioning for film, tv, and theatre in New York City before attending the Performing Arts Academy High School as an acting major. In 2013, Taylor received her B.A. in Theatre and Minor in Musical Theatre from Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey. In the following years, Taylor toured as a vocalist with Australian music artist Turk Tresize, Co-hosted a video blog series, worked as a freelance voiceover artist, and performed at various theatres in the tri-state area. While continuing to audition and perform, Taylor co-founded the JoiStar Summer Intensive, a triple-threat summer arts camp for students of all ages, which ignited her passion for teaching. In 2016, Taylor became the Vocal Director of Manasquan Music & Dance Academy, where she coached the award-winning children’s vocal team, The Vocal Stars, taught various voice and acting courses, and served as Studio Manager. In 2022, Taylor received a Dual Track M.F.A. in Theatre for Young Audiences (Directing concentration) and Acting from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa. While studying in Hawaii, she was an Acting Lecturer at the university, teaching Intro to Acting, World Theatre, and Acting for TV & Film. Taylor was a Jim Rye Fellow at the International Performing Arts for Youth Conference and has been an invited presenter at the Hawaii Book and Music Festival, and Artists Meet Early Years, Italy. Taylor has received the John Young Scholarship in the Arts, the Glenn Cannon Award for Excellence in Acting, and the Tara Montgomery Award for Excellence in Theatre for Young Audiences. Most recently, Taylor was teaching middle school theatre arts courses in Las Vegas, Nevada. Favorite productions include Interstellar Cinderella (Director/Cinderella), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Olive Ostrovsky), and Eddie Wen Go (Assistant Director). Taylor’s passions in the arts include social-emotional learning, devised theatre, and accessible arts education for everyone.

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FPCTA’s 63rd Season of four productions features three world premieres, A Christmas Carol, Rapunzel & the Beanstalk, and Space Monkeys! The Adventures of Baker and Able, and The Jungle Book. Season subscription packages and renewals for the 63rd Season are on sale and can be purchased online at: fantasyplayhouse.org/ticket-information or by calling the main office at 256-539-6829. 

Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater and Academy (FPCTA) provides theatre arts access through production, education and outreach, reaching more than 31,000 residents annually, including 21,000 children and youth. FPCTA enriches the lives of children and families through theatre and arts education, encouraging students to become self-confident, academically successful, creative-thinking citizens who are more likely to invest in their communities as adults. FPCTA’s core programs include live children’s theatre productions, classes, camps, private lessons, workshops, and educational outreach through after school theatre classes and In-school touring programs. Recognizing the transformative power theatre arts can have in the life of a child, FPCTA prioritizes theatre arts access for all by engaging local underserved communities.

FPCTA is supported in part by the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the City of Huntsville Arts and Cultural grant program. Season support by Redstone Federal Credit Union and The Daniel Foundation.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - State Senator Tom Butler (R) Madison, State Senator Sam Givhan (R) Huntsville, and Rep. Howard Sanderford (R) Huntsville, along with members of the Alabama Mountains Rivers Valleys (AMRV) Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council recently announced a $25,000 grant to Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy (FPCTA). 

The AMRV RC&D grant helped launch the FPCTA Technical Theatre STE(A)M Lab. The lab will provide students with hands-on learning opportunities to master the basics of technical theatre including: color theory, sound engineering and design, lighting design, rigging, set and costume design.  

The funds were used to purchase a teacher workstation and multiple student workstations which consist of equipment such as: computer towers, monitors, microphones, tablets, sound mixers, and software. 

Sen. Butler thanked FPCTA for taking the initiative to seek funds and support, providing additional tools to help mentor younger generations that are interested in art and production. 

“I’m happy to see that these funds are going to Fantasy Playhouse,” said Butler, “They have a wonderful program and I look forward to seeing all of their continued progress and success.” 

Sen. Givhan commended the FPCTA staff for all their hard work and thanked RC&D for the funding. 

“We see that your program is continuing to grow and as more young people walk in your doors, it’s just an opportunity to teach them STEAM skills that are in high demand in North Alabama,” said Givhan, “We like working with RC&D to invest in the future and believe this will have a lasting impact.” 

Rep. Howard Sanderford said the technical theatre learning lab was impressive. 

“I want to also thank you for your presence in the area because you touch several counties with this program. There is a lot going on here and you are working in many areas to serve the community,” said Sanderford. 

FPCTA Executive Director Karen Mockensturm said she is excited to use the technical theatre learning lab and provide industry level performing arts education.

“We’ll be able to teach audio engineering, sound design, set design, color theory for costume design and many other skills with this equipment,” said Mockensturm, “I would like to thank RC&D and the Madison County legislators for all their support in helping to fund this program and other programs we’ve offered over the years.” 

FPCTA provides theatre arts access through production, education, and outreach, reaching more than 31,000 residents annually, including 21,000 children and youth. 

FPCTA enriches the lives of children and familie through theatre and arts education, encouraging students to become self-confident, academically successful, creative thinking citizens who are more likely to invest in their communities as adults. 

FPCTA’s core programs include live children’s theatre productions, classes, camps, workshops, fine arts preschool program, and education outreach through after school theatre classes and In-School Touring programs. 

The RC&D program was established by the Agriculture Act of 1962 to provide a program that empowers rural people to help themselves. RC&D areas include adjacent counties that have substantial natural resources to use for economic improvement and community betterment. 

There are eight RC&D councils throughout the state. RC&D Councils in Alabama or non-profit, tax-exempt organizations within the state that are designated 501(c)(3) entities by the Internal Revenue Service. AMRV RC&D serves Cullman, Morgan, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Dekalb, and Jackson counties. 

RC&D Councils are made up of citizens in the RC&D area who want a better life for themselves, their children, and future generations. RC&D Council representatives and alternates are volunteers who assist RC&D. 

For more information about the AMRV RC&D program, please visit: https://amrvrcd.org. 

Back Row L to R: Leah Snowman, Sen. Tom Butler, Renona Seibert, Jacina Swinehart
Front Row L to R: Dana Clark, Candice Cooper, Rep. Howard Sanderford, Karen Mockensturm, Sen. Sam Givhan, Marcus Garner, Andrea Boswell, Maegan McLaughlin

(Huntsville, AL) - This September, Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy (FPCTA) will expand its educational programming to include a new fine arts preschool pilot program. FPCTA’s Fine Arts Preschool Program will specialize in early childhood development through the arts while helping to meet the demand for quality childcare in the North Alabama area. The specialized program will combine theatre arts learning, early childhood educational benchmarks, and STE(A)M. Through this unique program, young imaginative minds will be guided through a creative arts based foundation for academic success and early reading engagement in preparation for Kindergarten. Curriculum includes acting classes, creative movement, music therapy, yoga, mixed media processing, developing critical thinking skills, and more. 

FPCTA welcomes Maegan McLaughlin as the Preschool Education Coordinator to lead this new program. McLaughlin, a native of Huntsville, has worked as an educator in the area for over a decade. Along with her years in the classroom, McLaughlin is a board certified music therapist, and in recent years has served on the part time teaching staff for FPCTA including the Fantasy in the Classroom initiative working with teachers and students of all ages in Madison City, Madison County, Athens City, and other Title 1 schools. McLaughlin brings her niche experience in early childhood development not only from her educational training and teaching credentials, but also from growing up through FPCTA and working with their original teen acting troupe, The Fantasy Players. McLaughlin says, “FPCTA has always held a special place in my heart. I look forward to many more wonderful years of working to bring laughter, joy, and theatre through enrichment to the Tennessee Valley as the Preschool Education Coordinator.”  

Registration for FPCTA’s Fine Arts Preschool Program is available now. Parents can register via phone or in person. Classes meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m. Tuition is $140/week. The program is set to start on September 7. For more information, visit FantasyPlayhouse.org/fine-arts-preschool.

Space is limited for this new Fine Arts Preschool pilot program with a plan for expansion at the forthcoming new home of FPCTA on their new Terry Heights property in Huntsville. Early childhood teaching facilities, playgrounds, and activity spaces for all FPCTA programs are detailed through the Spotlight on the Future campaign. To learn more about this capital campaign or to learn about legacy giving and sponsorship opportunities, please visit FantasyPlayhouse.org/Spotlight-Campaign.

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Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater and Academy (FPCTA) provides theatre arts access through production, education and outreach, reaching more than 31,000 residents annually, including 16,000 children and youth. FPCTA enriches the lives of children and families through theatre and arts education, encouraging students to become self-confident, academically successful, creative-thinking citizens who are more likely to invest in their communities as adults. FPCTA’s core programs include live children’s theatre productions, classes, camps, workshops, fine arts preschool program, and educational outreach through after school theatre classes and In-school touring programs. Recognizing the transformative power theatre arts can have in the life of a child, FPCTA prioritizes theatre arts access for all by engaging local under-resourced communities.

FPCTA is supported in part by the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the City of Huntsville Arts and Cultural grant program. Season support by Redstone Federal Credit Union.