Stephanie Williams, owner and artistic director of the Drama Learning Center in Columbia, remembers vividly the excitement she felt at seeing her first live theater performance.

“When I was 4 years old, my parents took me to see ‘Dinosaur Rock,’” says Williams. “I was mesmerized.”
In fact, Williams says it was the early exposure to theater her parents gave her that contributed to her career ambitions in theater, as well as her passion for helping others discover the excitement of the stage.

“In this day and age, when technology is everything, it is important to teach children to sit, to watch and to learn,” says Diane Smith, artistic director for Children’s Playhouse of Maryland. “We are developing the next generation of audience members.”

If you’re wondering where to start, begin by introducing your kids to the theater in a fun, informal setting that caters just to them. The following list highlights several such options.

From igniting their imaginations to enriching their lives, the benefits children gain from attending live theater are endless, says Williams.

Rainbow Theatre at Slayton House
Wilde Lake Village Green
Columbia 21044
Phone: 410-730-3987
Web: wildelakecommunityassociation.org
Unique Offerings: Interactive puppet shows and entertainment for children ages 2 to 6.
Upcoming Shows: Carousel Puppets “Circus on Strings,” Sept. 18; Bob Brown Puppets “Monster Madness,” Oct. 23; Uncle Pete with Kids, Nov. 20; Beale Street Puppets “Dig Those Dinosaurs,” Jan. 15.
Times and Tickets: 10 a.m.; $5 in advance, $6 at the door.
“With live theater, you’re giving children a unique experience that’s never the same twice. You can see them get caught up in the magic of watching the puppets come alive. It’s a special feeling they’ll remember the rest of their life.” — Bernice Kisch, Village Manager

Red Branch Theatre Company
Drama Learning Center
9130-I Red Branch Road
Columbia 21045
Phone: 410-997-9352
Web: www.redbranchtheatre.com
Unique Offerings: Engaging kid-friendly productions that include activities such as pre-show pajama parties, arts and crafts, back stage tours, post-show question-and-answer session with the cast and activity books.
Upcoming Shows: “Sleeping Beauty,” Sept. 11-27; “Seussical,” Oct. 9-25; Holiday Musical in December.
Times and Tickets: Weekend evenings and matinees; “Sleeping Beauty”: $12; “Seussical”: $18 adults and $15 students/seniors.
“It’s important to expose the younger generation to theater so they can develop an appreciation for this one-of-a-kind art form that exists just on stage.” — Stephanie Williams, owner and artistic director of the Drama Learning Center

The Children’s Playhouse of Maryland
Community College of Baltimore County Essex Campus
7201 Rossville Blvd., J Building Lecture Hall
Baltimore 21237
Phone: 443-840-ARTS (2787)
Web: www.ccbcmd.edu/performingarts/childrensplayhouse.html
Unique Offerings: Performances feature youth performers ranging in age from 5 to 18 who are producing musicals for young audiences.
Upcoming Shows: “Oliver!,” Oct. 17-Nov. 1; Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” Dec. 5-20; “Captain Louie,” March 6-20, “Big River,” May 8-23.
Times and Tickets: Times vary; all seats are $10.
“For igniting a child’s imagination and intellectual development, there’s not much a parent can do that’s more effective or more satisfying than encouraging an active, ongoing involvement in theater.” — Anne Lefter, Director of Performing Arts at The Community College of Baltimore County

Pumpkin Theatre
Hanna Moore Theatre at St. Timothy’s School
8400 Greenspring Ave.
Stevenson 21153
Phone: 410-828-1814
Web: www.pumpkintheatre.com
Unique Offerings: New productions with eye-catching sets and costumes and rollicking staging all geared toward families.
Upcoming Shows: “Pinocchio” Sept. 26-27, Oct. 3-4; “Sleeping Beauty” in Dec. 5-6, 12-13 & 20; “A Winnie-The-Pooh Birthday Tail,” Feb. 13-14, 20-21; “The Frog Prince,” March 20-21, 27-28; “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” May 16, 22-23
Times and Tickets: Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.; $12 in advance, $13 at the door. Subscriptions available.
“One of our goals is to create the next generation of audience members. We know they will be able to think more creatively because they learned to keep their imaginations alive and active by experiencing quality theater.” — Jimi Kinstle, artistic director

Arts On Stage, Ltd.
At Goucher College in Towson and The Chesapeake Arts Center in Brooklyn Park
Phone: 410-252-8717
Web: www.artsonstage.org
Unique Offerings: Performances include theatrical plays, music, dance, drama and storytelling for preschoolers to high schoolers. Includes study guides, audience participation and question-and-answer sessions.
Upcoming Shows: “Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe,” Oct. 1; “Stone Soup,” Oct. 27, “Apollo: to the Moon,” Nov. 4, “Thunderbird American Indian Dancers,” Nov. 12; “A Christmas Carol,” Dec. 16; “Holiday Tales,” Dec. 17.
Times and Tickets: 10:15 a.m. and noon; $7 per student and chaperone, teachers are free.
“In today’s visual culture it is extremely important that we fill children’s impressionable minds with good educational media and nothing can do that quite like live, professional theater. It also gives kids a chance to practice good public social behavior and etiquette.” — Leslie Fowler, founder and president

Imagination Stage
4908 Auburn Ave.
Bethesda 20814
Phone: 301-280-1660
Web: www.imaginationstage.org
Unique Offerings: Onsite café serving organic food, gift shop. Premiering a theater series for ages 2 to 4 in January.
Upcoming Shows: “Ferdinand The Bull,” Sept. 26-Nov. 1; Disney’s “Mulan,” Nov. 25-Jan. 10; “Peter and the Wolf,” Feb. 3-March 21.
Times and Tickets: Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., some Saturday morning shows, and weekday morning shows; tickets range from $10 to $21.
“The habit of theater-going, beginning as early as possible, helps children grow their problem solving skills, develop moral values, empathy and a blend of logical and intuitive thinking that will serve and inspire them throughout their lives.” — Janet Stanford, artistic director

Candlelight Concerts Family Series
Smith Theatre
Howard Community College
10901 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia 21045
Phone: 410-997-2324
Web: www.candlelightconcerts.org
Unique Offerings: Diverse performing art concerts for families.
Upcoming Shows: Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Oct. 25; “Stellaluna,” Nov. 29; “Hansel and Gretel” by the National Marionette Theatre, Dec. 13; “Papageno!,” Jan. 24.
Times and Tickets: Times vary; $9 in advance, $10 at the door.

MORE SHOWS!
• Lord of the Flies, Sept. 16-17 Olney Theatre Center, Olney 301-924-3400 – www.olneytheatre.org
• Tales from the Past, October (dates TBA) Toby’s Dinner Theater, Columbia 410-381-0700 – www.tobysdinnertheatre.com
• Fiddler on the Roof, Oct. 20-Nov. 1 The Hippodrome Theatre, Baltimore 410-837-7400 – www.france-merrickpac.com
• Cinderella, Oct. 30-Dec. 20 Spotlighters Theatre, Baltimore 410-752-1225 – www.spotlighters.org
• Wizard of Oz, Nov. 13-15 Lyric Opera House, Baltimore 410-685-5086 – www.lyricoperahouse.com
• Miracle on 34th Street, Nov. 20-Dec. 27 Lorenzo’s Timonium Dinner Theatre, Timonium 410-560-1113 – www.timoniumdinnertheatre.com