Orlando Family Stage Receives $500,000 Gift From Dr. Phillips Charities For Centennial Season
Support will expand literacy-based programming and launch the inaugural Florida Children’s Book Festival.
By: A.A. Cristi Jan. 20, 2026
Orlando Family Stage has received a $500,000 gift from Dr. Phillips Charities in support of its Centennial Season Celebration. The gift, awarded across two fiscal years, will fund literacy-focused artistic programming serving youth across Central Florida, with an emphasis on Orange and Osceola Counties, and will support initiatives including the inaugural Florida Children’s Book Festival.
Dr. Phillips Charities has supported Orlando Family Stage for six decades, beginning with its first gift in 1965 to the Central Florida Civic Theatre. To date, the organization has awarded 44 grants to Orlando Family Stage totaling approximately $880,000.
“As we honor 100 years of empowering young people, our Centennial Celebration and inaugural Florida Children’s Book Festival are more than two significant milestones — they are catalysts for our next century,” said Chris Brown, Executive Director of Orlando Family Stage. “By expanding literacy programs and ensuring access through the ‘No Empty Seat’ initiative, we are putting our strategic plan into immediate action.”
“Our support of Orlando Family Stage reflects a longstanding belief in the transformative power of the arts for children and families,” said Ken Robinson, President and CEO of Dr. Phillips Charities.
Funding will support expanded literature-based learning initiatives, including enhanced curriculum resources, in-school residencies, and live performances adapted from children’s books. A central component of the Centennial Celebration is the Florida Children’s Book Festival, scheduled for February 20–22, which will feature author events, interactive literacy experiences, and family programming in partnership with Writer’s Block Bookstore and WUCF.
The festival will also be anchored by theatrical productions adapted from children’s literature. In 2026, Orlando Family Stage will premiere Lilly and the Pirates: The Musical, a newly co-commissioned work. Additional programming includes the No Empty Seat initiative, which will provide free access to live theatre and post-show learning experiences for more than 2,000 students and family members from under-resourced communities.
As part of its Centennial Celebration, Orlando Family Stage will also mark the 100th anniversary of its first performance with a free public event on February 3 at its campus. The morning program will include remarks from community leaders and the launch of a new archival project preserving the organization’s history, followed by a Centennial Open House and Reunion Homecoming.
Through its Centennial initiatives, Orlando Family Stage projects engaging more than 120,000 children and families through theatre, schools, and community settings, while also investing in organizational capacity to support long-term growth and regional impact.SEO blurb:
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