The Judy Kafoury Center For Youth Arts Set To Open This Spring

Northwest Children's Theater (NWCT) is moving to Broadway! The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts, lovingly called The Judy, is located at 1000 Broadway in downtown Portland, across the street from the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The Judy will welcome families back to the heart of our city, expand NWCT's mission, and guarantee a magical, inviting space for every child to grow, dream, and develop essential life skills.

What was once a four-screen movie theater is now transformed into a multi-venue arts center for youth. Upon entering The Judy, you will descend the stairs (or elevator) into a grand lobby which houses the entrances to four main spaces: The Stage, The Black Box, The Studios, and The Cinema. With onsite maker space, extensive concessions, and an attached parking garage, this new home will allow NWCT to grow their programs while also providing generous rental and partnership opportunities.

The Stage: The Stage is akin to a traditional proscenium-style performance space. It features 240 comfortable, cushioned bench-style seats to allow families to sit in the configuration that is most comfortable for them. Seats are raked to allow for ideal sightlines no matter where you are sitting.

The first show on The Stage will be Elephant & Piggies: "We Are in a Play!" Written by Mo Willems with music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, this family-favorite features "bestus friends" Gerald the Elephant and Piggie the Pig. Together, they tackle friendship's big questions: What happens when two friends want to play with ONE toy? What DO you wear to a fancy party? And will ANYONE say "Banana?"

Elephant Piggie opens on Saturday, April 29 with shows at 11am and 2pm. Families can stay late or come early for the grand opening event on the same day! The show will continue to run on Saturdays and Sundays through the end of May. Elephant Piggie tickets are available now. The show is most enjoyed by ages 3 and up.

The Black Box: The Black Box is a flexible performance space with up to 120 seats on movable risers that can be configured in a multitude of ways.

Catalyst: NWCT's Youth Company will present Cinderella as the first show in The Black Box! This NWCT original musical tells the story of Cinderella like you've never heard it before. A tap-dancing extravaganza featuring a big-band jazz score by local composer Ezra Weiss, Cinderella explores the challenges of being true to yourself while trying to live up to family expectations. This heartwarming story filled with flashy production numbers and toe-tapping tunes will send audiences home saying, "I just wanna dance!"

Cinderella opens on Friday, May 5 with performances on Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 12pm 4pm, and Sundays at 2:30pm through May 21. Cinderella tickets are available now. The show is most enjoyed by ages 5 and up.

The Studios: There are three studio spaces at The Judy. These flexible rooms will be used for classes, camps, rehearsals, and more! Each room is equipped with built-in sound systems, and two of the three rooms feature high ceilings and basic theatrical lighting.

The Studios will open to children and families on March 27 for Spring Break Camp. NWCT will transform the studios into Wonka's World where campers ages 6 to 12 will experience a world of "Pure Imagination." This scrumdiddlyumptious immersive experience combines adventures, imaginative world-building, and role-playing. Campers will learn theater skills while building confidence and making new friends. Spring Break Camp families will have an exclusive party on the final day of camp to celebrate this sweet beginning!

Spring Break Camp, Spring Classes, and Summer Camps at The Judy are all on sale now.

The Cinema: One of the most exciting additions to NWCT's programs at The Judy is the ability to show family-friendly movies and musicals every weekend! The Cinema, which seats 190 guests, will host Family Movie Nights on Friday evenings and daytime showings on Saturdays and Sundays.

Families and community members will also be able to rent The Cinema for birthday parties and private events.

Concessions: The Judy has a full concessions area, complete with pizza, popcorn, candy, soft drinks, and more. Concessions will be welcomed in all performance areas as well as The Cinema so families can have a full experience when they visit!

Partnerships and Rentals: The Judy is a dynamic youth arts hub, perfect for all organizations looking to produce family-friendly performances. The Judy will allow NWCT to strengthen relationships within the arts community to bring new and innovative, youth-oriented programming to Portland audiences. In addition, organizations can rent The Judy for performances geared toward an older audience, lectures, corporate events, and more!

About Northwest Children's Theater:

NWCT has been a pillar of Portland's creative community for more than 30 years, presenting vivid, engaging, magical plays that kindle a lifelong love of theater. Their doors are wide open to every Portland family, and children are encouraged to see the theater as their own. To NWCT, this means prioritizing the child's perspective and emphasizing representation onstage and off. It means creating a program where no one is ever turned away for lack of funds, with many programs offered free to all, so that economics plays no part in deciding a child's creative trajectory. In a typical year, NWCT offers multiple professional productions, a year-round theater school, hundreds of school partnerships and residencies, and a robust pre-professional training program.

NWCT is committed to the creation of original plays with a focus on stories that eliminate harmful stereotypes and emphasize the joy of imagination and personal empowerment. The theater forms cultural partnerships with other organizations at the creative foundation, so that every facet of creation is informed by multiple voices.

NWCT's Theater School offers camps and classes on weekends and during all school breaks. Camps have a reputation for being challenging, creative, and fun for youth, while being called "laboratories for empathy" by parents. Both onstage and backstage, advanced students build skills and have the opportunity to perform alongside professional performers and designers who double as mentors. NWCT's top-notch instructors and hands-on approach earned them the distinction of Best Performing Arts Camps and Classes in PDX Parent's 2023 Readers' Poll.

Tickets and Register for Classes & Camps: nwcts.org, 503.222.2190, info@nwcts.org