Breckenridge’s Backstage Theatre Receives TAFF Grant To Expand and Re-develop KidsPlay Program

TAFF, a Plano, Texas-based family foundation, has awarded a generous grant to the Backstage Theatre in
Breckenridge for the purpose of helping the theatre expand and redevelop KidsPlay, its popular children’s theatre
workshop program.

Children’s workshops have been a cornerstone of the Backstage Theatre’s community involvement.  The
programs were consolidated and re-named KidsPlay in the early 1990's.  According to Backstage Theatre Artistic
Director Christopher Willard, the goal of the KidsPlay program is to grow participation in and instill love of the
performing arts in children.  “We hope to foster curiosity in the arts, develop skills, and along the way, create an
arts patronage and talent base for the future,” Willard states, “but this program has been seriously wanting for a
little help, and the TAFF grant is a very timely and welcome rescuer.”

Formed in 2000, The Andrea Mennen Family Foundation is a private foundation established by Christina Mennen
Andrea to enhance the quality of life and to build a positive foundation for children and young adults to meet and
overcome life’s mental and physical challenges.  The foundation offers support for educational programs like
KidsPlay to afford children and young adults the opportunity to make a difference in their lives and the lives of
others.  The Andrea family, who have a home in Breckenridge, see this investment in the important work of the
Backstage Theatre as way to garner more involvement from the community.  Christina Andrea hopes others
will support the Backstage's efforts.  "Sometimes a little push from one philanthropic person or organization,"
according to Ms. Andrea, "can have a positive snowball effect (no pun intended for Breckenridge snow balls)!"

The $16,000 grant from TAFF will allow the Backstage to expand its KidsPlay program to encompass three
different age brackets (6-9, 10-12, and 13-14) for the Fall and Spring sessions.  KidsPlay will also add two
summer workshop programs that will incorporate music and dance to give children and youth more rounded
instruction in all disciplines of the performing arts.  “I’ve been hoping to create separate age brackets of learning
for quite some time now,” says Willard.  “Having students learn with their peers will allow for more challenging
skill- and age-appropriate curriculum to be introduced that will correspond with the maturation level of the students
in each workshop.”  The TAFF grant will also allow the Backstage Theatre to lower its tuition cost for the
KidsPlay program in order to make the program more affordable to families of varying incomes.  The grant also
means the KidsPlay classes will be able to present performances, free of charge, to their family and friends at
the end of each session.  “All the things we’ve been wanting to do with this program we can now do, thanks to
TAFF.”  The Backstage Theatre is in the process of hiring instructors for the upcoming workshops and will
make announcements soon regarding the individual sessions set to begin in mid-September.  

“We are tremendously grateful to the Andreas for this generous gift,” Willard says.  “It truly is a next-level type of grant that
gives the program a chance to spread its wings and welcome more children to the theatre.  But we’ll need assistance to keep
the program flourishing, and we hope donors will jump onboard to help the program continue to grow.”  The Backstage
Theatre is a 39 year-old arts institution in Summit County.  It is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) whose community programs include
adult and youth workshops, and year-round productions and special events.  The Backstage’s annual Labor Day musical,
a fundraiser for the theatre, will perform at the Riverwalk Center on August 31, September 1 & 2.  You can contribute to
the Backstage Theatre’s KidsPlay program by logging on to www.backstagetheatre.org and clicking on the “Donate Now”
button.