Theatre: Youth & Teen

Williamson County Parks and Recreation is proud to operate an exceptional and award-winning Children's Theater program.  WCPR received the Sizzle Award for Best Youth Arts Program in Williamson County in 2019, 2022, and 2023. Also in 2022 and 2023, we were awarded "Most Loved Creative Arts Classes" by Macaroni Kid.  Children can participate in productions, theater classes or workshops offered at several of our various recreation facilities.  



Williamson County Parks and Recreation sponsors these youth theater and children's theater programs, with several audition-based offerings throughout the year:

• Our Star Bright Players Children's Theatre program is for ages 12 to High School Seniors and offers two large-scale musical productions per year in Franklin, in the spring and the fall. Performances are typically in early May and early December.   
• Our theater group for younger performers (2nd through 8th Grade) is the Rising Stars musical theatre program. Rising Stars offers two full productions per year in Franklin in the winter and early summer. For 2024, we are adding a Stars to the East Rising Stars production in the Spring with rehearsals in College Grove and a June performance at the Williamson County Performing Arts Center. 
• Straight to the Stars Youth Theatre  produces a straight (non-musical) play starring High School actors (rising freshmen through graduating seniors) during the summer. This group has done dramas, comedies, and mysteries. 
• Stars to the East - Starting with the Fall of 2023, we are expanding our audition-based Children’s Theatre in the east side of Williamson County! Rehearsals will be at College Grove Artsitorium (CGA) on Mondays and Thursdays with Performances at the Williamson County Performing Arts Center (PAC) in Franklin. Star Bright East (ages 12-18) will have a January production and Rising Stars East (ages 2nd-8th grades) will have a June production.

We also offer the following Classes: Little Stars Musical Theatre Classes (ages 4.5-8) and The STAR (Student Theatrical Arts Resource) Program (ages 7-12) as well as various Summer Camps and Workshops. The Winter/Spring of 2024 brings the addition of Topsy Turvy Light Opera Workshop Classes for teens taught by Franklin Light Opera. Click HERE for more information on our Classes, Camps, and Workshops.

It is our intent to provide a safe and healthy environment for all participants in our WCPR Children's Theatre programs. To enforce this, we have a Code of Conduct. Click HERE to read our Code of Conduct. 

We are thrilled to announce our 2023-24 Schoolyear season of productions! 

For more information on audition-based productions (Star Bright Players, Rising Stars, Straight to the Stars and Stars to the East), please go to our Auditions page. For more information on our class-based STAR program productions, please go to our STAR Program page. 

Want to stay up to date with WCPR's Children's Theatre Programs? 
You can receive knowledge first-hand about any children's theatre auditions, classes or workshops by signing up for our E-News emails. (We suggest selecting "Youth Activities" and "Performing Arts Events.") If you have questions about any of our Children's Theatre programs, please email Alison Worden at alison.worden@williamsoncounty-tn.gov. 

The Williamson County Performing Arts Center