WHO WE ARE
Mission Statement
The Friends of the Palo Alto Children's Theatre is a non-profit volunteer organization that partners with the City of Palo Alto to financially support the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre by providing advocacy, volunteer help, and funds for equipment and educational programs not included in the city budget.
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Board Members: Amit Bhargava, Rene Caissie, Paula Collins, Hillary Goddard, Ruchi Goyal, Laura Lindstrom, Steve Manley, John Mathews, Pooja Oysgelt, Paige Parenti, Shobana Sankaran, Anant Singh, Komey Vishakan
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History
Long before there was a Friends of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre organization, there were friends of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre. Although the Theatre is operated by the City, essentially all of the infrastructure of the Theatre was built from the generosity of community members who gave gifts large and small.
First among the friends of the Theatre was local philanthropist Lucie Stern, who in the 1930s commissioned the building of the Lucie Stern community center, including an auditorium specifically dedicated to be the home of the Children’s Theatre. Over the following years, many parents and patrons volunteered their time and money to help out in the productions of the Theatre.
The Friends of the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre are an essential part of what makes the Theatre a nationally recognized leader in children’s theater, and an important part of Palo Alto culture. We are proud of our long history working with the Theatre, the City, and the community, and look forward to the future!
Palo Alto Children’s Theatre Founder Hazel Robertson