Centerstage manages The Knutzen Family Theatre

The Knutzen Family Theatre is your community based, professional theatre that has entertainment options for everyone. Spend an evening solving a mystery, or see a good old-fashioned English-style Panto. Bring a date or bring the kids. There's always something worth checking out at the Knutzen.

OUR MISSION: Centerstage Theatre produces quality theatre to entertain and culturally enrich South Sound audiences of all ages, believing that theatre should uplift the human spirit.

OUR VISION: Centerstage Theatre aspires to be a leading theatre in the Puget Sound region, with a reputation for innovative, accomplished productions of popular work and for new work with the widest possible audience appeal.

History

Sharon and Norm Munsey founded Centerstage in 1977. The company performed at various locations, including the Group Health Facility, until the mid 1980's. It was re-born in 1998 with the construction of the Knutzen Family Theatre still under the leadership of Sharon and Norm Munsey. The company also produced smaller cast plays in a 48-seat studio facility at the Spectrum Business Park.

In February 2004, Alan Bryce replaced the retiring Munseys. Centerstage created a strategic plan later that year, re-vamped its artistic policy, upgraded its corporate sponsorship programs and made many moves to firm up its financial status, which included dropping classes from its operation. In 2006, Centerstage produced 4 major shows at the Knutzen Family Theatre, and five in 2007. In the last two years Centerstage has won Best Season, Best New Play, Best Actress, Best Actor in a comedy or musical, Best Director of a comedy or musical from the Tacoma Newspapers.

In recent years, Centerstage has worked with talents as diverse as Martin Charnin (writer and director of Annie on Broadway); European Composer of the Year, Peter Sipos; 5-time Grammy Nominee,John Forster; Karen Archer, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Great Britain, and Amy Engelhardt(Lyricist) writer, arranger and lone female singer with Grammy-nominated vocal "band without instruments," The Bobs.

In 2008 Centerstage presented its Production of Aladdin at the Theatre On The Square in Tacoma. In February 2009, the company's hit show Always Patsy Cline moved to ACT Theatre in Seattle.

Staff

Board of Directors