About Optimist
Optimist Theatre began as Midwest Children’s Theatre (MCT). MCT has been providing arts and education programming as a 501(c)3 corporation since 1993. We’ve served over 33,000 students and community members in schools, libraries, and communities from Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois to Virginia and Washington DC.
Our History:
In a cheap pizza joint in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 1992, four friends met to plan the next course of their lives. They wanted to use their theatre skills and their passion for education to make the world a better place. The result was Midwest Children’s Theatre, the forerunner of Optimist Theatre, and our first touring school show, “The Magic Library”.
Since then, we’ve reached over a hundred schools, libraries, and community groups with more than three hundred performances of more than a dozen projects. From a one-person interactive performance in a local grade school to an elaborately produced play in a 1200 seat auditorium, we’ve worked to enrich the spirit and capture the imagination of our audiences.
In 2010, we created Milwaukee's first free Shakespeare in the Park. Our production of The Tempest, starring James Pickering as Prospero, was a popular and critical hit and marks the beginning of a new era for Optimist.
2013 marks a big move for Optimist Theatre. After 3 successful seasons of being gifted with green space on the campus of Alverno College, Shakespeare in the Park is moving to a real park! Our new partners, the COA Youth and Family Centers, has invited Optimist Theatre to perform in their brand new amphitheatre in Alice Bertschy Kadish Park.
Thank you, Alverno College. This evolution of free Shakespeare in the Park would not have been possible without your support.
Our Mission:
We believe that the theatrical arts broaden and enrich those parts of our minds and spirits that are most essentially human. Optimist Theatre is driven to reach artists and audiences across the economic, ethnic, and experiential landscape. We educate, entertain, and inspire through creative works of artistic integrity.
Our Goals:
- To create theatre that is imaginative, dynamic, and of the highest professional caliber
- To celebrate the talents of the artists who create our work, to encourage creative collaboration within the company, and to treat our colleagues with dignity and respect
- To serve as a “gateway” theatre, bringing new audiences to the arts
- To create art that is accessible, financially, geographically, and culturally, to all people in our community, and to celebrate diversity in hiring, casting, and marketing
- To be financially responsible, maximizing in-kind and volunteer contributions and implementing innovative, aggressive grass-roots fundraising campaigns
- To add to our community’s cultural footprint, making the city an attractive place for entrepreneurs, professionals, and businesses.
