Educational Theatre ELEVATED

Cross Keys Theatre Collective was born out of necessity. When the administration at the vocational school where co-founders Jess and Stephen taught suddenly eliminated funding for the school’s summer production, their students were left without an opportunity to grow over the summer. Rather than accept defeat, they rallied colleagues across education and the professional performing arts to form CKTC — a proud nonprofit fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas — with one goal in mind: the students.

At Cross Keys Theatre Collective we strive to instill in each of our student artists — both on stage and behind the scenes — a deep understanding and love of theatre and stagecraft. With union professionals and seasoned educators working side by side, we’ve created an intensive modeled after a professional theatre company, complete with a live orchestra, professional venue, and a rigorous process that mirrors real industry expectations — from audition workshops on day one, to one-on-one principal coaching, to full ensemble choreography and multi-part singing.

In addition to mounting a full scale musical theatre production, our student artists gain real-world tools including master classes, professional headshots, and resume writing workshops. The goal has always been simple: give young artists the tools, the experience, and the confidence to understand what it truly takes to create art — and to pursue it.