Our Mission

Whidbey Children’s Theater ignites creativity, compassion and confidence using the magic of the theater arts.

Our Philosophy

We believe that the performing arts have a valuable place in our community, and that through participation in the arts children will develop their unique selves in an environment that embraces the whole person and emphasizes support, collaboration, and trust. We strive to engage in collaborative efforts with the larger community of arts groups wherever possible and recognize the positive impact such endeavors have on the community as a whole.

Our History

Founded in 1981 by Martha Murphy, Whidbey Children's Theater originated in Martha's home where she taught and presented inter-generational productions that established the foundation of the WCT philosophy.

In 1988, WCT moved to a barn across from Martha's home on Third Street. It became a stage, a classroom, and an important gathering place for Whidbey Youth.

In 2003, parents and community members formed a board of directors and began to grow WCT as a non-profit organization, establishing its own theater through the generous cooperation of the Porter Family, at the Porter Building on Anthes Avenue in the heart of Langley.

As the tenancy of the beloved Porter Building came to a close, WCT began to consider locations that would allow greater financial sustainability and the opportunity to develop and expand its programming to include more children in the world of performing arts. With declining enrollment and lack of funding, the local public school district had been forced to eliminate most of its arts offerings and the two agencies identified that a collaborative relationship between them would offer both an opportunity to fulfill their mission statements and bring a much beloved program to more youth in the Whidbey community.

Thus, in June 2013 a lease agreement was signed between the South Whidbey School District and WCT for the theater's occupancy for the long unused and historic Langley Middle School auditorium and classrooms. As part of the agreement, Whidbey Children's Theater agreed to devise and implement programming that would bring arts opportunities to the schools through art, music, screenwriting, set design, theater tech, and more.

Whidbey Children's Theater is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. We rely on the generosity and shared vision of individual donors, businesses, our families, and volunteers to make our efforts possible.

Visit our SUPPORT US page to find out the ways you can support youth performing arts on Whidbey Island.

Educational Outreach

In 2012, WCT's tenancy of the Porter Building in Langley was ending and we needed a new home that would support a more sustainable future for us. We needed a venue that allowed us to produce plays and musicals but one that also afforded us opportunity to expand our mission into theater classes for the young people in the community who could no longer get it at schools. The venue had to have the added and key ingredient of low rent. Up the hill from the Porter Building, sat an unused and historic theater, belonging to the school district and in need of some TLC, but otherwise vacant.

We crafted a proposal that offered a win-win solution for WCT, the school district, and the community of kids and their families here on south Whidbey: WCT occupies the old LMS theater and adjoining classrooms to implement its beloved program, and offers in-kind theater education and performing arts experiences to the students in the school district in-lieu of rent. A five-year lease agreement was signed July 1, 2012.

Since then, WCT has offered field trips, classes, internships, work-based learning and teacher support activities to over 1600 students, with another 1050 projected this academic year.

WCT also maintains the facility in readiness for school district assemblies, providing a performance ready venue for up to 12 SWSD events per year. $10,000 in grants were won last year to improve the theater for sound and technology.