General   Information

Express Children’s Theatre’s growth provides a context that illustrates the demand for quality children’s programming in Houston and beyond.  Founded in 1991 by Y.A. Bagersh, a visionary, young Ethiopian actor and director, Express reached about 3,700 children with one play. In the next season, five plays increased bookings by over 400%, reaching over 13,500 children. Growth since that time has been steady.  Each season Express averages 260 performances reaching about 75,000 children.  Express Children’s Theatre has become a mature organization with a loyal following in schools and community organizations in Greater Houston and beyond. Programming has adapted and expanded to meet the ever-increasing demand for quality theatre arts designed specifically for children and families.

Express has been a member of Texas Commission on the Arts’ Touring Roster and company in residence at Houston Community College since 2002.  Express serves primarily children from Houston and within a 60 to 90 mile radius of the city.  Education programming is offered for children aged 4 through high school.  At least two productions each season are bi-lingual, English -Spanish. Express Children’s Theatre has always taken a truly multi-cultural approach to children’s theatre and we pride ourselves on our inclusiveness. Over the past few seasons, additional funding has allowed us to offer shadowed performances for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.  

Express has been the proud recipient of two Austin Circle of Drama Awards, three B. Iden Payne awards for children’s theatre, and a cover story in Stage Directions magazine.

Board of Directors
Marsha Penn, President
Jagi Chandnani, Vice President
Sanat Parikh, Vice President
Virginia Russell Kurtz, Secretary
Joshua Wannarka, Treasurer
Anna Pearl Barrett
Beverly Brannan
L. Scott Brogan
Margot Charles
Peter Garcia
Dallas S. Jones
Prashant Munshaw
Sally Ramsay

Staff
Patricia A. Silver, Executive Director
Tracey E. Wheat, Program Director
Benito Vasquez, Production Manager
Nick Lewis & Cherita Judson, Marketing Associates
Marshi Young, Office Manager
Clay Ratcliff & Julia Becker, House Managers
Virginia Lang, Development Associate

Major Contributors
Houston Arts Alliance
Miller Theatre Advisory Board
Texas Commission on the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
Houston Endowment Inc.
The Meadows Foundation
The Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts
The Brown Foundation
The Wortham Foundation
The Humphreys Foundation
Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation
Ray C. Fish Foundation 
Kusum Family Foundation
Kinder Morgan Foundation
Target
The Express Children’s Theatre Board of Directors

Express Children's Theatre
446 Northwest Mall
Houston, TX 77092
(713) 682-5044

expresstheatre@sbcglobal.net 

Express Children's Theatre is Company-in-Residence at
Houston Community College Central Fine Arts Department