Creative Arts Theatre & School is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit Texas organization. Donations may be tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Please check with your tax preparer for details.  The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is the national clearinghouse of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States. Click here for our NCCS Organization Profile.

Mission Statement:
CATS' mission is to develop the potential of young people from diverse backgrounds through performing arts training and performance opportunities. CATS is devoted to training, enriching, and inspiring all youth by igniting within them an enduring passion for the arts.

History:
Founded in 1977, CATS is one of the oldest operating youth theatres in the nation and the only youth theatre in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex where youth perform for peers and run the lights, sound, and crew. CATS is a theatre…by youth for youth. Perhaps best known for its rich heritage in theatre education, CATS offers classes year round for children 4-18 and adults in all aspects of theatre education. Classes include Creative Drama, Acting, Musical Theatre, Private Voice, Technical Theatre, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and more. The greatest opportunity that CATS offers to its students is the opportunity to perform in professionally produced productions.

The history of CATS is an extraordinary story of dedication to the goal of bringing performing arts training and live family-oriented theatrical productions to young people and their families in the Arlington-Fort Worth-Dallas area. Under the direction of Zachary and Kathey Ward, both professional performers and educators, a ten-week pilot program during the summer of 1978 offered a limited selection of classes in creative dramatics and acting. Community response was so positive that CATS relocated from its temporary quarters at an Arlington private school to a leased facility where year-round activities began in June of 1979. During its four years there, CATS experienced tremendous growth in both its class enrollments and audience attendance at performances.

In December of 1982, CATS' Board of Directors, along with interested parents and citizens, formed the Arlington Arts Associates, Ltd. to purchase an empty church building at 1100 West Randol Mill Road in Arlington in an effort to insure the institute's ability to continue and expand. In August of 1983 CATS moved into its new headquarters—a facility five times larger than its previous home.

Currently CATS' combined attendance of the CATS Spotlight Series, Summer Shows, Recitals, and touring performances reach approximately 13,000 each year! (Click here for information about ADVERTISING in our Playbills!) The annual CATS Spotlight Series of productions often represent the first contact with live theatre for many children in the expanded Arlington-Fort Worth-Dallas community. With its 328-seat theatre, free off-street parking for patrons, wheelchair accessibility and concession facilities, CATS represents an excellent opportunity for an entertaining family outing.

The success of CATS' programs is ultimately judged by the community response to its classes and shows—and by the successes of its students. Many CATS alumnae have been accepted into prestigious theatre programs at such schools as Florida State University, Southern Methodist University, Boston Conservatory of Music, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

CATS invites schools and daycare groups for daytime shows, conveniently scheduled on the second Thursday of each show at a special discounted group rate. Daytime shows are great for school field trips!