El Paso KIDS-N-CO. was founded in 1988, as a response to the lack of continuing quality theater for the entire family on a year-round basis. The goal was to enhance school programs by offering training and performing opportunities to El Pasos young people, based on ability, not age.
KIDS-N-CO. was founded in 1988 by El Paso theater aficionados Jan Wolfe, Chet Frame and Yvonne Carranza. The goal was to enhance school programs by offering training and performing opportunities to children ages five to 18. The El Paso KIDS-N-CO. Theatrical and Performance Center serves more than 25,000 young people and their families yearly through its five main stage productions, education programs and outreach components. As the only major, non-profit organization in El Paso focusing solely on youth and family theater, KIDS-N-CO. builds bridges of understanding between generations and cultures, instilling an early appreciation of literature, social studies, art and the performing arts in tomorrow’s artists and patrons.
Founded by Jan Wolfe, Chet Frame and Yvonne Carranza, KIDS-N-CO. educates and involves young people of all backgrounds in the theater arts. Through its programs, KIDS-N-CO. fosters self-esteem and self-discovery by emphasizing discipline, integrity, team-building, and communication skills in a positive and creative environment. KIDS-N-CO. promotes access to theater arts for families who do not have regular opportunities to appreciate theater in their lives because of economic, cultural, or other barriers.
KIDS-N-CO. believes that theater provides a unique learning opportunity, which exposes children & adults alike to ideas and imagery that reflect their own experiences and challenge their own understanding of the world in which we live. To this end, KIDS-N-CO. aims to engage and inspire children, and to produce theater that reaches beyond the stage.
Young people are not charged to participate in productions. Budget requirements are met through grants, corporate & individual donations, and other fundraising activities. Funds are used for costumes, scripts, royalties, building material, paint, tools, the monthly lease, utilities, payroll etc.
KIDS-N-CO. programs are made possible through support from the Price's Give 'Em Five Fund, the Robert E. & Evelyn McKee Foundation, CommUNITY en ACCIÓN, El Paso Electric, the City of El Paso Museum and Cultural Affairs Department, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.