Our History

Park Playhouse was founded in 1989 as an organization to produce free outdoor summer theatre in Albany’s Washington Park. In 1995, under the direction of Mayor Gerald D. Jennings, the Park Playhouse II Youth Theatre Training Summer Program was created to help train the area’s next generation of theatre artists. Park II productions were held at 5pm on the Park Playhouse stage in the summer ahead of the professional MainStage production. Over the next two decades, Park Playhouse II flourished under the tireless dedication of Director of Education, Shirley Arensberg. In 2006, in an effort to bring theatrical training to young students in the Albany area, a Park Playhouse after-school program was created in the City School District of Albany.

In 2010, Park Playhouse hired Owen M. Smith, a graduate of Park Playhouse II, to come on board as the new Producing Artistic Director of the company. In addition to enhancements in the quality of the professional summer productions, great strides were made in the area of arts education. The Park Playhouse Kids summer training program began, serving students ages 9-12. Park Playhouse II expanded to a prime-time summer performance opportunity in Washington Park in 2012. In 2013, Park Playhouse began offering theatrical classes for students ages 10-18 to the public at various venues throughout the region. In that same year, the Scholastic Touring Program began, taking professional Theatre for Young Audiences musicals into schools each year, serving over 25,000 students annually.

In 2017, in celebration of the company's 30th Anniversary, Park Playhouse expanded its’ offerings, with professional productions being performed indoors at the historic Cohoes Music Hall in addition to Park Playhouse in Washington Park. The company rebranded as Playhouse Stage Company in 2019 with the mission to provide artistic and educational services to the entire region, with headquarters in Cohoes, NY alongside a continued, robust presence in the Capital City of Albany with the company producing full seasons of professional musicals annually, at venues Park Playhouse and Cohoes Music Hall. Park Playhouse II became Playhouse Stage Academy, under Director of Education AshleySimone Kirchner. Playhouse Stage Tykes was introduced in 2019, a summer program for students ages 5-8 and year round classes were expanded to serve students 5-18.

Playhouse Stage Academy now offers the region’s largest pre-professional theatre training program for students ages 5-18. Playhouse Stage Academy produces multiple productions annually at Park Playhouse and Cohoes Music Hall in addition to a year round, multi-discipline slate of classes, allowing students to engage in in-classroom theatrical education opportunities alongside their performance experiences.

In 2021, Playhouse Stage Company announced the grand opening of Playhouse Stage Studios, a rehearsal and theatrical education space in Cohoes. In 2023, School Time Theatre for Young Audiences performances began at the historic Cohoes Music Hall, welcoming students from across the Region to a historic theatre venue to enjoy both pre-professional and professional musicals.

Playhouse Stage Academy remains proud of its rich history and looks forward to a bright future yet to come!