CTW was founded by Barbara Weldon and Lu Sunkel, two Winnetka women who wanted a serious theatre program for their children, much like those available in youth sports. Their vision: to teach and involve children in multiple aspects of theatre - acting, singing, dancing and stage production. 

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 A Christmas Carol, was CTW's first performance, selling out both shows with seats costing $1.

 

Since then, CTW shows have evolved from fairy tales like Rumplestiltskin to Broadway shows like SpongeBob the Musical.

 

Show production has become more sophisticated, from digital backdrops to Peter Pan actually 'flying' and a full scale stage rainstorm during Singin' in the Rain.

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