Broadway Sacramento has been both entertaining and educating residents of Sacramento and Northern California for decades. Though the organization’s stage productions are most visible to the public, its Education and Community Engagement Department’s programs are at the root of its mission.

Broadway Sacramento offers education at all levels, from one- and two-week youth camps to a variety of master classes and workshops, internships and even a professional assistant program for advanced theater students who are interested in theater administration careers. These programs attract instructors from all across the country who are among the most talented professionals in the industry.

Marissa Eng, director of education, notes examples of artists who started as children in the organization’s performance classes, workshops and camps and have gone on to perform on Broadway. “The fact that many of our alumni pursue professional theater careers is a testament to the quality of our programs,” she says.

Eng began learning about arts administration as a career in Broadway Sacramento’s professional assistant program. “Our education programs have a history of fostering the next generation of not only onstage and backstage artists, but also arts administrators,” she says. “Many in our administration started out as interns.”

Community engagement programs include Arts Alive, in- depth educational guides and an accessibility program. Designed to reach people who otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to attend performances due to physical or financial constraints, these programs serve a wide range of communities and often give people their first chance to experience live theater.

“We’re passionate about making sure the stories told on our stages reach everyone,” says Jackie Vanderbeck, director of community engagement and also a former professional assistant. “It’s wonderful to see audiences experience the performing arts for the first time. We’re proud to connect with the Sacramento community to cultivate and nurture artists, industry professionals, and audiences alike.”