The Imagination Players are a group of 50+ talented area children and teens (ages 7 to 18 years of age) who use song and dance to entertain families in the Wilmington area. A portion of all proceeds generated by The Imagination Players will benefit area children's charities including but not limited to A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, the Ronald McDonald House, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Delaware, and Read Aloud Delaware, as well as national organizations such as St. Jude's Children's Hospital and Alex's Lemonade Stand. This community service based group is a division of Pure Imagination, LLC and was founded by Pure Imagination's founder/owner, Debbra A. Johnson.
To serve Delaware families & children by 1) performing age-appropriate numbers which are entertaining and offer positive messages pertaining to today's youth issues, 2) assisting Delaware youth by raising funds and awareness for area children's charities, 3) to provide a quality performance outlet for talented Delaware-area children -- a forum where they can not only perform and share their talents on a regular basis but to hopefully instill a love of community service and volunteerism at the same time, and 4) teach our young members about the importance of "getting involved". All members of our group are required to participate in at least one "hands-on" community service project each year and are encouraged to research various children's charities and make recommendations to the group regarding possible beneficiaries.
Our goals? To plan one major annual concert event called "For Kids' Sake Follies" which will take place in a permanent theatre venue as a major fundraiser for children's charities. During the rest of the year, we hope to tour a slightly condensed version of our show to different community events as a means of outreach. The youth who perform in The Imagination Players not only contribute to the charities via their talents and performances, but are also required to learn who & what each charity benefits. Any youth member of our organization is also encouraged to recommend a children's charity to receive a portion of The Imagination Players' proceeds.
Currently, all positions within The Imagination Players are volunteer. Proceeds, if any, from appearances will pay for various expenses (sheet music, performance/accompaniment CDs, costumes, props, etc.) and any remaining amount will be donated to charitable children's organizations. At this time, there are no paid staff members. All work involved with The Imagination Players, both by the youth performance troupe as well as the adult artistic team is on a volunteer basis. Youth members of the ensemble pay a one time fee of $75 when they are accepted into the group which pays for their t-shirts, and helps offset the cost of sheet music, rehearsal CDs, costume accessories and other miscellaneous supplies. The membership fee is discounted for families with more than one child in the group.
DEBBRA A. JOHNSON (Founder/Artistic Director)
Deb has been involved in children's theatre in the Wilmington area for more than 15 years. She developed her company, Pure Imagination, LLC in 2003 to provide affordable creative arts services (music & movement, interactive story time, drama, etc.) to youngsters in the Wilmington area. A seasoned actress/singer, she has performed with the Delaware Children's Theatre, the Brandywiners, Ltd., Artist Theatre Association, Candlelight Dinner Theatre, OperaDelaware, Chrysalis Players, and Premier Centre for the Arts. Besides the work she does through her own company, she has also taught The Child Drama Workshops and The Delaware Children's Theatre. She is also proud to be Associate Producer for the Delaware All-State Theatre (sm) where she served as Assistant director of their highly acclaimed 2008 inaugural production of Les Miserables School Edition at the DuPont Theatre and will also be serving in the same capacity for this year's production of West Side Story. She recently directed Big River at The Wilmington Drama League and served as Assistant Director for the Brandywine School District Summer Stock Theate production of Bye, Bye Birdie! in July 2008 and will serve in the same capacity this summer for their production of Honk! Regardless of her many theatrical activities, The Imagination Players are closest to her heart. She resides in the Prices Corner area with her husband of 26 years, Rick, and their two loveble mutts, Mackenzie and Abbey.
KRISTEN LAPORTE (Musical Director)
Kristen is currently a junior at the University of Delaware and is majoring in Music Education and minoring in Disability Studies. She is thrilled to be new to the amazing Imagination Players! Kristen grew up doing musical theater around DE with the Delaware Children's Theatre, OperaDelaware and Cab Calloway (where she graduated high school in 2006). In addition to IP, Kristen also teaches babies and toddlers' music classes through the UD Community Music School and heads up the children's choir at her church.
SARAH NOWAK (Assistant Artistic Director)
In addition to being Assistant Artistic Director for the group, Sarah is also a charter member! Sarah is a senior at Cab Calloway School of the Arts and hopes to pursue theatrical directing in college. She is a veteran of shows at The Delaware Children's Theatre, Wilmington Drama League, and recently appeared in the inagural production of Les Miserables School Edition with the Delaware All-State Theatre. She will be serving as Student Director for the DAST production of West Side Story this summer.
JESSICA BENNER (Lead Choreographer)
Jessie is in her senior year at DeSales University where she is majoring in Theatre. She is a graduate of Padua Academy where she was heavily involved in the music and theatre programs and starred in several shows including West Side Story, Grease, and Jesus Christ Superstar. In addition, Jessie spent many years performing and volunteering at The Delaware Children's Theatre where she appeared in many shows, including starring as Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She has been an invaluable asset to both Pure Imagination and The Child Drama Workshops in her capacity as Assistant Educator.
JENNY TORGERSON (Project Coordinator)
Jenny recently graduated with a degree in Theatre from New York University and just like the rest of her artistic IP colleagues, is a veteran of many shows at The Delaware Children's Theatre, including the title role in Cinderella in 2001. She has enjoyed many summers teaching drama to young students at the Jewish Community Center in North Wilmington. In addition, she has coordinated and directed the Sunflower Benefit Cabaret for the past three years which has raised in excess of $8,000 for the Sunflower Orphanage in Peru. Jenny currently makes her home in Brooklyn, NY, but ventures back to Delaware regularly to help stage numbers for the group and helps to coordinate our performances/activities.
BETTY MOUDY (Founding Musical Director)
Betty is a retired Christina School District music teacher who is still very musically active in the Wilmington area. She currently teaches piano at the Sanford School, as well as privately. She has served as music director and accompanist for many area organizations, including The Delaware Children's Theatre, Chrysalis Players, Candlelight Dinner Theatre, the Brandywiners, Ltd., and Chapel Street Theatre. Betty retired at Musical Director of The Imagination Players in July 2008 and moved to Pennsylvania in October 2008, but she remains dear to the heart of our organization!
THE ENSEMBLE
Many of the children and teens involved in the group are veterans of the Delaware Children's Theatre, Chrysalis Players, Delaware Arts Conservatory, and other performing institutions. Others have been referred to us by choral music directors and teachers, as well as local vocal and dance instructors. When necessary, open auditions are held to fill openings within the group. We keep a balanced number of youth active in the group at all times so that we can work our programs around their many other school, community, and church obligations.
For further information, you may contact Deb Johnson at (302) 463-1792 or email us at
INFO@IMAGINATIONPLAYERS.COM.
