Founded in 1982, our Mission remains to nurture the development of the performing arts through education, and to create, produce, and perform works that engage the entire family. We seek to be a model of excellence in theatre for young audiences and strive to develop new initiatives through the arts, on both the stage and in the classroom, which will enhance and benefit the lives of our young people across the state.

The Growing Stage is a thriving center for the performing arts that engages a community of professional equity actors and artists, community players, students, teachers and families who share in the wonder and enriching environment of theatre. Our company is the only theatre solely dedicated to young audiences in New Jersey that owns its own facility, and the continuing restoration of the historic Palace Theatre has been recognized by both the state and local governments as a catalyst in the revitalization of the re-emerging community of Netcong. We offer children throughout the state, performances on our Main Stage as well as an extensive educational program in our facility. Our touring company travels statewide with our production of Tales from the Garden, a performance piece celebrating the history and lore of New Jersey. Growing Stage programs have become pivotal in delivering arts exposure to underserved students in many schools throughout the Northern New Jersey who would not otherwise be offered live theatre, music and dance.

In 1994 when The Growing Stage purchased our home, The Palace Theatre, the facility was in a desperate state of disrepair. Filled with debris left behind by the bankrupt moving and storage company which owned the property, the only record it found its name on was the “let it burn” list created by the local fire department. Now fifteen 30-yard dumpsters of debris removed; countless volunteer hours; and over $ 1,000,000 raised and invested back into the facility; the Palace Theatre is on the County, State and National Registers of Historic Places. The Growing Stage has not only been seen as a prime example of how the arts can stimulate a local economy and encourage revitalization, but artistically our work in creating professional, quality theatre for young audiences on both the stage and in the classroom has been recognized throughout the State of New Jersey. To date, more than 250,000 people have been exposed to the wonder of the performing arts on our theatre, in their classrooms and gymnasiums.