Children's Theatre Association of

Children’s Theatre Association was founded in 1934 when twenty young women saw a need to bring LIVE theater to the children of San Francisco. With the backing of the Junior League and the San Francisco Opera Ballet and under the leadership of its first president, Mrs. Churchill Peters, this nonprofit was established and was able to reach a large number of children by distributing 2,000 tickets to 25 charitable entities. During World War II, CTA suspended its productions in order to fully engage in the war effort by joining the activities of the Stage Door Canteen as well as providing camperships for children’s groups. In 1949 San Francisco Ballet founder, William Christensen, asked the association to sponsor his full production of The Nutcracker and Beauty and the Beast .