Cardboard Playhouse Theatre Company in Albuquerque is hosting a 24-hour stream-a-thon this weekend to raise funds for a permanent venue. For years, the theater program has rented studios and performance spaces, but rising costs have made it difficult to continue without a permanent home. “We started Cardboard Playhouse because I thought it’d be a fun project that I could do with my kid. Almost 22 years later, here we are, still having fun doing musical theater,” said Doug Montoya, who co-founded the program with Kristin Berg in 2004. Since its founding, Cardboard Playhouse has produced more than 100 shows and provided opportunities for at least 3,000 young performers to step into the spotlight. “We’re a hybrid of, like, community theater and a theater company, where it’s audition-based. There’s no tuition, no registration, no fees involved in being part of the program,” Montoya said. One of the performers is 9-year-old Jordan Dewey, who has appeared in productions such as “Bugsy Malone” and “Finding Nemo.”“I feel like I can just be myself in shows, like I don’t have to be like who I am, like at school or anything. I can just be what I want,” Dewey said. Dewey dreams of performing on Broadway or becoming an actress and credits the program for helping her get started. “I just love Cardboard Playhouse because Cardboard Playhouse can make me feel like, I just can express my feelings here,” she said. Montoya said the program aims to continue inspiring young people, but operating without a permanent studio has become increasingly challenging. “We could afford to go into the KiMo, South Broadway, Hispanic Cultural Center. Now, we can’t afford to be in there, and they’re not as available as they used to be,” explained Montoya.To address this, the theater company is hosting a stream-a-thon featuring 24 straight hours of live performances online. “We’re hoping that the community will rise up and get us to that goal and we can create Albuquerque’s very first venue that is dedicated to youth theater,” Montoya said. So far, the program has reached 36% of its fundraising goal. The stream-a-thon will be available to watch on online platforms such as YouTube and Twitch from 5 p.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Cardboard Playhouse Theatre Company in Albuquerque is hosting a 24-hour stream-a-thon this weekend to raise funds for a permanent venue.
For years, the theater program has rented studios and performance spaces, but rising costs have made it difficult to continue without a permanent home.
“We started Cardboard Playhouse because I thought it’d be a fun project that I could do with my kid. Almost 22 years later, here we are, still having fun doing musical theater,” said Doug Montoya, who co-founded the program with Kristin Berg in 2004.
Since its founding, Cardboard Playhouse has produced more than 100 shows and provided opportunities for at least 3,000 young performers to step into the spotlight.
“We’re a hybrid of, like, community theater and a theater company, where it’s audition-based. There’s no tuition, no registration, no fees involved in being part of the program,” Montoya said.
One of the performers is 9-year-old Jordan Dewey, who has appeared in productions such as “Bugsy Malone” and “Finding Nemo.”
“I feel like I can just be myself in shows, like I don’t have to be like who I am, like at school or anything. I can just be what I want,” Dewey said.
Dewey dreams of performing on Broadway or becoming an actress and credits the program for helping her get started.
“I just love Cardboard Playhouse because Cardboard Playhouse can make me feel like, I just can express my feelings here,” she said.
Montoya said the program aims to continue inspiring young people, but operating without a permanent studio has become increasingly challenging.
“We could afford to go into the KiMo, South Broadway, Hispanic Cultural Center. Now, we can’t afford to be in there, and they’re not as available as they used to be,” explained Montoya.
To address this, the theater company is hosting a stream-a-thon featuring 24 straight hours of live performances online.
“We’re hoping that the community will rise up and get us to that goal and we can create Albuquerque’s very first venue that is dedicated to youth theater,” Montoya said.
So far, the program has reached 36% of its fundraising goal.
The stream-a-thon will be available to watch on online platforms such as YouTube and Twitch from 5 p.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Sunday.
