Once upon a time...
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All-of-us Express Children’s Theatre began in March 1989. Founder Evelyn Weymouth had been bringing children’s drama to the greater Lansing area, teaching classes, performing, and directing. Her dream was to have a theatre company that produced theatre for children, by children. Ultimately, eighteen people showed up to an organizational meeting on March 30, 1989, and the company was born.
Auditions for the first production, Winnie-the-Pooh, were held in October 1989. AECT was off and running! |
Evelyn Weymouth
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1990-2001
AECT's Logan Square space
The Little Mermaid, 2001
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For the first five seasons, AECT did three shows a year and toured with a summer program called Storybook Story Theatre. The sixth season brought more growth, and the company now produced four shows and three touring groups that went to schools and presented folk tales in story theatre fashion.
The next few seasons featured five shows and three touring companies, and added collaborations with Lansing's Riverwalk Theatre. In need of a larger, permanent space, AECT moved to a space in Holt at the beginning of the tenth season in 1998. Three years later, the company moved again, beginning its thirteenth season in a much larger space in Lansing’s Logan Square Shopping Center. September 11, 2001 fell between auditions and first read for the fall show. In alignment with many other organizations, AECT leadership decided that the show must go on. Cast and crew lit a candle and participated in the national moment of silence during first read. |
2002-2009
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AECT continued to grow, bringing in a full-time Executive Director in 2002 and adding an Executive Assistant the following year. As the decade progressed, however, an increasingly difficult economy and drastic reduction in funding for the arts caused the company to reduce staff. Evelyn retired from her position as Artistic Director in 2007, and AECT alumna Miranda Hartmann was hired. Miranda kept the program going strong and began officially codifying the Guild Crew requirements.
The company continued producing multiple shows a year, even when faced with continued economic challenges and the need to reduce paid staff during the twentieth season. At the end of 2009, the Board of Trustees voted to enter into an agreement with the City of East Lansing to allow AECT to continue its mission with more stable financial footing. |
Young King Arthur, 2007
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2009-2019
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, 2015
The Wizard of Oz, 2019
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Since the 2009 agreement, AECT has existed as a program run under the Parks, Recreation & Arts division of the City of East Lansing, while the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization continues to manage fundraising and grant writing efforts.
AECT alumna Sarah Willis was hired as Artistic Director in January 2014. She established the Young Playwrights Festival, a one-weekend production which gave area youth the opportunity to write and produce a play. When Sarah left the company in March 2016, AECT alumna Elizabeth (Liz) Cooke was hired as the new Artistic Director. Liz introduced Studio Classes to the company's offerings, bringing more in-depth theatrical experiences to small groups of experienced actors. She also worked to finalize the Guild Crew requirements, strengthening the Guild Program as a whole. Liz was then joined by Assistant Artistic Director Tristan Tanner, who came on board in 2019. AECT celebrated its 30th anniversary season in 2019, and marked the occasion with a collaboration with Lansing's Riverwalk Theatre on The Wizard of Oz. Also celebrating 30 years, Riverwalk brought adult actors to the Hannah Center stage to work alongside the youth participants. |
2020-present
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At the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, Liz and the rest of the production team made the heartbreaking decision to cancel the production of Fantastic Mr. Fox, which has just begun with First Read. The planned summer show was also cancelled and AECT scrambled to shift gears. Ultimately, Liz successfully steered AECT through three virtual productions during the 2020-21 season, in addition to fully-masked summer camps and productions into the following season. Also during the pandemic, Tristan initiated the radio show version of War of the Worlds as a creative way to offer an immersive playwriting experience with a different mode of delivery.
After successfully overseeing nearly seven seasons at AECT, Liz left for another position in March 2023. Longtime Costumes and Puppetry Crew Head Nina Crumpton stepped in as the Interim Artistic Director and was named the new Artistic Director in July 2023. Tristan Tanner moved on to another position in July 2023 and Blake Weil, an AECT alumnus, was hired as the new Assistant Artistic Director in August 2023. Season 34 brought tremendous growth to AECT, setting records for AECT audience numbers. Three of the company's top four shows in terms of average audience numbers were on stage in 2023, with Frozen Jr. leading the way. Our largest show to date, Frozen Jr. drew nearly 2,200 people to its seven performances, averaging over 300 people at each show! |
The Prince and the Pauper (Virtual Production), 2021
Matilda, 2022
Frozen Jr., 2023
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logo history
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For AECT's first 34 years, the logo featured several pairs of feet sticking out from under a large, floppy hat. The clown feet, ballet slippers, tennis shows, and duck flippers represented the fun and varied roles taken on in AECT productions. When the registered trademark on the original logo was due to expire, AECT leadership decided it was time for an update.
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In 2023, at the beginning of AECT's 35th season, a logo contest was held. Youth participants and recent alumni were encouraged to submit drawings or digital art for a new logo and a fresh look. The winning design, submitted by AECT participant Emily C., instantly evokes theatre and the many emotions the arts can inspire.
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