Imagination Stage

This place is a gem for children. I took a large group there and you would be wise to secure parking before you think about going to Bethesda.
Most of the streets are either metered or No Parking.

I’ve been a fan for several years and over nearly two dozen shows. Stage design, acting, music, production are consistently great to excellent, and there’s always a dimensions that appeals to parents. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 3 years ago was phenomenal– of course a winner of many awards. One more reason to appreciate them — they quickly refunded a purchase made in error! Oh, and their gift shop is terrific, especially for gifts and costumes.

Such a wonderful place. Been to two of the shows for the younger kids, and my kids loved both (Blue and Aquarium). Really interactive and keeps the kids entertained for the entire show. Online ticket ordering is easy.

EXCELLENT!!! An amazing place for kids and adults. The price seems amazingly low for the performance you get! The actors and actress were amazing Very well done! Look forward to the next performance! Must do for kids!

2 year old activities — park, check; museum, check, done that; aquarium, check, done that a few times and its friggin expensive (parking plus ticket); children’s theater, what’s that??? Oh I’m in for that, love Broadway shows… why not have your kid exposed to theater too? Wish I had these when I was a kid!
Went here on a cold winter day with my 2 year old and his friend to watch «Wake Up Brother Bear». The theater setup was perfect for little kids as we all sat around the stage in a circle, kinda like in elementary school story time. Except this experience was different. It was real theater, with real actors! What’s different here is that the kids get to interact with the show and be a part of it. It’s really cute and some kids are more willing to interact with the actors than most. You see a range of 1 year olds to 5 year olds. The show itself was awesome as you get to see two bears, one sister bear and one brother bear go through the seasons together. In the beginning, there is a heap of blankets in the center and you don’t realize it until the show starts that Brother Bear is underneath! Brother Bear gets wakes up out of his hibernation stage and then the adventure begins. Kids get props to use during key moments in the show and every kid was pretty much engaged the entire time.
My 2 year old loved it as well as his 3 year old friend. We liked the show so much we signed up for a different one called «Inside Out», which was also really good. Its a good time for adults to enjoy with their kids and definitely rewarding to see your kid’s eyes light up with excitement as the use their imagination. Can’t say anything bad about the production or the theater at all. There are other classes that I saw going on as well if you want to sign your kids up for them. Not sure what they were, but I’m assuming its related to playing games, puppets, or anything theater related.
Definitely recommend this for the parents that have a 2 –5 year old. I personally think a 1 year old is too young for this but they do have some. Just seems more fitting for a kid over 2 though so that he comprehends what’s going on and can discuss it with you afterwards. I still get so happy when my 2 year old re-​enacts moments in the show and still remembers that we took him. Must go! I’m sure they have other shows, but kids shows is all I know, sorry!
The Good:
— theater concept of kids sitting around in a circle right near the action is genius
— tickets are reasonable, $ 12 bucks I think per ticket
— you can sit right behind your child, which gives them sense of security
— theater seats for those who are uncomfortable sitting on the floor
— great actors and well produced shows, great live music that supplements the show masterfully
— professional staff
— free parking on weekend in the garage, short walk
— great for 2 – 5 year olds for the shows, not sure about the classes
— build lasting impression on your child that helps them explore their creativity and imagination, just a great outing that substitutes for a day at the park or museum
The Bad:
— shows not good for 1 year old, your child may cry or not really comprehend anything yet
The Ugly:
— nothing to report, I love this place. Ready to go back soon!

This is our favorite children’s theater venue in DC area. If you are looking to introduce your kids to drama, fine arts and music in a playful manner — this is a place to start. Imagination Stage offers early childhood classes and performances. They have amazing puppetry, thus making their plays so attractive for the young ones. In addition to early childhood groups, there are classes for elementary– and middle school aged children, as well as camps.
We have been attending their plays since our was three years old. He still talks about «Seussical the Musical», although lately he also fell in love with «101 Dalmatians.» This theater hires top notch actors who are often seen in the DC area theater scene.
A few years back IStage started a sensory-​friendly performances program, targeting young audiences with special needs. The lights are dimmed, children get plenty of warning whenever anyone is approaching them, and there’s a quite room in case kids get overwhelmed. This program was developed in collaboration with multiple special ed professionals, thus making every child feel included and welcome.
Finally, tickets are reasonably priced and great parking! What’s not to love?:)

This place is super ! We went to a show today, and I was just as delighted as my two kids were with the performance. In addition to great shows for toddlers and children, they offer fantastic classes. There’s great street and garage parking, the staff are super pleasant, and the prices are very reasonable. A great choice choice for a Sunday afternoon.

Quality, imaginative children’s theater. Took my 2yo to see «Aquarium» which just ended its run. The actors performing were young, committed and did a great job of engagin the toddler audience (this was a participatory show, as many of the ones aimed at the younger set are). This is a great asset for Bethesda parents of course, but I’ve talked to parents who’ve come from Takoma Park or further. Also nearby is Glen Echo park, with its children’s puppet theater (and Dentzel carousel) — also worth a visit.

We have been to Imagination Stage for a few shows and have loved all of them. The plays are well organized, very entertaining, educational, affordable, and just altogether magical. There is not a bad seat in the house and I always leave with a smile on my face. I highly recommend going to any show.

High quality professional shows for children! My son has loved the shows that we have seen there together. They offer a large range of classes for children, too, taught by local theater professionals.

We’ve seen many shows here (no classes). As a children’s theater it’s first rate. Great seating with wide aisles for easy ingress and a quick egress, high chairs, etc. The stage is big and bright. Often kids are invited to sit on the carpet up front. There is nice café and gift shop as well.
The perfomances have steadily improved, but sometimes lazily staged, making it harder for the kids to understand what is going on. Actors may be on a plane with only someone holding up a model airplane to connote the mode of travel. Scenery is sometimes left unchanged. A WWI trench served as the backdrop for not only the war, but a child’s bedroom and the jungle in a production of Dr Doolittle for example.
These quibbles aside Imagination Stage is a fun, entertaining venue to see children’s shows. A little bit more attention to how to communicate the story to younger minds is all that’s missing.

A great stage for a student crowd. On Fridays, the actors stay for post-​show interviews. This was a hit with my students. The staff is really attentive here; we were ushered in orderly, and left the same. Everything was organized. The one hang up was that it was FREEZING in the theater. Just have your kids bring a sweater just in case.

Top notch. It’s organizations like this that make me happy to live in the DC area!
We took my little one to see Roald Dahl’s «James and the Giant Peach» and we all had a great time. As a testament to the power of live theater and the actors, when I asked my little one whether she preferred the play or the movie she said the play!
She was one of three little attendees invited on stage to participate in the play (during three different parts) — if you want the chance I would recommend having your child sit on an aisle seat near the bottom of a section. We broke that rule after watching three kids turn down the opportunity!
The staff is nice and the offer intermissions during weekend shows (along with free parking). We cannot wait to go back and just saw they released their 2013 – 2014 schedule — tickets go on sale August 12^th. Good stuff!

What a treat!!! We saw Seussical, it was great, but even better is the theater and the presentation. They do it right, everything organized and ready to go, kid-​friendly all the way. No long drawn out pre-​show stuff, they move you right to what you have come to see. Where was this when my kid was young? At least I got to bring her 5 & 7 year olds and their Dad… we had a great time, is perfect timing of 90 minutes, just right to keep kids engaged. We found easy street parking, there are lots of county lots nearby. Couldn’t find on their website or using the recording on the phone how long the performance lasted, need to know how long something runs, please post. The gift shop I hope is open on the weekends, wish I had done some serious shopping there, unique pieces, not bad prices. Now tell me please, that there are blocks of tickets for inner city kids to come and thrill to live performance. Would I contribute some extra dollars to insure that kids who wouldn’t have a chance to see theater otherwise could come to celebrate a birthday? You bet I would.
Would be so easy to provide when there is not otherwise a full house, the most successful actors were inspired as children. Kids need to be exposed to theater whether their families can currently afford the price of a ticket or not. People would contribute, never let a seat go empty.

I guess it depends upon what you see, but we just loved suessical! The performances and costuming were terrific! My girls loved it and so did we.

My kids have taken classes nearly everywhere in the DC/​MD area — and this is the ONLY place they both love. We live a fair distance away (much closer to Musical Theater Center which both kids hated) and have found it to be well worth the trip.
The teachers we’ve had are ALL top-​notch, and the staff couldn’t be any friendlier — either in person or via email. Great service makes happy parents, and great teachers make happy kids. Classes are fun and the kids really learn about acting (and singing, for one of my boys). They love doing their final performances (in-​class for younger ones, on stage for some older ones) and always hate to leave their new friends at the end of a semester.
We’ve been to several of their productions, too, and while they are low-​budget, they are far superior to any children’s plays we’ve seen in the area. Compared to more expensive venues like Olney Theater, this place gets my vote. There’s not a bad seat in the house and the kids (and the adults) really enjoy every performance. I can’t recommend this place highly enough!

Plays! Go see a children’s play here! We try not to miss a show. My 8yo and 4 yo have loved every single thing we’ve seen. The early childhood shows are amazing (worth the difficulty finding their listing on the website!) and an incredible deal. The regular theater shows are just magical, and only a little bit more expensive (esp after the ticket surcharges) than Adventure Theater for a higher production quality at IS. My kids come home from these plays with imagination just overflowing; putting on costumes, dancing, singing…
One other reviewer mentioned Dr Doolittle, so I’ll respond: that one was probably dicey for the 8 – 12 yo set; my 4 yo was totally fine with that production– loved it in fact– but didn’t get anything beyond the superficial (very fun) layers of the story. My 8yo was close to understanding what it meant when symbolic language was used to show that two characters (and a horse) died as part of the frame story. A touch older or more savvy and this might have been a tough show for him. Mom & Dad definitely had the sniffles in that one. point being: It’s HARD for someone else to say what the right show for your child is; look at the reviews, take into account the theater’s suggested ages, but decide for yourself.
Camp! 4yo loves it so far. (one day in.)
Parking is easy, and it’s on a relatively quiet street, at least for downtown Bethesda.

Take every stereotype you think of when you hear «children’s theater» and throw it out the door. This isn’t a silly low-​bar kids’ playhouse. It’s a great theater that happens to be kid-​friendly. I was truly impressed with Imagination Stage’s quality of performance and production. I’m no drama buff, but I thought the show we saw was well worth the price of the tickets and we will definitely return again.
On top of having an entertaining show, talented actors, great costumes and props and scenery, a snack bar, and very nice ushers (most of whom appeared to be special needs – which is great!) the venue itself is great. Wide and shallow, so most sightlines are good (although the first row of the balcony has wires/​railing so that’d be my last choice of seating). There’s even a glass room off to the side where parents can take their kids if they’re having an outburst mid-​show. Next time, I’ll be getting a seat next to that. Nobody gives you the evil eye for having loud kids or bringing a baby in (which I did, since he was basically an immobile blob).
I saw a mix of ages from toddlers to older elementary or so, but I think this is really a great place to bring a whole family of different generations to enjoy a show together.

I thought granddaughter and I had done pretty much all the cool things to do in Montgomery County. I knew her pre-​K had gone to Imagination Stage and her Kindergarten class too – but she and I had never done a class or gone to a show together. Took her to her first class today and was so impressed. It’s quite an operation – class rooms, shop, café and a theater. Granddaughter liked her class. Going to check out more things for her to do in the future – I think she wants to be the next Selena Gomez/​Hannah Montana or whatever.

Are you a toddler?
Do you like using your imagination?
Go see AQUARIUM at Imagination Stage!
I was in town for the weekend and brought my friend and her kids to this amazing show meant for ages 12 months to 5 years. I have never seen anything else like it for this age group. Designed to inspire a child’s imagination, the hour long show is interactive, poetic and absolutely inspiring. The two actors, Hyla and Rex are perfectly cast, and made both kids and adults want to help raise the sun and make the ocean’s waves. It’s a must see.
They also offer classes such as dance, improv, and more for kids of all ages.