Our Mission
Imagine's mission is to educate and promote personal growth for performers and audiences through extraordinary theatrical experiences.
Our Vision
Imagine will be a prominent, inclusive and respected theatrical organization in Central Ohio. Through artistic and community partnerships and sound financial practices, we will continue to grow our production values and educational experiences.
Our Story
June of 2011 found the cast of The Wedding Singer, already in the middle of the rehearsal process, without a home. Their troupe had disbanded, leaving director Tim Valentine with a show that appeared would not go on. Ed Eblin and Jim Nothnagel, members of the former company assembled the troops and put together a band of theater lovers who would work together to keep the dream going. They also connected with Scot Hafler, owner of Wall Street Nightclub, who liked the idea of having a theater company performing in his venue and opened a door to a wonderful partnership. Stonewall Columbus also offered their facilities to accommodate rehearsals and the cast of The Wedding Singer was again back on track.
On July 11, 2011, Imagine Productions of Columbus was formed as a nonprofit organization with the State of Ohio, and with investment from many of our founding board members, a plan for a new breed of theater emerged. On August 14, 2011, Imagine's inaugural show The Wedding Singer opened to intimate crowds excited about the new venue and fresh feel. In October, Imagine hit the stage to continue a Columbus Halloween tradition with the cult classic Rocky Horror Show. Imagine's first public event was Highball Halloween, where a frozen crowd joined the scantily clad performers in "The Time Warp".
From that first season in 2011 to our fifth season in 2015, Imagine was blessed to call Wall St home. This is where we found our niche as the out-of-the-box, musical-loving community theater, as well as becoming a more active ally in the LGBTQ community. We began our annual fundraising night, Over the Top, as a way to give our members a chance to perform their most loved songs in a comedic cabaret. Some of our most memorable shows during the Wall St era include Avenue Q and Hairspray in 2012, the Central Ohio premiere of 9 to 5: The Musical and Chicago in 2013, La Cage Aux Folles and RENT in 2014, and Dreamgirls and Sweeney Todd in 2015.
When Wall St was forced to close its doors, Imagine moved north from downtown to our next home, Northland Performing Arts Center. We called NPAC home from 2015 to 2018. With a change in venue came new challenges and accomplishments. We were now able to accommodate audiences over 100 people, but lost our intimate cabaret-style feeling. We were able to put on grander musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar and Sister Act in 2017 and Rock of Ages in 2018 and also revisiting some of our favorite musicals in a new perspective including Rocky Horror Picture Show in 2016 and our most popular show to date, Avenue Q in 2018.
In 2019 Imagine decided to reinvent itself again and move back to our roots downtown, this time to the Columbus Performing Arts Center. At CPAC we have been able to combine the best of both worlds, as we can once again have the intimate setting with our audience for our productions like Into the Woods, as well as a conventional stage for productions such as Grease and Carrie: The Musical.
With COVID-19 hitting the world in March 2020, like most other activities, community theater in Columbus shut down and Imagine was left to figure out the next move. Like other theaters, we went into survival mode, hoping to make it through until we could produce musicals again. With the true tenacity of theater lovers, we made plans to stream shows until we could be live once more. While this created a whole new set of obstacles, we were able to continue providing quality theater streamed into homes, including A Broadway Christmas Carol. We were even able to continue our cabaret tradition with Over The Top: In Poor Taste, A COVID Cabaret. Once restrictions were lifted, Imagine began to re-IMAGINE our happy little family. Our return to the stage in the 2021-22 Season is a world premiere production of Second to Sherlock, by a local playwright/composer.
Since inception, Imagine has strived to be an active participant in the Columbus community. We have proudly participated in many events across Central Ohio including the Columbus Pride Parade, the Columbus Arts Festival, Equitas’ Making An Impact and Westerville’s 4th Friday. We have had the pleasure of partnering with groups such as OCTA, Theater Roundtable, Greater Columbus Arts Council, The Columbus Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council. Imagine has partnered with many non-profit companies to help better the Columbus community including Equitas, Stonewall, Kaleidescope, A Kid Again, Mid-Ohio Foodbank, and BRAVO, giving not only monetary contributions, but also volunteering and giving them a platform to reach a broader spectrum of the community.
On July 11, 2011, Imagine Productions of Columbus was formed as a nonprofit organization with the State of Ohio, and with investment from many of our founding board members, a plan for a new breed of theater emerged. On August 14, 2011, Imagine's inaugural show The Wedding Singer opened to intimate crowds excited about the new venue and fresh feel. In October, Imagine hit the stage to continue a Columbus Halloween tradition with the cult classic Rocky Horror Show. Imagine's first public event was Highball Halloween, where a frozen crowd joined the scantily clad performers in "The Time Warp".
From that first season in 2011 to our fifth season in 2015, Imagine was blessed to call Wall St home. This is where we found our niche as the out-of-the-box, musical-loving community theater, as well as becoming a more active ally in the LGBTQ community. We began our annual fundraising night, Over the Top, as a way to give our members a chance to perform their most loved songs in a comedic cabaret. Some of our most memorable shows during the Wall St era include Avenue Q and Hairspray in 2012, the Central Ohio premiere of 9 to 5: The Musical and Chicago in 2013, La Cage Aux Folles and RENT in 2014, and Dreamgirls and Sweeney Todd in 2015.
When Wall St was forced to close its doors, Imagine moved north from downtown to our next home, Northland Performing Arts Center. We called NPAC home from 2015 to 2018. With a change in venue came new challenges and accomplishments. We were now able to accommodate audiences over 100 people, but lost our intimate cabaret-style feeling. We were able to put on grander musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar and Sister Act in 2017 and Rock of Ages in 2018 and also revisiting some of our favorite musicals in a new perspective including Rocky Horror Picture Show in 2016 and our most popular show to date, Avenue Q in 2018.
In 2019 Imagine decided to reinvent itself again and move back to our roots downtown, this time to the Columbus Performing Arts Center. At CPAC we have been able to combine the best of both worlds, as we can once again have the intimate setting with our audience for our productions like Into the Woods, as well as a conventional stage for productions such as Grease and Carrie: The Musical.
With COVID-19 hitting the world in March 2020, like most other activities, community theater in Columbus shut down and Imagine was left to figure out the next move. Like other theaters, we went into survival mode, hoping to make it through until we could produce musicals again. With the true tenacity of theater lovers, we made plans to stream shows until we could be live once more. While this created a whole new set of obstacles, we were able to continue providing quality theater streamed into homes, including A Broadway Christmas Carol. We were even able to continue our cabaret tradition with Over The Top: In Poor Taste, A COVID Cabaret. Once restrictions were lifted, Imagine began to re-IMAGINE our happy little family. Our return to the stage in the 2021-22 Season is a world premiere production of Second to Sherlock, by a local playwright/composer.
Since inception, Imagine has strived to be an active participant in the Columbus community. We have proudly participated in many events across Central Ohio including the Columbus Pride Parade, the Columbus Arts Festival, Equitas’ Making An Impact and Westerville’s 4th Friday. We have had the pleasure of partnering with groups such as OCTA, Theater Roundtable, Greater Columbus Arts Council, The Columbus Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council. Imagine has partnered with many non-profit companies to help better the Columbus community including Equitas, Stonewall, Kaleidescope, A Kid Again, Mid-Ohio Foodbank, and BRAVO, giving not only monetary contributions, but also volunteering and giving them a platform to reach a broader spectrum of the community.