Sarah VC Henderson
Sarah VC Henderson has worked in many theatres throughout the metroplex and across the southern United States. She began her theatre career in eighth grade when a teacher noticed her low self esteem and insisted that she audition for a school production. Sarah refused the offer however the teacher cast her in the show even without her auditioning. Her love for theatre grew from that moment on and she spent many hours of her youth working on productions in high school, college and regional stages. Her first exposure to community theatre was in 2002 when her then four year old daughter requested to audition for a show after a viewing production of "Joseph". Sarah immediately fell in love with the dedication that the actors and technical crew put into this show. Sarah went on to stage manage that production and later became a board member. She has since written curriculum that is used by several theatre companies for children's theatre. She officially opened The ArtCentre Theatre formally Teatro delle Muse in 2006 and served as Artistic Director there until 2010. During her first season as Artistic Director she spear headed the production of four main stage shows, two limited engagement shows, and four productions with an all-children cast. Of these ten productions, four were by local playwrights, four were musicals, and one was produced entirely by volunteers with a zero budget. She taught eight educational classes and raised funds to award fifteen scholarships to children who otherwise might not be able to attend classes in the arts. She developed a model to not only educate students in the arts but offer them opportunities not usually available in professional theatre. It was her vision from the start to offer opportunities for both the student and the professional. That vision was hallmarked by The Glass Menagerie, when The ArtCentre Theatre offered its first Equity Contract.
In spite of such a hectic production schedule, Sarah made it a priority to give back to the community by donating space and time to teach Jump Start for The Arts, an eight week program funded by the The ArtCentre of Plano and the city of Plano that provides free classes in music, dance, visual and performing arts to all children. In addition, two private performances were held exclusively for the foster families of Dallas and Collin Counties, at no charge.
On the national front, The ArtCentre Theatre gained recognition when two of it’s young actors were featured on The Disney Channel singing a song from our very first main stage production. Our educational program has gained recognition beyond Plano, Texas, as well. Sarah personally took two of our students to New York to work on Broadway with Stephen Schwartz.
And as far as recognition and awards go, Sarah made sure the theatre had a great year at home. During our first season we received ten Column Award nominations on the final ballot and won in three of those categories, including the coveted awards for Best Featured Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director of a Musical, the latter of which Sarah was the recipient.
Sarah believes there is no art greater than theatre, since it is a collection of skills that transfer to every aspect of life. "I see it unfold on a daily basis. Right before our eyes, the transformation that takes place in our students is one they will surely remember and benefit from the rest of their lives. Our theatre is a place where memories are made and friendships are formed, that will last a lifetime. There are no limitations in this space. This is the one place where anyone can be anything their heart desires. There is no goal that is unattainable. The stars are within reach to all who walk through our doors! " states Sarah.
Sarah is very excited to have stepped down as Artistic Director in order to have more time to work on the children and young adults productions, her true first love.
