The Theater Bug, founded by Cori Anne Laemmel, is a Nashville nonprofit dedicated to giving young people a complete theater experience while creating a welcoming space where they can grow as artists and individuals. Laemmel discovered her love of theater as a child, finding confidence, lifelong friendships, and a sense of belonging that inspired her dream of creating the same experience for future generations. After teaching with organizations including Nashville Children’s Theatre, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Street Theatre Company, and Metro Arts, she launched The Theater Bug starting as a single spring break program. What she expected to be a small experiment quickly grew when 50 students enrolled, marking the beginning of an organization that continues to expand today.
The Theater Bug serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade through fully produced plays, musicals, one-act productions, and original works. Laemmel wanted audiences to see children’s theater as more than just a cute performance, believing young artists are capable of creating meaningful, high-quality productions. As a lifelong songwriter and writer herself, she also made original storytelling a cornerstone of the organization. Through The Playground, students learn playwriting, collaborate with fellow young writers, and even have the opportunity to see their full-length original plays produced as part of the company’s mainstage season. The program has helped foster a supportive community of young playwrights whose work continues well beyond their time at The Theater Bug.
As the organization continues to grow, its mission remains centered on making theater accessible to every child. Most programming is offered free of charge through community support and fundraising. The Theater Bug is currently more than halfway through a $1 million campaign to build its first permanent theater home. Upcoming performances of “Showmance,” an original production about finding belonging through theater, run July 25 through August 2 at the Roxy Theater at Nashville School of the Arts. With opportunities for young performers to audition, write, create, and return as mentors, The Theater Bug continues to inspire the next generation of artists while strengthening Nashville’s performing arts community for years to come.
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