Orlando Family Stage Invites a Century of Artists to Come Home

History Harvest on September 27 and new Green Room performance dates reconnect the people who built 100 years of theatre history in Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. (September 10, 2026) – Orlando Family Stage is calling its people back to the building. As the theatre continues its centennial celebration, it is launching two efforts to reconnect with the performers, technicians, staff, volunteers, educators, and audiences who have shaped it since its earliest days as Orlando Little Players, through its years as Central Florida Civic Theatres and Orlando Rep, and today as Orlando Family Stage.

The first is History Harvest, a free community archiving event on Sunday, September 27, presented in partnership with the University of Central Florida’s RICHES Digital Archiving Project. The second is The Green Room, a season-long series of performances that brings Family Stage alumni, UCF Theatre alumni, and the wider Orlando theatre community together to see the work and reconnect with one another.

Both grow out of the theatre’s 100 Year Reunion in February, which brought generations of artists and staff back together for the first time in decades. What that day made clear was simple: the people who made this theatre want to be in the same room again, and their stories are worth keeping.

“A program book can tell you who was in a show, but you’ve got to sit down with the folks who were there to hear what it meant to them,” said Jeff Revels, Artistic Director of Orlando Family Stage. “Get those people back together, and the stories start coming: the nerves before that first entrance, how the backstage crew made it all work, and the friendships that are still going strong all these years later. We want to hold on to those stories and make room for some new ones. That’s how we pass this love of theatre along.”

History Harvest: Your memories are part of our story

Every photograph, playbill, and memory tells part of the story of Orlando Family Stage. History Harvest invites anyone connected to the theatre, on stage, backstage, in the classroom, or in the audience, to bring photographs, programs, and other memorabilia to be professionally digitized while they wait. Original items go home with their owners the same day. Oral historians will also be recording interviews throughout the event, and participants are encouraged to come with a friend or fellow cast member to spark shared stories.

Contributions will join thousands of items already preserved in the Orlando Family Stage Collection, which the RICHES team is currently digitizing, and become part of the RICHES Mosaic Interface, a free online resource that makes Central Florida’s history accessible to students, families, researchers, and future generations.

“The UCF History Department’s Regional Initiative to Collect History, Experiences, and Stories (RICHES) Digital Archiving Project is pleased to be a part of the Orlando Family Stage’s 100-year celebration,” said Dr. Connie L. Lester, Associate Professor of History at UCF and Director of the RICHES Digital Archiving Project. “The RICHES Team is in the process of digitizing the theater’s extensive archive to make it available for public viewing. Sign up to book time with our Oral Historians and record your story about the theater. See you at the History Harvest!”

History Harvest takes place during We Want More History!, a national weekend that encourages communities across the country to collect and preserve local stories.

History Harvest
Sunday, September 27, 2026
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Orlando Family Stage
Free. Scanning appointments are encouraged and oral history interviews require a reservation. Details and sign-up at orlandofamilystage.com.

The Green Room: See the work. Reconnect with colleagues. Meet your next collaborator.

The Green Room performances carry the spirit of the reunion across the entire 2026-2027 season. For one designated performance of each production, Orlando Family Stage welcomes Family Stage alumni, UCF Theatre alumni, and members of the greater Orlando theatre community to see the show together, with time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

“When we gathered for the hundred year reunion in February, the stories started flowing while people were still lined up to get through the doors,” said Chris Brown, Executive Director of Orlando Family Stage. “People who had not seen each other in thirty years picked up mid-sentence. Green Room keeps that going all season. It is also a chance to let our colleagues in on something parents have known for years. Yes, our work is made for young audiences, and it is sharp, funny, beautifully designed, and performed by some of the best professional artists in Central Florida. Adults catch the jokes the kids miss and get caught off guard by moments and messages that still resonate, far into adulthood.”

Green Room Performances, 2026-2027 Season

• The Best Halloween Ever, Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 4 p.m.
• A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live On Stage, Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.
• Pete the Cat’s Big Hollywood Adventure, Saturday, February 6, 2027 at 2 p.m.
• The Hobbit, Saturday, March 6, 2027 at 7 p.m.
• Dragons Love Tacos 2: The (Mu)Sequel, Saturday, April 24, 2027 at 4 p.m.

Tickets and details at orlandofamilystage.com/the-green-room.

About Orlando Family Stage

Orlando Family Stage empowers young people to be brave and empathetic by creating quality theatrical experiences. One of the ten largest theatres for young audiences in the United States and the only professional theatre in Florida specializing in productions for children and families, Orlando Family Stage has served Central Florida for nearly 100 years, first as Central Florida Civic Theatres, then as Orlando Rep, and today as Orlando Family Stage. Through mainstage productions, education programs, and community partnerships, the theatre reaches tens of thousands of children and families each year. Learn more at orlandofamilystage.com.

About the RICHES Digital Archiving Project

The Regional Initiative to Collect History, Experiences, and Stories (RICHES) is a digital archiving project of the University of Central Florida History Department. RICHES collects, preserves, and shares the history of Central Florida through the RICHES Mosaic Interface, a free online platform used by students, educators, researchers, and the public.