Stacy Jones said some of her earliest memories were of theater. Her mom used to be a choreographer for a community theater, and Stacy tagged along for rehearsals.
“At like 5 or 6 years old, I was in my first show with her and my grandmother, who was also doing community theater too,” Jones said. “I guess it’s always been a part of who I am.”
After having children, Jones said she continued being a part of the theater through them by helping out with their school plays. She also began teaching theater with another local company when she moved to The Woodlands.
“I just eventually was like, ‘You know, it’s time for me to finally do it on my own,’” Jones said. “And it’d always been a dream to teach kids theater.”
Jones said she started the process of opening Black Cat Theater and Academy in summer 2021, finding warehouse space to house the business and then spending time preparing it for its theatrical purpose.
“We had to enlist the help of our neighbors who were so gracious to come and help us build the platforms for the audience, the tech booth,” Jones said. “I’d get advice from The Woodlands High School theater teachers and they’d help me try and find the right thing that would work in my space. So it really was a labor of love and a community project.”
Holding a soft opening in February 2022 before getting underway with summer camps in July, Black Cat Theater and Academy teaches children in first through 12th grades as well as adults. The academy has fall and spring semesters with around 10 classes taking place each semester. During the summer, kids can also participate in the theater’s camps.
“I really try to think hard [about] what would the kids find interesting,” Jones said. “I also think about—again, I’m trying to train them to be great singers, dancers, actors. And what classes can do that?”
Jones also said Black Cat Theater and Academy hosts monthly improv shows and does two musicals and one play a year.
“I’m always looking to add new things, try new things and vary it up depending on what the community is looking for,” Jones said.
With a year in business under her belt, Jones said she already has plans for expansion in mind, hoping by the spring to add another classroom and a dedicated costume, prop and set shop.
“When the kids come off the stage from the first time performing and they’re like, ‘That was so amazing; I can’t wait to do that again,’ then I know I’m doing the right thing,” Jones said.
Black Cat Theater and Academy
331 Corporate Woods Drive, Ste. A4, Magnolia
281-747-9100
www.blackcattheateracademy.com
Hours: tours by appointment
