About Us
Theatre people who think like educators
Play'N Around Children's Theatre Company was built around a simple idea: musical theatre is one of the most effective tools available for teaching young students to read closely, speak confidently, and work as a team, and it should be easy for a school to actually use it.
Meet the Founders
The people behind Play'N Around
Robbie Colley
Founder & Owner, Play'N Around Theatre Company
With a lifelong passion for theatre and arts education, Robbie Colley has dedicated her career to bringing the magic of live musical theatre to young audiences. A performer since the age of 14, Robbie combined her love of the stage with her passion for working with children when she and Brad Colley founded Play'N Around Theatre Company in 1999.
For more than two decades, Robbie has helped build Play'N Around into a professional theatre company known for creating engaging, educational and entertaining productions for children and families. Through original musicals, adaptations of beloved fairy tales, school programs, workshops and community performances, she believes theatre can do more than entertain. It can inspire imagination, build confidence and help children discover their own creative voices.
Robbie continues to be at the heart of Play'N Around's creative vision, developing theatre experiences that bring together storytelling, music, education and, most importantly, fun.
Bradley Colley
Artistic Director & Co-Founder
Bradley Colley co-founded Play'N Around Theatre Company alongside Robbie in 1999. As Artistic Director and a co-owner of the company, he continues to help shape the productions and school programs that bring Play'N Around into classrooms across LA County.
Our Approach
We design backward from the learning goal
Before we write a script or plan a residency, we start with what a teacher or administrator is trying to accomplish, a reading skill, a unit theme, a school value, a family engagement goal. The performance is the delivery mechanism, not the point.
That means two schools booking the "same" assembly format can end up with different content, because their goals were different. We'd rather ask a few extra questions up front than hand every school an identical show.
This is the same conversation we have with every school before a single date is set, because a program that isn't built around your actual goal isn't worth your budget or your students' time.
What guides our programs
- Every student gets a chance to participate, regardless of experience
- Content is age-appropriate and reviewed for classroom use
- Programs respect the realities of a school schedule and budget
Who's In The Room
Our teaching artists
The people who show up at your school are trained performers who also know how to run a classroom, not just a stage.
Level 2 background screened
Every teaching artist working directly with students completes Level 2 background screening before being placed in a school. Documentation is available for your office on request.
Vendor approved & insured
Play'N Around is an approved vendor carrying full insurance coverage, so your office has what it needs to process paperwork without back-and-forth.
Trained for the classroom
Our team is prepared to work within a real classroom or auditorium setting, including behavior expectations, time limits, and working alongside your staff.
Local to LA County
Because we're based in the region we serve, scheduling, site visits, and last-minute logistics don't require touring-company lead times.
Where We Work
Public, private, and charter schools across LA County
We work with elementary and middle schools of every size and structure, Title I schools, independent schools, charters, and district programs, and with families directly through our classes and camps.
Who We Work With
Built to fit inside LA's education community
Our programs are designed to work within the systems schools and afterschool providers already use, including partners like LA's Best, Los Angeles Unified School District, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the YMCA.
Logos shown are the property of their respective organizations and used to indicate the communities we serve.
We're also part of the LA County Arts Community Network, the county's network connecting schools with arts education partners. See our Funding page for how schools use Prop 28 dollars to book our programs.
Want to talk before you book?
Some administrators want a short call before filling out a form, that's completely fine.