“Although I didn’t end up on Broadway, I never dreamed of running a theatre company serving underserved audiences! But here I am, and I’m much happier and more fulfilled because of it.”
Larry Fields first auditioned for Fantasy Theatre Factory (FTF) in 2004 and wasn’t hired. “Persistence pays off,” he says. “I was finally cast in my first production in 2006.” He has worked steadily with the company ever since. “What ultimately drew me to their non-profit mission was seeing first-hand as a performer, the impact our programs were having on children,” he says. “FTF has a mission of serving children and families from economically under-served communities — this deeply resonated with me. I saw my younger self and my childhood friends among the children we’d perform for in schools and community centers in poor areas. The company also performs in hospitals and in exceptional centers for children with a diverse range of special needs — all of this unexpectedly drew me in.” He finds great inspiration in letters, emails and social media posts, and in seeing the children’s drawings they send after the shows, especially those at children’s hospitals and special needs centers. Since he took over, the company has tripled in size and now has a permanent full-time staff of 11. They also hire 80 theatre technicians and more than 100 actors and artists to perform/produce over 600 shows and events each season, reaching over 125,000 people all across the state as well as at their home venue at the Sandrell Rivers Theater in Miami’s Liberty City; FTFShows.com.
