Stephen Tyler Davis proves you can go home again.
The Huntsville native has been named the first artistic director of the Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy.
“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Stephen’s artistic talent, professionalism and joyful spirit to lead our production programming and enhance FPCTA’s overall mission, vision and purpose,” said Karen Mockensturm, the academy’s executive director. “It is an honor to welcome him back to North Alabama.”
Davis, who grew up on the Fantasy Academy stage, has been working in the New York City theater for the past 15 years as a stage director, writer, producer, performer and educator.
As a guest artist, Davis has appeared nationwide at universities, state festivals, regional theatres, the New York Musical Theatre Festival and the New York International Fringe Festival.
He is the co-founder and artistic director for CitySalt Theatricals, a New York City-based theatre company producing new plays, musicals, readings, special events and theatre camps such as Huntsville’s Blue Plate Broadway.
Davis is the theatre program manager at Sarah Lawrence College in New York and will take over the artistic director position here Aug. 1. His job will include managing and directing the production programming, community outreach and creative projects for Fantasy Playhouse.
Funding for Davis’s position comes in part from a grant from the Alabama State Council for the Arts. The they move into a new 35,700 square foot theatre arts campus in the near future.
In 2006, Davis received his degree in theatre from the University of Alabama, with honors for serving as president of the Gamma Gamma Cast of Alpha Psi Omega. In 2016, he earned his master’s in theatre from Sarah Lawrence College while also serving as the president of the Graduate Student Senate.
Davis has remained active in the Huntsville theater community since 2020. While still working in New York remotely, Davis led a local creative team in keeping their 30-year tradition alive by adapting and directing a new virtual production of “A Christmas Carol,” the first of its kind for the organization.
Fantasy Playhouse will produce Davis’s adaptation of “Snow White and the 7 Littles” at the Von Braun Center Playhouse next spring as part of their 62nd production season.
“We are so excited to have Stephen join our family and bring his expertise to our community,” said Board President PeggyLee Wright. “This is a game changer for FPCTA.”
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