I’m so glad you’re here—thank you for taking a moment to learn more about The Sapphire Theatre.
I’m a proud founding Emeritus Board Member of The Sapphire Theatre, and I’m honored to return as Interim Board Chair during an important period of strategic growth. Working alongside our incredible staff, fellow board members, and Sapphire supporters, this moment marks a thoughtful next step for the organization, and I’m grateful to support The Sapphire as it continues to evolve.
2025 was another strong year of bringing our mission to life. Through our partnership with IPS, we delivered customized programs, working closely with schools to support students, teachers, and learning in meaningful ways. We also partnered with theaters, arts organizations, and historic landmarks, providing production support, design, and fabrication that helped bring creative ideas to life across the community. Along the way, we continued to advocate for the arts through community engagement, thoughtful consultation, and a commitment to paying living wages to local artists and artisans.
The Sapphire is more than a theater. It’s a creative collaborator, a provider of paid opportunities, and a place where artists and organizations feel supported. It continues to serve as a community hub for arts and culture in and around our city.
On behalf of our board and staff, thank you to the artists, partners, supporters, and community members who make this work possible. Your support allows The Sapphire to continue doing what it does best—uplifting creativity, collaboration, and community.
With gratitude, Chrissy Taylor Walling, Interim Board Chair
PERFORMANCES, PROGRAMS & PRODUCTION SERVICES in the SPOTLIGHT
This company is like a theater turned inside-out, taking elements of theatre and applying them directly where needed. We offer PERFORMANCES (completely unique theatrically-motivated entertainment); PROGRAMS(one-of-a-kind education programs and tailor-made training for corporations, including PICTURE THIS, Indiana’s longest-running social-issue theatre program); and PRODUCTION SERVICES (professional services including theatre sets, murals, exhibits, and restoration). The Sapphire is the only Indy theatre company offering this depth and scope of services.
Supporting STUDENTS, TEACHERS and EDUCATION.
Our partnership with Indianapolis Public Schools continued to grow in 2025. We delivered dynamic, hands-on theatre experiences to teachers and students in classrooms and after school. Through Theatre Clubs and interactive Shakespeare sessions at various locations, we sparked creativity and strengthened literacy (thanks to funding from Glick Philanthropies and the Nicholas H. Noyes Jr. Memorial Foundation). The Sapphire team also shared exciting, participatory programming with the Indiana Afterschool Network, Shepherd Community Center, and the preK kids at Mt. Zion Loving Daycare. And our collaborations with iXPLORE have continued to blossom, bringing educational virtual reality programs to life at Fort Wayne’s Junior Achievement ‘BizTown’ and across Indiana.
Smiling woman selfie at Afterschool Summit
Andrea facilitates lunchtime learning
Group of six smiling students holding certificates
certified dramatic!
Children in preschool circle; child upside-down smiling
arts integration literacy program
Smiling group selfie of children and adults
our Lead Teaching Artist is a favorite of IPS students!
People in team building circle with myIPS logo
Professional Development isn’t always serious
Green-screen studio recording with actors and cameras
our actors work on all kinds of stages
Girl playfully sticking out tongue while reading
artists come in all sizes
Workshop team with iXplore, OrthoWorx, Sapphire logos
our script work starts on-site
Actors reading scripts during rehearsal
building confidence center-stage
Teacher engaging excited children in classroom circle
bringing little stories to life
Team meeting with remote presenter on screen
a day designed for fine arts teachers
Preschool children and teacher in classroom
taking the story all around the room
Young actors in theater rehearsal holding scripts
giving old words new life
Group of educators in virtual reality workshop
taking opportunities to teens
Attendees discussing VR headset at iXplore booth
using STEAM to explore careers
Ensemble rehearsal on a black-box theater stage
Middle schoolers tackle the text
PRODUCTION SERVICES promoting Arts and preserving History.
The Sapphire Studios buzzed with creativity, transforming stages across Indy into snowy wonderlands, iconic landmarks, and reimagined historic spaces. Our production team brought designs and technical expertise to partners, including Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre, Indianapolis Black Theatre Company (IBTC), Butler Opera, Brebeuf High School, the Eiteljorg Museum, the Harrison Center, and retail spaces in the Stutz Building. This fall, our production team collaborated with iXplore to bring a new business to life inside the Junior Achievement BizTown in Fort Wayne. And our theatre artisans came to the rescue of several historic landmarks, providing specialized renovation services for the historic Julian-Clarke house in Irvington, White Chapel Church in Carmel, and several downtown historic homes.
Three smiling people taking a selfie indoors
the talent behind the scenes – Emma, Clayton & David
Savanna and urban destruction theater murals
magical murals set the stage
Stage set: retro motel room with two beds
bringing history to life
Educator posing with skeleton model, event logos
meet ‘Skully’ – she’s a bone-ified mascot!
Black roadside historical marker sign in park
…are our jam!
Ornate arch restoration before and after collage
before & after
Theatrical bedroom set with city skyline backdrop
set for GIANNI SCHICCHI & BUOSO’s GHOST
Colorful portrait panels on exterior brick wall
hanging Greatriarch murals in the neighborhood
Hand using contour gauge on molding profile
hands restoring history
Red brick Young & Laramore building exterior
restored the windows of this historical landmark
Three painted heraldic wooden panels on table
decorative set banners
Restored bay window ceiling before and after
before & after
Gym lobby featuring Momenta mural and models
a Biztown collaboration between iXPLORE, Orthoworx and The Sapphire
Before and after restored ornate theatre ceiling
before & after
Actors on stage with overturned chairs
collaborations on The CRUCIBLE (photo by Michael Camp)
Ballet dancers under crescent moon and chandeliers
giant chandeliers built for a beautiful ballet
Brick wall of colorful portraits with parked cars
hanging Greatriarch murals in the neighborhood
Group of actors on stage in dramatic scene
minimalist set for a massive story (photo by Michael Camp)
PERFORMANCES and PROGRAMS with PURPOSE.
The Sapphire has always blurred the lines between entertainment and education, and 2025 was no exception. In addition to continuing tailor-made training for ongoing clients, we collaborated to create a new, interactive performance for the Joy Group at Robin Run Village – “Women Facing Tomorrow Together.” And in April, The Sapphire expanded our series on grief literacy with “FACING GRIEF: Managing Mother’s Day” – a virtual, interactive performance with guided conversations on how to support those experiencing profound grief around parental loss. This LIVE virtual and interactive performance with guided conversations on how to give and find support is still available on The Sapphire’s YouTube Channel.
Facing Grief virtual panel with participants and tulips
interactive, live and virtual on YouTube
Facilitator offers microphone to senior attendees
interactive performance at Robin Run
Facing Grief virtual panel for Mother’s Day
leads post-show panel
Panel discussion at Sapphire Theatre community event
using PICTURE THIS to explore tough topics
Speaker with microphone addressing senior audience
Shawnté and Andrea engage audiences
Facing Grief event poster with speakers
Managing Mother’s Day
Woman speaking at wooden podium to audience
Andrea leading a social issues theatre experience
2025 PARTNERS, ASSOCIATES & CLIENTS
**grateful for these NEW relationships in 2025!
BEYOND MONUMENTAL [think Monumental Marathon]**
The CORPORATION for SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
The JOY GROUP at ROBIN RUN**
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT and ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH
Our leaders remain engaged with the community in multiple ways, including collaboration with the Indy Arts Council’s strategic, marketing and leadership initiatives, the Indiana Music and Arts Education Summit, the Indy Arts Education Forum at Butler University and participation in the annual Get on Board event from Leadership Indianapolis.
Examples of our impact, capacity and reach in 2025.
- STAFF: 5 full-time and 3 part-time staff.
- CONTRACTORS: 54 paid opportunities supported 16 local actors/teaching artists.
- PARTNERSHIPS: 5 NEW in 2025!
- PRODUCTION: 7 performances, 7 community organizations and 3 historic landmarks supported with design, fabrication and renovation services.
DEVELOPMENT & SUPPORT
