The Pelican Playhouse Inc. (a 501(c)(3) corporation) is true community theater at its best. Located in Miami Springs, Florida, and serving the Greater Miami Area, we are an intergenerational theater company, bringing families together to act, to run tech, and to watch performances. The enthusiasm of our youth mingles with the wisdom of our elders to build community. Performing in the theater builds character, creativity, enhances self-expression and fosters self-esteem.
Pelican Playhouse teaches year-round, weekly classes introducing theater skills, performance growth and personal enrichment. The production classes culminate in finished productions performed eight times over two weekends. Pelican Playhouse performances are held in the Miami Springs Community Center, which opened in April of 2010. Housed within this new center is an intimate theater on the second floor.
Meet Our Artistic Director. Sam Chesser has been a theater actor, director, teacher, and writer for more than 15 years. He has participated in dozens of Pelican Playhouse productions and is also the founder of Little Revolt theater organization. He has studied theater and teaching at the American Shakespeare Center, University of North Florida, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. He has also performed at the Polar Express Train Ride, Players by the Sea, Theater Jax, Shakespeare Troupe of South Florida — and taught theater at local foster care organizations and homeless youth shelters. He has a B.B.A. in Marketing and studied Art and Culture Strategy with the University of Pennsylvania. His directing credits include Peter Pan the British Musical, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Hobbit, Comedy of Errors, The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, James and the Giant Peach, and others. His favorite acting roles include Long John Silver and The Cowardly Lion. Sam also works in the nonprofit financial services industry advancing community development, impact investing, and economic justice.
The Pelican Playhouse is unique in the River Cities Area (Miami Springs, Virginia Gardens, Medley and Doral). People of all ages participate in our classes and are cast accordingly. We take particular pride in putting parents with their children on stage together. The end results are a deeper appreciation of the arts and a bonding experience like no other. You never know who will be on stage: parents and children, city council members, and even that quiet student whom you never heard speak might surprise you as a king or queen. The possibilities are endless. The Pelican Playhouse is not theater with an “edge” but theater with an “awww.” The Board of the Pelican Playhouse agrees that the productions themselves must be “G rated” and appropriate for children and adults. With budget cuts happening in the schools, the Pelican Playhouse fills a gap schools used to provide and serves as an economical alternative for people interested in the performing arts. Come join us and let your creativity take flight! Pelican Playhouse Rebeca Sosa Theater — Miami Springs Community Center 1401 Westward Drive, Miami Springs, FL 33166
