Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy announces First Horizon Bank is the official naming sponsor of Access and Community Engagement Office

Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy (FPCTA) is thrilled to announce a major milestone in its Capital Expansion Campaign, Spotlight on the Future. First Horizon Bank has been honored as the official naming sponsor of the Access and Community Engagement Office.

“Ginger Harper, Eric Sanders, and the entire First Horizon Bank team have demonstrated long standing support of FPCTA and our capital expansion project since we first announced our plans in 2019,” said Karen Mockensturm, CEO, “We, at FPCTA, felt that it was only fitting that we honor First Horizon Bank’s financial commitment to this project by aligning their naming sponsorship in the new building to our organizations’ shared goals of community development through educational empowerment and quality of life.”

In 2024 as part of the Spotlight on the Future capital campaign, FPCTA purchased the historical building Merrimack Hall. This 24,534 square foot facility offers a fully-functioning, accessible 300-seat theatre and renovation opportunities to add various classroom spaces, including a dedicated preschool classroom suite, costume shop/maker space, catering kitchen, ADA compliant bathrooms, public lobby space, and office wing to support its year-round theatre arts education and production programming.

This move will allow FPCTA to increase its live theatrical productions, provide free accessible parking to intergenerational patrons, and expand performing arts training and STE(A)M technical theatre curriculum. This will engage students in workforce development and benefit their academic success, regardless of career path. Additional family-focused event programming and rental income opportunities will contribute to FPCTA’s sustainability and bring economic development to the Merrimack Mill Village Historic District.

Renovations at Merrimack Hall are on track to conclude May 2025 to begin summer camp programming in the newly renovated facility. The project is being led by Principal Architect Greg Kamback at ArcSpace Studio and Brent Snyder, President, at JS Building Company.