Our Story
“This work is about access, but more than that, it’s about what happens when someone finally gets the chance to step into it.”
The Red Stag Foundation for the Arts was born out of a simple idea: the arts should be something everyone has access to. After more than 25 years of support from this community, Wohlfahrt Haus Dinner Theatre began looking for a way to give something back in a more direct and meaningful way. Not just by putting shows on stage, but by creating opportunities for students and families to experience the arts for themselves in spaces that feel familiar and welcoming.
What started as an extension of that work has grown into a broader effort to reach more people, more often, in more places. Through school programs, community performances, and hands-on experiences, we’re creating moments where students can step into something new and see what’s possible. Because at its core, this work is about access, but more than that, it’s about what happens when someone finally gets the chance to step into it.
Our mission
"Every student deserves the chance to experience the arts—not someday, but now, right where they are."
The Red Stag Foundation for the Arts exists to make live theatre and arts education accessible to every student across Southwest Virginia. For many young people in our region, the arts can feel distant—something that happens somewhere else, for someone else. We’re here to change that.
We bring live performances, interactive workshops, and creative experiences directly into schools and communities, removing the barriers that too often stand in the way. Whether it’s a student seeing their first live show, stepping into a workshop, or discovering a new form of self-expression, these moments matter. They build confidence, spark curiosity, and create a sense of belonging.
This isn’t just about exposure. It’s about opportunity. It’s about making the arts a real, tangible part of everyday life. By meeting students where they are and inviting them into the process, we’re helping shape a generation that feels connected to creativity, storytelling, and the power of live performance.
Our Vision
“A future where every young person can see themselves in the arts—and believe they belong there.”
The Red Stag Foundation for the Arts envisions a Southwest Virginia where access to the arts is not determined by geography, income, or circumstance, but is simply a part of growing up. A region where every young person has the chance to experience live performance, explore their creativity, and feel a genuine sense of belonging in the arts.
We see a future where students don’t just watch stories unfold on stage, but begin to recognize themselves within them. Where creativity is not something reserved for a select few, but something every student is encouraged to develop. Through exposure to theatre, music, and storytelling, young people gain confidence, discover their voice, and begin to understand the impact they can have in the world around them.
Over time, this work builds something larger than individual programs. It shapes a culture. One where the arts are woven into the fabric of our communities, where creative expression is valued, and where the next generation grows up knowing that their ideas, their stories, and their perspectives matter.