Cardboard Playhouse Theatre Company (CPTC) was founded by Doug Montoya and Kristan Berg, local actors and leaders of The Box Performance Space in Albuquerque, in 2004. Berg began performing when she was in middle school, where she took a drama class and fell in love with the art. It was a place where she was not only safe and welcomed, but also where she found many friends and people with similar interests. Montoya has done improv for over 30 years and has been in many movies such as Dead for a Dollar and My Best Friend’s Wedding Planner. This sparked his love for acting and influenced him to open Cardboard Playhouse with Berg.
We have a large group of performers at the Academy involved in CPTC’s productions, including Isa Fuentes ‘28, Hayden Wagner ‘27, Chryso Martinez ‘25, Kadiah Dragone-Gutierrez ‘26, Geno Mathews ’30, Charlotte Sinkus ‘28, Emily Mathews ‘29, Sofia Sterling ‘29 and myself.
One of the special things about Cardboard Playhouse Theatre Company is that they are one of the only children’s theaters in New Mexico that cast their shows based on a child’s ability to perform rather than their ability to pay. The company focuses on a performer’s personality and a good attitude as opposed to prior experience.
This year they are celebrating producing their 100th show, Madagascar the Musical. Each season consists of five shows, the first starting in June and the last in April each year. Their upcoming shows include Anastasia the Musical in December and Madagascar the Musical in March 2024. Roles are open to 8 to 18-year-olds and don’t require any previous training or experience.

Cardboard Playhouse is a nonprofit organization and would be incredibly thankful if you would buy a ticket to one of their shows or donate. When donating to Cardboard Playhouse just a simple ten dollar donation can help them buy supplies for costumes, sets, and rent for their rehearsal space. Please consider coming out to support this wonderful local theater company!