The Davis Performing Arts Programs for Youth are fortunate to be blessed with two facilities. One is housed in one of the city's oldest and loveliest public green spaces, Franklin Park. The other venue is in the Discovery District, the birthplace of community theatre in Columbus.

In 1923, a woman with a compelling desire to be an actress, and with the drive and determination of an entrepreneur, set into motion a series of events that made this dream come true. On March 23 of that year, Agnes Jeffrey Shedd gathered about her five of her most influential friends at a "ladies tea" at the Lazarus store on High Street. There they formed an exciting kind of club in which members would produce one act plays for the entertainment of other members. Thus, Players Club was born. Their first home was the Joyce Barn, at 470 Capital Street. Soon they outgrew the building and in 1927 purchased a home at 547 Franklin Avenue and built the Shedd Theatre from free bricks they obtained from the demolition site of old Central High School. It was not until October, 1957 that the house next door, 549 Franklin Avenue was purchased, the two buildings adjoined and the Van Fleet Theatre was built. And so Columbus community theatre thrived for many years with in the walls of this building. In the early eighties Players Club became Players Theatre, and it became the city's oldest non-profit arts institution in continuous operation.

In 1989, after Players Theatre moved out of the space, the City of Columbus entered into an agreement to occupy the facility. This turned out to be the perfect place to house the Davis Performing Arts Programs for Youth which had existed since 1970 as the Park Playhouse Teen Community Theatre.

Today most of our programming goes on in these two historic theatres on Franklin Avenue, now called the Columbus Performing Arts Center, where we provide young people with the opportunity to take classes and perform in some wonderful shows. The Van Fleet Theatre is an intimate one hundred and eighty seat black box space. The warm and inviting Shedd Theatre seats 335. The entire building under went major renovations in 2005, and now the building looks better than ever! When not in use by the Davis Programs these spaces are available for rent to the general public.