How it all Began

Shilling Theatrical Production’s roots started back during the Vaudeville era in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. The elder Shilling was a Vaudevillian actor in New York City writing and performing the serious skits that were always part of a Vaudeville show. The combination of the Great Depression and the emergence of movies proved too much for the Vaudeville show and it’s entertainment form died out.

Out of the ashes of Vaudeville came Shilling Theatrical Productions. The company started booking and producing Sport Shows. The Sport Show format was gaining in popularity in the United States and Canada. The company started booking fishing and hunting exhibitions with Lumberjack shows, Bear acts, knife throwers, Jugglers etc, etc. For the next twenty years the focus of the company was Sport Shows.

The second generation of Shilling’s started working in the middle 1950’s. My father, William Shilling got out of the Army after the Korean Conflict ended and began working in the office. The popularity of the Sport Show format continued until the early sixties. During the sixties a new American shopping phenomenon called the mall or shopping center starting popping up all across the nation. Shilling Theatrical Productions adopted itself by providing entertainment to the shopping center industry. The shopping mall became a great place to provide entertainment as the industry needed to draw shoppers to this new shopping experience.

In the early seventies as the shopping center industry matured it became more upscale and turned away from showcasing entertainment. Shilling Theatrical Productions turned its focus to the growing Fair and Festival market. The Fair and Festival industry provide a wonderful experience and value for Americas families. For over forty years Shilling Theatrical Productions has been providing, with honesty and integrity, the very best in entertainment and service to the Fair and Festival market.

-Bill Shilling