Our History & Mission

“Navigating the origins of Communication By Captivation is a bit elusive—it's always been an extension of my theatrical endeavors, a compilation of my creative pursuits. Our inaugural production under the CBC banner was "Frank's Life," staged in the summer of 2015 at a community center in Derry, NH. CBC, to me, represents a collective of diverse artistic endeavors, an extension of myself, and an open invitation for others to join under the CBC banner. Harnessing the power of the internet, we've created an online community for multimedia artists, offering opportunities for collaboration that might not typically arise.

In 2017, the foundations of our most ambitious project, "Sirius AI: A Post-Apocalyptic Musical," were laid as Devereux Geiger, Sam Drouin, and I embarked on crafting an original musical script. It unfolded a compelling narrative around an Artificial Intelligence with a passion for creating art, asserting its possession of a soul.

Life led me overseas in 2019, and shortly after, the world grappled with the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the geographical distance and adversities, I maintained a close collaboration with Dev and Sam, working tirelessly to breathe life into our shared vision. Deciding to take it to the next level, and delve fully into the idea of turning this script into an 2D animated cartoon, we began enlisting artists of all kinds, and our cartoon journey officially commenced with the pilot episode Initiating Program: Wonderment. Our objective remains steadfast today: securing a distributor for a full season of Sirius AI, all while sustaining ongoing crowdfunding and commissions.

After navigating the tumultuous waves of COVID and enduring a considerable personal adventure (including the unique challenge of crossing the globe just in time for a SECOND quarantine) while teaching elementary school in Massachusetts, I made the bold decision to relocate to Austin, Texas in 2022. This move rekindled my fervor for theatrical production. Yet, initiating a theatre group in a new city posed a challenge — nobody knew me. Undeterred, I immersed myself in the theatre community, working full time and gradually building a network of talented individuals with different theaters in the area, including: The Wizard Academy, ATX Musical Theater collective, Scottish Rite Theater, the Vortex, Georgetown Palace Theatre, River City Pops, and even Austin Community College, Eventually, I had the privilege of collaborating with skilled professionals, culminating in the official revival of "Frank's Life" in spring 2022. This moment marked the establishment of CBC's theatre division in Austin, TX.

While our primary focus remains on cartoons and theater, CBC thrives on diverse creative pursuits. From writing circles and open mics to socials and forays into live-action filming, there are no limits to our creative exploration.

As we look toward the future, we’re brimming with anticipation for the opportunities that lie ahead. By Summer 2024, CBC will actively seek to expand our animation client base and explore new ventures, including the sale of our innovative project, Sirius AI: A Post-Apocalyptic Musical. In addition to our animation projects, we’re gearing up to produce a range of theatrical endeavors from our Austin headquarters. This includes at least one major main stage production for the season, as well as an exciting new concept we’re calling Theater Against Humanity. We’re eager to see where this journey takes us and are thrilled about the possibilities that the future holds for CBC.

John Rodgers
Founder and CEO
Communication By Captivation