Riseman Family Theatre
The Riseman Family Theatre is dedicated to youth arts engagement and community connection. For twenty years we have worked to help children learn and grow in the arts, and the Riseman Family Theatre, opened in 2016, provides a dedicated home for young people to express and develop their creativity at the Chelsea Theatre Works.
The Riseman Family Theatre is home to our youth program, the Apollinaire Play Lab. The Apollinaire Play Lab serves children ages 3- 16. Our scholarship program ensures that anyone can participate regardless of a family’s ability to pay. The Riseman Family Theatre is a beautiful space that features a lobby/reception area that showcases our students’ artwork; a professionally-outfitted black box theatre that doubles as a class studio; and a second, smaller class studio.
You can take the boy out of Chelsea, but you can't take Chelsea out of the boy.Benson Riseman
About Benson Riseman
Philanthropist Benson Riseman, Chairman & Founder of the Riseman Foundation, supported the construction and development of the Riseman Family Theatre (RFT) and the Apollinaire Play Lab program. Benson, who now lives in Las Vegas, is a Chelsea native and graduate of Chelsea High School, class of 1974.
Benson has expressed great pride in his Chelsea roots, and the Riseman Family Theatre is his way of giving back to the community where he was raised. “I am proud of my Chelsea roots and thankful for the role it’s played in establishing my values, resourcefulness, street smarts, and appreciation of people from all backgrounds.” Mr. Riseman is President & CEO of BENSEA Enterprises, LLC, an Entrepreneurial Think Tank and Consultancy established in 2009 to transform ideas into independent, freestanding businesses.
Prior to founding BENSEA Enterprises, Mr. Riseman co-founded Green Dot Corporation, inventing and bringing to market the first reloadable prepaid debit card sold in retail stores as well as the country’s largest card reload network. Before pioneering the prepaid card industry, Benson had a 20 year career in radio broadcasting working for companies such as, Metro Networks, CBS, Westinghouse, Greater Media, Paxson Broadcasting, Capitol Broadcasting and RKO General.
Mr. Riseman is active in philanthropic projects nation-wide. In addition to being Chairman of the Riseman Foundation, Benson also serves on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, the University of Tampa and the Board of Directors of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also is an active member of the Advisory Boards of the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Tampa and Apollinaire Theatre Company as well as the lead philanthropist in the Riseman Family Theatres in his hometown of Chelsea, Massachusetts and the DISCOVERY Children’s Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mr. Riseman is a graduate of the University of Tampa with a B.S. in Business Administration. In addition, Mr. Riseman has completed Executive Management Programs at Harvard University and Kellogg School of Management along with completing the Landmark Education curriculum. Benson was bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lowth Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Tampa.