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I have been bringing my classes (various grades) to Young People’s Theatre for several years now. I absolutely love how friendly, easy going and helpful the staff are when it comes to coordinating school bookings, especially Shawn. The performances are truly superb and never seem to disappoint! Coming to YPT has created lasting memories for […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
There was a moment, seconds before the end of “Seussical”, when I had to turn to the audience and say “And can you guess what happens next?” And I’ll never forget this one performance, where I turned and said the line to the audience and a little girl in the front row looked up at […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
On my arrival to Toronto in 1980 the one thing that struck me about the theatre scene was that it included a very prominent theatre company called YPT. I discovered that it was dedicated to bringing productions of great quality and integrity to young audiences.\u00a0 So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Thank you YPT for being an inspiration to young people and theatre artists across the country. – Carole Higgins, Artistic Director, Carousel Theatre for Young People, Vancouver<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
When my four children were growing up in the ’70’s and ’80’s we were all regular visitors to the YPT where so many marvellous shows for children were produced and performed. The one show that stands out in my memory is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It was an amazing colourful production with wonderful […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
When I first immigrated from California to Toronto, I volunteered as an usher at what was then, the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People. The groundbreaking premiere of Hana’s Suitcase was on the Mainstage and this was my introduction to YPT: An incredible and moving story about a young girl murdered in the Holocaust and […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Every theatre in Canada owes a debt of gratitude to Young People\u2019s Theatre.\u00a0 For fifty years, you\u2019ve worked with the best artists to create great theatre for young, impressionable audience members who grew to demand the very best from all of us.\u00a0 You planted seeds of talent, taste and common humanity in both artists and […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Thank you, YPT, for existing : for creating a desire and relevance and joyfulness and legitimacy and necessity and whimsicalness and gumption for\/in\/and about theatre, from the firstest to the lastest. – Matthew Jocelyn, Artistic Director, Canadian Stage, Toronto<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Reflecting on my twenty seven years at YPT, when every day was a story, has made me realize what a major influence YPT had on my life. It afforded me the extraordinary opportunity to associate and work directly with so many creative and talented people. In particular the wonderful Drama School teachers and staff whose […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
I first remember gratefully introducing my children to your stage at a very young age and still think back fondly on how they thrilled at seeing characters from a fondly enjoyed book ( “The bird who couldn’t sing”?) come to life\u2026 I also hosted two wonderful birthday parties\/plays there over the years, which were a […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
My friend and I took our daughters to YPT to see the production of “Hana’s Suitcase”. The girls had read the book and this was a wonderful adaptation that allowed the girls to enjoy live theatre and discuss artistic changes when moving between different mediums. The experience was a fantastic mother-daughter outing. Thank you for […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Young People\u2019s Theatre has been an important national theatre company for 49 years, leading the way for artists, audiences, and communities across the country and around the world.\u00a0 They state that they \u201cwant to have a positive and lasting impact on the emotional, social, and intellectual development of young people\u201d. I would say they do […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Our Holy Cross students have had the privilege of attending great theatre\u00a0presentations through the Arts Impact program. The pre-shows and post-shows have been so valuable getting students to inference, use critical and analytical thinking skills to better understand the themes and big ideas of a show. Young People’s Theatre\u00a0has been a great resource and source […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
My… where to begin. My relationship with YPT began in 2009. As a directing Apprentice with Obsidian Theatre, a key element to the apprenticeship was fostering connections with outside companies. I was brought on board as Apprentice Director of The Princess and the Handmaiden. I’ll never forget that first morning, the only person there not […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
My first years of teaching I was at what is now Nelson Mandela Park Public School. Being an inner city school we tried not to ask parents for money but we tried to give our students the best learning experiences we could. YPT was very helpful with this by providing free admission for our classes. […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Thank you YPT for bringing such beautiful stories to life on the stage in an inspired and thoughtful way; and for nurturing our children\u2019s imaginations, and in a fun way teaching them about people, places, ideas and problem solving\u2026oh yeah, and for helping to make culture an option! – Amy House, Artistic Animateur, Resource Centre […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Thank you YPT for igniting a passion for the theatre in countless young people and ensuring that the art form remains relevant to future generations. – Brendan Healy, Artistic Director, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
I was privileged to start my career in arts administration at YPT in the early-2000’s. I learned so much from the staff about running a top-notch arts organization, instilling a love for theatre in young people and the importance of having fun at work. “Uncle” Peter Gallagher’s infectious dedication and passion for teaching theatre to […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Many of my earliest memories and many of my \u201cfirsts\u201d include YPT. When I was very young, my Dad directed and choreographed several YPT shows and the memory of being in that magical building is palpable. I remember the downstairs snack bar and giant chocolate chip cookies and cucumber sandwiches, which must have been served […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
It was the first play during which I saw my 11 year old daughter literally on the edge of her seat \u2013 absorbing the entire experience \u2013 living it with the actors \u2013 trying to understand it all. It was To Kill a Mockingbird. Fabulous. Thank you. Angela Dorigo<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Young People\u2019s Theatre inspired a sea-change in theatre in Canada and the world. Susan Rubes and Young People\u2019s Theatre also inspired a global shift in how we value the experiences, stories and cultural lives of children and young people. Happy Birthday, YPT. – Ruth Smillie, Artistic Director, Globe Theatre, Regina<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Thank you YPT for reminding me that theatre comes in all shapes and sizes. And that a room full of young children entranced (as they were last time I was at YPT) is priceless. To the next glorious 50! – Dennis Garnhum, Artistic Director, Theatre Calgary<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
One of my most memorable theatre experiences was at Young People’s Theatre in 2001 when, then Artistic Director Pierre Tetrault, invited me to be his Assistant Director on the production of Ghost Train. This was near the beginning of my theatre directing career when I was exploring the question: “How to make spirituality theatrical?”. The […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
I was an actor in two productions in the second season of YPT.\u00a0The Dandy Lion\u00a0played at the Colonnade Theatre and I was Dalton the Daring, a lion tamer. I seem to remember we did six performances every weekend. That same season, I was also in a school touring show by Brian Way called\u00a0On Trial. It\u2019s […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
YPT felt like home the moment I was brought in to choreograph Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang in 2003. I won a Dora Award for that show and was nominated several times afterwards for the other 5 shows I was fortunate to choreograph, all under the direction of Allen MacInnis. Every experience has been […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Thank you YPT for being the first. The first professional theatre specifically dedicated to young people in Toronto, in Canada, and one of the first on the continent. You have blazed a trail. More importantly, you continue to lead. Bravo. Here\u2019s to the next 50 years. – Vanessa Porteous, Artistic Director, Alberta Theatre Projects, Calgary<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
We have to pretend to be someone else in order to discover who we actually might become. We never discover who we are — or very seldom do we see ourselves clearly — but we plunge into life hoping that we can assume the mantle of our potential. All of life is in the ‘dressing […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
I had an unusual childhood. By the age of 6, I had seen at least a dozen plays and only one film in a movie theatre. Most children, especially nowadays, have the opposite experience. This was partially because I was fortunate enough to have spent my early childhood in the 1970s growing up in a […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
YPT made me believe in Possibility… One of my most profound memories involves the 18-year-old me sitting in a dark theatre watching YPT\u2019s production of The Hobbit while weeping quietly and believing in the possibilities and magic of theatre. At the time, I was a brand new immigrant working as a co-op student in the […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
As a young actress in Toronto, fresh out of theatre school, I was amazed by the great opportunities YPT offered in the most supportive and creative environment\u2026.even the auditions felt better there! I went on tour with a YPT show all over BC and some parts of the U.S. YPT shows were known as the […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Thanks to specialists like YPT, who focus on professional performing arts experiences for young audiences, Canadian Opera Company and many other companies can have confidence there will be future, eager audiences in Canada. Congratulations YPT on the accomplishments of your last 50 years. May you enjoy another 50 years of great theatre for young people. […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
Thank you, YPT, for infecting thousands of children and families with a love for theatre. Every time I have walked through those doors, I have felt welcome, cherished and inspired, both as a parent and as an artist. May the next 50 years bring about many more magical moments! – Pablo Felices-Luna, Artistic Director, Manitoba […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
On tour with Of Mice and Men in 1980, George’s gun failed to go off (and this was the absolute closing moment of the play). Peter Donaldson was playing the role and, after three sad clicks of the weapon, he felt he had no alternative but to say “Bang!” The school audience hooted and hollered […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n Our family has had a 37-year love affair with Young People\u2019s Theatre. First our children and now our grandchildren have experienced the wonder of the productions of this theatre. As parents and grandparents, we have had the added bonus of relishing the productions ourselves and delighting in the children\u2019s excitement as they watch and enjoy […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>
It was the early 80’s and Of Mice & Men was the feature when my grade 7 class made the trek downtown to the Young People’s Theatre. For most of us, it was our very first exposure to live theatre and for me, it was the beginning of a very long love affair. I have […]<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>