Young Actors Theatre

Young Actors Theatre

Young Actors Theatre creates theatrical opportunities that instill confidence, creativity, and discipline in youth.

Our mission is to empower youth for life.

Young Actors Theatre was founded in 1976 by Charlotte Kaufman, an NYC actress who made her home in the midwest. From 1976 to 2005, YAT brought classic theatre training to 60 school-age students each year. Two of those students were Justin Wade and his sister Catherine, who saw something special in YAT and began assisting Charlotte with the organization. Justin assumed the role of Executive Artistic Director in 2005.

With a new team of theatre educators and creative minds, YAT began to soar. Justin honed his craft as an educator, and began to develop a new approach to theatre training. Theatre education could be more. It could be used to teach larger lessons, and build lifelong learners.

We decided: out with the pre-bought scripts, out with the monologues, out with waiting backstage 95% of the time. By incorporating world-class theatre trends like physical theatre, devised theatre, and site-specific theatre, an original brand of arts education was born in Indianapolis. Rather than starting with a script, we start with a question, a social issue, or a historical figure who embodies a particular theme. Then, our theatre educators work with students to devise a production in which the whole ensemble (not just one or two leads) tell a compelling narrative with an empowering message for student performers and student audiences.

Since 2005, Young Actors Theatre has transformed into the largest youth theatre in Indianapolis. In 2018, YAT brought Self-Empowerment Theatre to nearly 2,000 students and reached over 10,000 audience members across the state of Indiana. We work directly with youth approximately 350 days a year, and on average 75-80 hours a week. With a home base in downtown Indianapolis and performance sites across the greater Indianapolis area, we work to provide more than a stage to the youth we serve.

Young Actors Theatre is more than a theatre: we are a training ground for empathetic individuals and model citizens in Indianapolis.

EDUCATOR CONTACT INFO

lillian.c@yatkids.org

http://www.yatkids.org

  401 E Michigan Street, Young Actors Theatre, Indianapolis, IN 46204

3176145057

The Experiment

Program description

The Experiment at Young Actors Theatre started as just that: an experiment. Five years ago, we wanted to see what would happen if we tried to bring a group of students together for an intensive creative theatre project. What ended up happening was a revolution in the way we think about theatre and about summer. In the five years since that first camp, the Experiment has grown into an annual tradition, and something students come from across the country each year to take part in.

Located at Camp Pyoca in southern Indiana, this 4th-12th grade overnight camp is a whirlwind of creativity. Campers work with theatre artists all week to develop an original outdoor performance that incorporates global theatre trends. Through the week, campers work together, solve problems, compete in games, explore the outdoors, and rehearse like they never have before.

The result? An unforgettable, transformational theatre experience that will leave students excited about their artistic power, connected to new friends, and eager to get started on the next amazing project.

 

 

Booking / scheduling contact

Gara Gaines

   615.663.6542

 gara@yatkids.org

Program detail
Artistic discipline: Theatre
Cultural Origin: European, Multi-Cultural
Program type: Camp
Population served: Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12, Students with Disabilities
Subject: Fine Arts: Theatre, Social Emotional Learning
Bilingual: No
Available dates:

The Experiment 2019 is running from Sunday, July 7 to Saturday, July 13.

Length of program: Overnight Camp for 6 days
Location(s):

The camp session is located at Camp Pyoca in Brownstown, Indiana.

Fees / Ticketing:

Get $100 off tuition for the Experiment 2019 when you sign up before December 31!

YAT also offers interest-free payment plans to all families, and we will never turn a family away due to financial hardship.  Prior to your YAT session, please submit a scholarship application here. Contact gara@yatkids.org with questions about your account.

IDOE STANDARDS

FINE ARTS: THEATRE:
Anchor Standard 1 – Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work: Theatre artists rely on intuition, curiosity, and critical inquiry
Anchor Standard 2 – Organize and develop artistic ideas and work: Theatre artists work to discover different ways of communicating meaning.
Anchor Standard 3 – Refine and complete artistic work: Theatre artists refine their work and practice their craft through rehearsal.
Anchor Standard 4 – Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation: Theatre artists make strong choices to effectively convey meaning.
Anchor Standard 5 – Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation: Theatre artists develop personal processes and skills for a performance or design.
Anchor Standard 6 – Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work: Theatre artists share and present stories, ideas, and envisioned worlds to explore the human experience.
Anchor Standard 7 – Perceive and analyze artistic work: Theatre artists reflect to understand the impact of drama processes and theatre experiences.
Anchor Standard 8 – Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work: Theatre artists’ interpretations of drama/theatrical work are influenced by personal experiences and aesthetics.
Anchor Standard 9 – Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work: Theatre artists apply criteria to investigate, explore, and assess drama and theatrical work.
Anchor Standard 10 – Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art: Theatre artists allow awareness of interrelationships between self and others to influence and inform their work.
Anchor Standard 11 – Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding: Theatre artists understand and can communicate their creative process as they analyze the way the world may be understood.
Anchor Standard 11 – Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding: Theatre artists critically inquire into the ways others have thought about and created drama processes and productions to inform their own work.

Qualifications

Performs criminal background checks on staff with youth contact: Yes
Maintains general liability insurance: Yes
Provides study guides for teachers and or students: Yes
Provides scholarship and reduced fees: Yes
Conducts ongoing assessments of program quality: Yes
Cancellation Policy

Tuition or a scholarship application are requested upon registration.

Partial refunds will be given for cancellations up to one week before the session’s start date.