Spotlight on the Center’s Resident Companies: Alaska Theatre of Youth

Young performers in the 2011-2012 season's production of Peter Pan

It is a gift to watch a child experience live performance for the first time. Whether they are attending an event at the Center, or participating on stage, it is amazing to see their minds and hearts expanded with the thrill and experience of live theatre. This is the gift that Alaska Theatre of Youth (ATY) has been giving local children for 29 years. Founded in 1983, John Goldring and a determined group of community members formed ATY as a means to empower youth through theatre. Local children make up the majority of the cast in each production and perform to many of their peers who come to see the shows. In those 29 years, many of the children who participated in the early productions have gone on to become successful theatre professionals and culturally-aware adults. Many alumni now work and volunteer with current youth participants, or bring their own children to productions, passing on the good work.

Executive Director, Jessica Jacob says this of ATY’s future at the Center: “Alaska Theatre of Youth is a gateway for families and school children to be introduced to the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. For many of our young patrons, it is their first time visiting the facility to see or participate in a live performance.  It is our hope that we are building not only the next generation of performing artists and theatre technicians of the highest quality, but also building future generations of discerning and enthusiastic theatre audiences, ensuring the vitality of the performing arts in our community for years to come.”

Alaska Theatre of Youth fosters collaborations and partnerships with a variety of organizations such as McLaughlin Youth Center, UAA, Pacific Northern Academy, Service High School, Stellar High School and Theatre Artists United. ATY is also committed to ensure that youth from any background can participate regardless of ability to pay, and offers complimentary tickets and scholarships to social service agencies and families in need.

ATY presents a Mainstage Season of five productions in the Sydney Laurence Theatre every year. In addition to their regular season, they offer a Spring Break Camp and Summer Conservatory for children to study theatre arts a bit more intensively. In the 2012-2013 season, ATY will produce: Disney’s Little Mermaid Jr. (October 12-20, 2012), A Christmas Carol (December 7-15), The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (December 8-14), Honk, Jr. (February 15-23) and Wizard of Oz – The True Story written by local playwright Ron Holmstrom and students from the Ann Seaton School (February 15-23).

For more information about Alaska Theatre of Youth and their current offerings, visit their website at: http://alaskatheatreofyouth.org/.

For tickets to ATY performances, visit CenterTix at: http://www.myalaskacenter.com/events/promoters/promoter_aty.php.