About

What We’re About

The YS Kids Playhouse is a not-for-profit arts organization founded in 1995 by artistic director John Fleming, located in Yellow Springs, a small rural community home to Antioch College. Each year approximately 100 youth ages ten to eighteen participate in a six week Summer Theatre Arts Immersion, from auditions through rehearsals and the final presentation of two summer productions including a full-length musical. Other programs include Tween Youth Workshops, ages five to ten, for those too young for the stage; a youth leadership progam, DaBigs, and outreach programs to neighboring communities. Our sophisticated entertainment for all ages brings about transformational experiences for youth participants, families, audiences, and our community.

Mission

The mission of the YSKP is to cultivate the development of future actors, leaders, patrons and audiences and enhance art awareness in our community through the creation of original multi-media theater for youth.

Beliefs

To accomplish this mission, we

  • Provide quality theatre training for local youth since no formal academic theatre education is available in our community.
  • Fill a niche in the Miami Valley theatre spectrum, focusing exclusively on original works that also produce higher-level thinking and learning skills.
  • Require works be threaded with contemporary social, cultural, historical, or geopolitical issues and modern media technologies keeping our experience relevant for youth and our community.
  • Use artists from multi-disciplinary fields (visual arts, sculptors, video artists, music performers, and dance) providing a variety of arts role models and enriching the quality of the production experience.
  • A fee is charged for participation which serves to offset training and other program expenses. Partial and full scholarships are available, enabling all youth to participate, including those with disabilities.
  • Produce sophisticated entertainment for all ages that does not condescend to youth, providing quality arts experiences for our community.
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