This year celebrates the 25^th Anniversary of Youtheatre; a four week theatre workshop for students ages 11-18 held during the month of July in Lake George.  Youtheatre impacts the students of this area by providing a creative summer alternative to sports.  It has grown from its lean beginnings to provide three major Broadway Musicals every summer at the Lake George High School Auditorium.  Performances scheduled for this summer are: Les Miserables, the Music Man, and Footloose.  The rights to Les Miserables were scheduled to be available this fall, but Youtheatre was able to get them for this summer to celebrate its 25^th Anniversary -- a real coup for Youtheatre.

Youtheatre was founded in 1978 with the production team of Mickey Luce as Director, Don Siano as Music Director, Peg Williams as Scenic Artist, and Fay Robinson on Piano. The first season consisted of three children’s musicals in the Little Theater at Lake George Elementary School with 25 players. In 1981 Sue Delsignore joined as music director. The workshop expanded  in 1983 with Nan Girard as choreographer.  That same year, Youtheatre’s experienced its first sell out with a production of Annie.

While the staff of Youtheatre continues to grow, its mission stays the same:  to educate children in every aspect of theater while promoting self-confidence and self discovery.  Students audition with a memorized monologue and song; from those auditioning, 50-55 students are accepted.  In early June, cast members begin memorizing their scripts and lyrics, with rehearsal beginning the second week of July.  Participants are exposed to everything from stage management to technical requirements.

Youtheatre is a great way to nurture growing talents.  Examples of successful Youtheatre alumni include Martha Banta, Artistic Director of the Adirondack Theatre Festival; Rob Spring,  current  lead in the National Touring Company  of 42^nd Street, and Rick Kelly, the costume designer for Cameron Macintosh’s Oklahoma, on Broadway.