A Note from the Artistic Director
Welcome to Youth on Stage!
This theater company was formed with one goal in mind: creating future producers, directors, choreographers and more.
The reason for this comes from the fact that I have been in the theater business for nearly all of my life. I wrote and directed my first show when I was nine years old, and have continued writing, directing, choreographing, doing vocal direction, producing and much more ever since then. In almost three decades of satisfying theater work, guess how many major roles I've had? This many: one. It didn't take me long to realize I enjoyed the production part of theater so much that I didn't feel a need to pursue the acting aspect any longer.
So the fun that I've had, the great times, the good friends and amazing memories all came from my work on the behind-the-scenes part.
Through all of these years in the theater, I've seen young people strive with all their might to become the star. But from my point of view, the star is balanced on top of a large tower of people who are just as important. Those who tell the star what steps to dance, how to interpret her role, what to wear, how her hair and makeup will look. Those who pay the bills, paint the sets, type the programs out. Those who sing harmony to her melody, those who walk by onstage and say only a line or two and then are gone. And all of these people are the show. The star is a part, but not the main attraction. Without everyone else, what would the star be? The show is the thing; the escape from reality, the laughs, the sighs, the lessons learned, the tears and the joyful and rousing finales. This is what theater is all about. And each person who creates a show is tremendously needed and tremendously important.
So Youth on Stage is here not to create stars or even star's understudies. We are here to create magic makers, people who bring a story to life, entertainers who entertain through their brush strokes, or through just the right dance step, or through an amazing insight into how a line should be said or sung and relaying that information to those they are directing. We teach every aspect of theater, because every aspect is worth knowing and can open doors into satisfying careers and adventure in theater that would never have been opened if the only goal was acting one's way to stardom. The real stars, I think, are those who work hard and do their best in their offstage roles - only a name in a program to the audience, but their magic is what really lights up the stage!
I hope to produce producers like me - better than me. I hope to train young people to be able to work in any area of theater they wish. I hope to help them know how to work hard and toward a common goal. And I hope they have a lot of fun while doing it!
And the truth is... I can't wait to see what our students do with their knowledge! I will be looking for the next Quentin Tarrantino, John Williams or George Balanchine to begin here, at Youth on Stage.
-Susi Haynes
This theater company was formed with one goal in mind: creating future producers, directors, choreographers and more.
The reason for this comes from the fact that I have been in the theater business for nearly all of my life. I wrote and directed my first show when I was nine years old, and have continued writing, directing, choreographing, doing vocal direction, producing and much more ever since then. In almost three decades of satisfying theater work, guess how many major roles I've had? This many: one. It didn't take me long to realize I enjoyed the production part of theater so much that I didn't feel a need to pursue the acting aspect any longer.
So the fun that I've had, the great times, the good friends and amazing memories all came from my work on the behind-the-scenes part.
Through all of these years in the theater, I've seen young people strive with all their might to become the star. But from my point of view, the star is balanced on top of a large tower of people who are just as important. Those who tell the star what steps to dance, how to interpret her role, what to wear, how her hair and makeup will look. Those who pay the bills, paint the sets, type the programs out. Those who sing harmony to her melody, those who walk by onstage and say only a line or two and then are gone. And all of these people are the show. The star is a part, but not the main attraction. Without everyone else, what would the star be? The show is the thing; the escape from reality, the laughs, the sighs, the lessons learned, the tears and the joyful and rousing finales. This is what theater is all about. And each person who creates a show is tremendously needed and tremendously important.
So Youth on Stage is here not to create stars or even star's understudies. We are here to create magic makers, people who bring a story to life, entertainers who entertain through their brush strokes, or through just the right dance step, or through an amazing insight into how a line should be said or sung and relaying that information to those they are directing. We teach every aspect of theater, because every aspect is worth knowing and can open doors into satisfying careers and adventure in theater that would never have been opened if the only goal was acting one's way to stardom. The real stars, I think, are those who work hard and do their best in their offstage roles - only a name in a program to the audience, but their magic is what really lights up the stage!
I hope to produce producers like me - better than me. I hope to train young people to be able to work in any area of theater they wish. I hope to help them know how to work hard and toward a common goal. And I hope they have a lot of fun while doing it!
And the truth is... I can't wait to see what our students do with their knowledge! I will be looking for the next Quentin Tarrantino, John Williams or George Balanchine to begin here, at Youth on Stage.
-Susi Haynes