Youth Programs

We believe the arts build stronger, more connected communities and that kids who participate in the arts are more engaged, more empathetic, and more resilient. Studies indicate higher academic performance and improved graduation rates for those same students. That’s why we’re committed to providing high-quality arts experiences for everyone in our community. Our innovative youth programs bring high-quality, live theater to schoolchildren, expand arts access for young people in traditionally underserved communities, illuminate career pathways for teens, promote community engagement, and inspire the industry’s future leaders.

Theater for Young Audiences

Since 2014, our Theater for Young Audiences program has allowed nearly 10,000 students from 12 school districts to experience high-quality, live theater, many of them for the very first time.

More than just “going to see a play,” the program engages students in the art of theater, beginning with a standards-based study guide that prepares them to recognize and reflect upon the tools and processes used to tell a story on stage. Student learning is extended through a pre-show lesson with a theater educator and a post-show Q and A session with the cast.

In the fall of 2021, we will pilot a touring production in partnership with the Pasadena Unified School District as part of their Open Stage program. The show will tour to each of the six PUSD middle school locations, with an estimated 1,200 sixth-grade students served. In partnership with the Playhouse, district artists-in-residence and classroom teachers will collaborate to integrate theater with the English Language Arts curricula through attendance at a live performance and a sequence of classroom-based lessons and activities.

A limited number of performances will be available for schools in other districts, as will general audience performances on the Playhouse stage. Please check back later for more information!

CHECK OUT PAST TYA PRODUCTIONS HERE

Teen Council

The SMP Teen Council creates and supports a community of young people with a shared love of theater and guides them on their journeys as patrons, artists, and administrators. It is open to any local student aged twelve to seventeen.

As members of our Teen Council, students participate in workshops with theater professionals, theater-themed social events, and of course, attendance at our professional productions, with exclusive pre- and post-show meet ups. All activities are designed to address the California Arts Standards for Theater and the Social Emotional Learning Competencies.

Teen Council will resume virtually in January of 2021. Questions? Email education@sierramadreplayhouse.org.

Teen Council is proudly sponsored by Sierra Madre Community Foundation.

All in 4 Youth

All in 4 Youth increases arts access for young people of color, disenfranchised youth, and those from low-income families by gifting blocks of tickets to community groups working with secondary students from underserved communities.

Participating groups are hosted at a scheduled public performance by a teaching artist, who provides context for the production, answers questions, and generally welcomes the students to the Playhouse.

Through this program, we aim to remove the barriers that prevent young people from experiencing live theater, to provide a vehicle for Social Emotional Learning, and to encourage continued, potentially life-long, participation in the arts.

All in 4 Youth tickets will be available for productions in our 2021 season. Organizations interested in securing tickets can contact education@sierramadreplayhouse.org.

How you can help us

Ticket sales cover less than fifty percent of our costs, and as a non-profit, we rely on donations to fund our innovative programs and outstanding productions. Please consider supporting our efforts! Donations of any size are truly appreciated.