All the World’s a Stage

The arts—especially performing arts—act like a mirror to society, providing a reflection of current attitudes and norms while also demonstrating the influence of the past and depicting the potential of the future.

An individual will never regret exposing young people to—and involving them in—the performing arts and theater. The experiences they encounter often have a measurable impact on emotional intelligence, critical thinking, empathy, improvisation, developing new ways of thinking, and overall mental capacity. It is self-explanatory how important and transferable these skills and developments are in youth. They do, after all, hold the fate of the future in their hands.

Theater also creates a unique opportunity for open dialogue on sensitive issues and topics, and it is essential to modern society. It fosters self-expression and is a tool for self-reflection. The educational values of theater and the performing arts cannot be overstated, whether in a modern or historical context.

Since its opening act, theater has revolutionized movements and been a foundational space for diversity, inclusivity, representation, equality, and justice. Above all, theater is a product of the creativity of humanity. Without creativity, there is no progress; it is what makes us human. In short, exploring the nation’s endless theater and performance art experiences supports, encourages, and fosters creativity in today’s youth.

Midwest

Midwestern states offer a variety of classic theater experiences well-suited to youth groups interested in the history of theater. Start with Renaissance Performing Arts in Mansfield, Ohio, which offers a black box theater, the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, a Broadway series, modern shows, and musicals. “The Renaissance creative team brings our ‘Broadway and Innovation Series’ productions to life in our fully produced in-house performances,” explains Jillian Henry, the theater’s marketing manager. “Where most theaters of our size are either hosting external productions being brought in or community theater, the Renaissance is proud to bring professional productions to life using the talents and skills of our staff and team of professional actors from across the country.”

North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, Illinois, offers “Youtheatre,” an educational performing arts program producing performances for school groups. “A Youtheatre field trip,” according to the theater’s website, “is the perfect way to infuse your school’s curriculum with empathy, imagination, and high-quality performing arts presentations.”

More unique and inspiring experiences for students are waiting at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre in Chanhassen, Minnesota; Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Englert Theatre in Iowa City, Iowa; The Grand Opera House in Dubuque, Iowa; American Players Theatre in Iowa County, Wisconsin; Attic Theatre in Appleton, Wisconsin; and Chicago Shakespeare Theater in Chicago, Illinois, described as being a venue “where the world comes to play.”

Northeast

The northeastern United States is rich in theatrical history and continues to lead the nation—and quite possibly the world—in performing arts. For starters, send your students to the Penobscot Theatre Co. in Bangor, Maine, which hosts its Dramatic Academy (DA) education program. “Some of our alumni have gone on to have wildly successful theatrical careers spanning Broadway to their local theater,” says John Seidenberg II, director of marketing. “Other alumni have gone on to successful careers not in the arts but have let us know time and time again that their experiences with DA have given them wonderful life skills like teamwork, perseverance, responsibility, public speaking, and confidence.” Penobscot Theatre Co. offers youth summer camps, week-long intensives, and performances curated for younger audiences to attend.

To indulge in the classics, visit The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, or Americana Theatre Co. in Plymouth, Massachusetts. For behind-the-scenes tours and children’s theater, visit The Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford, Connecticut. Or, for more classics in Hartford, visit the Hartford Stage. Head to the Providence Performing Arts Center in Rhode Island for a world-class Broadway series experience.

The Gamm Theatre in Warwick, Rhode Island, offers robust educational programs and school programming. Does your student group love the smash-hit musical, “Wicked”? Visit the home of “Wicked” at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City. While in New York, stop by the Shubert Theatre, operated by the Shubert Organization, the country’s oldest professional theater company and largest theater owner on Broadway. Offering student groups special tours, visit the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Clear Space Theatre Co. in Rohoboth Beach, Delaware, is an arts institute focused on educating youth and providing opportunities. The Delaware Children’s Theatre in Wilmington stays true to its mission to enrich children’s cultural life and help young talent find a stage. For an other-worldly experience, visit the Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Maryland. For Broadway in Baltimore, Maryland, visit the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. The nation’s capital hosts some of the best of the best. These include The National Theatre, the Mead Center for American Theater, and the Shakespeare Theatre Co.

Southeast

Travel through time in the southern United States by visiting the many historical theaters that hold the secrets to how today’s American theater came to be. Built in 1927, the Virginia Samford Theatre in Birmingham, Alabama, began as a small theater seeing the community through the Great Depression and world wars.

With construction dating back to 1850, the Lexington Opera House in Lexington, Kentucky, became a leader in the state’s booming performing arts culture and theater district. “Theaters are more than just buildings—they take on personalities that reflect the reasons they exist,” reads the opera house’s website. Built in 1927, the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, Louisiana, is the city’s “premier performing arts facility” and has been restored to its original elegance. Journey back further in time with the Sight & Sound Theatres in Branson, Missouri, which offer Christian students and youth well-organized group experiences to view performances that bring the Bible to life.

Education is often at the heart of performing arts, and some organizations make it their priority, making the experiences they offer well suited to youth groups. The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, offers a long list of educational programs for groups, supporting its mission to enrich the community through the arts. Attracting internationally and nationally renowned shows and artists, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida, also has a mission to make the arts accessible to everyone. Opportunities here include classes, camps, theater, and Broadway master classes. Wrapping it all together is the Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky, promoting inclusivity, diversity, education, and health through the arts.

West

From Washington State to Texas and everywhere in between, the western United States offers theatrical experiences that cannot be found anywhere else, including Broadway, classic Western, historical, and multicultural productions suitable for all ages.

A good place to start is in the Rocky Mountain region and its Beehive State. On the campus of Southern Utah University, surrounded by a stunning red rock scenery in Cedar City, the Utah Shakespeare Festival is held annually, hosting performances from June through October in three theaters. It’s a fun experience for students and families alike. A few hours north in Logan, Utah, the Ellen Eccles Theatre hosts world-renowned performances ranging from comedy shows and Broadway musicals to live dance experiences and annual student matinees—plus more! “The theater has an incredibly rich history—we’ve been around for over 100 years—filled with fires, ghosts, drama, and incredible shows that youth love,” says Gavin Syme, director of marketing and development for the Cache Valley Center for the Arts, which operates Ellen Eccles Theatre. For a smaller, local feel, take your group to the Pickleville Playhouse in Garden City, Utah, on the shores of Bear Lake, dubbed “the Caribbean of the Rockies.”

For more Broadway shows and experiences, groups will enjoy the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada; Pioneer Center for Performing Arts in Reno, Nevada; Arizona Broadway Theatre in Peoria, Arizona; The Albuquerque Theatre Guild in New Mexico; the Colorado Theatre Guild in Denver, Colorado; or Broadway Dallas in Texas.

To indulge your group in the wonderful world of youth theater, visit Rising Youth Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, which aims to “imagine and build the world we want to live in through youth-driven, multigenerational collaboration, and justice-centered artistic process and performance that generates reflection, connection, and action.” For more youth experiences, Minot State University’s Summer Theatre Co. in North Dakota offers a variety of opportunities for shows in a classic outdoor amphitheater.

Take your students to the Roy E. Disney Center for Performing Arts in Albuquerque to experience and explore flamenco, bilingual opera, and theater—the “finest in Hispanic performing arts and film,” according to the venue. Or, head to the C.L. Hoover Opera House in Kansas, “The Jewel of the Prairie,” for local talent and traveling artists.

For a combination of Broadway, youth theater, classic Western, and summer theater, students will enjoy Fort Peck Summer Theatre in Fort Peck, Montana. The theater hosts an annual performing arts camp for youth and produces an annual Theater for Young Audiences touring production. The production is, explains Andy Meyers, artistic director for the theater, “designed to educate and enlighten youth, with a goal to bring visibility, excitement, and awareness about the performing arts.”

By Maya Mackinnon

Main Image Credit: Adobe/Kozlik Mozlik