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Youth Ensemble Studio (YES)

Youth Ensemble Studio (YES)

Northern Stage’s Youth Ensemble Studio (YES) offers a wide variety of theater opportunities for young actors in grades 6-12. Throughout the course of the academic year, YES company members develop their skills in acting, singing, dancing, voice & speech, character development, script analysis, problem solving and working as a team. This season our YES offerings include a Fall Showcase, a Winter White Box and a Spring Shakespeare, plus 4 Main Stage Days, where company members spend the day at Northern Stage for master classes with cast members from our main stage productions, a company pizza party, group tickets to the show and a post-show talkback with the artists. The Youth Ensemble Studio is a valuable home for theater kids in the Upper Valley who are passionate about theater, want to bring their skills to the next level and share their talents with the community.

Main Stage Days

Our Main Stage Days begin with master classes led by professional theater artists from around the country, followed by a company pizza party before seeing a Northern Stage production. Finally, after the performance, our students participate in a talkback with the cast to ask questions about the theater industry.

This year we will see 4 Main Stage productions:

Selling Kabul – Sunday, 10/22/2023
A Christmas Carol – Sunday, 12/10/2023
Constellations – Sunday, 2/11/2024
The Play That Goes Wrong – Sunday, 3/24/2024

Registration Fee for Main Stage Days: $300
Financial Aid is available! Click HERE to learn more about our Sliding Scale Tuition Program and additional scholarships

Click HERE to Register for YES, Opening May 29
Click HERE to Register Using Sliding Scale

YES Fall Showcase
Directors: TBD
Cast: YES Actors
View Calendar HERE

The Youth Ensemble Studio productions begin with our Fall Showcase, back for a second year after a hugely successful debut in 2022. Come join us for an evening of musical theater songs and scenes chosen to provide each and every actor with an opportunity to shine. All students will have small group sessions with the project director and a vocal coach, and the company will work together on group numbers. The Fall Showcase is the best opportunity of the year to take a leap forward as a performer and introduces the YES company to our community.  

Rehearsal and Performance Dates: September 12 – October 8, 2023
Registration Fee for Fall Showcase: $300
Financial Aid is available! Click HERE to learn more about our Sliding Scale Tuition Program and additional scholarships.

Click HERE to Register for YES, Opening May 29
Click HERE to Register Using Sliding Scale

YES Winter White Box
Director: Robert David Grant
Cast: YES Actors (high school)
View Calendar HERE

In this new and exciting advanced program, YES students will get the opportunity to devise a completely original new piece in the tradition of Commedia and clown. Improvisation and play are central components to all acting; this project will leave young actors with the experience of openness and reckless abandon that clown instills, teaching them to bring that same confidence and creativity to their other work. Be prepared to move, make a big ol’ ruckus, show off and have fun, maybe too much fun and then some more fun, just for fun!

Rehearsal and Performance Dates: November 28 – December 15, 2023
Registration Fee for Fall Showcase: $400
Financial Aid is available! Click HERE to learn more about our Sliding Scale Tuition Program and additional scholarships.

Click HERE to Register for YES, Opening May 29
Click HERE to Register Using Sliding Scale

YES Spring Shakespeare
Director: Robert David Grant
Cast: YES Actors
View Calendar HERE

YES actors will rehearse and perform a fully produced play from Shakespeare’s Canon. Betrayal, sword fights, togas, magic – Shakespeare has it all!  Past Shakespeare productions have included Richard III and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Rehearsal and Performance Dates: March 12 – April 14, 2024
Registration Fee for Fall Showcase: $550
Financial Aid is available! Click HERE to learn more about our Sliding Scale Tuition Program and additional scholarships.

Click HERE to Register for YES, Opening May 29
Click HERE to Register Using Sliding Scale
Is YES Right For You?
We are looking for actors who are excited for high quality theater training. No matter how advanced you are, each of these projects will challenge you at your level and evolve your skills.
Rehearsal Conflicts
It is essential to have all actors together in the rehearsal room – whether virtual or in person – to create excellent theater. Conflicts are taken into consideration for casting, so all conflicts must be listed on each project’s audition form and may not be added after auditions. If you have conflicts for more than three rehearsals, you must talk to the director to discuss whether your involvement is possible. We hope you are eager to fully participate in YES and that you will reschedule or opt out of other activities to be at rehearsal.
Communication
Theater is about collaboration and good communication is a pillar of this activity. When you sign up for this program, you are making a commitment to clear communication. Parents must check their email regularly and read all the information we send out. We encourage YES students to be actively engaged in email communication alongside their parents.
Scholarship and Payment Plans
In an effort to ensure theater education is accessible to all, Northern Stage offers sliding scale tuition, need-based scholarships, and payment plans for our education programs. To learn more about our new Sliding Scale Tuition Assistance Program, please click HERE.
We are grateful to Janet Miller Haines and Heywood Alexander, Education Fund donors, and our entire family of supporters for making YES scholarships possible. If you would like to set up a payment plan or have questions about payment options, please email boxoffice@northernstage.org.
Refunds and Cancellations
Northern Stage is not able to offer refunds. If you have any questions, please contact the Box Office before registering.
Questions about the program?
Contact Jackie Pageau at jpageau@northernstage.org or the box office at boxoffice@northernstage.org or (802) 296-7000.