Northern Stage’s Youth Ensemble Studio is an eight-month program designed to provide unique access to exceptional theater education for young people in grades 7-12. Company members participate in group days at the theater with post show discussions and monthly master classes with cast members and creative teams of the main stage productions. The Youth Ensemble Studio rehearses and performs three productions throughout the course of the academic school year, culminating in a fully-produced musical on the main stage at the Barrette Center for the Arts.
Registration for the 2018-19 YES program is closed.
Master Classes/Group Days at the Theater:
Oslo – Sunday, October 7, 1:30 – 8:30 PM
Dear Elizabeth – Sunday, October 28, 1:30 – 7:15 PM
Matilda The Musical – Sunday, December 2, 10:30 AM – 5:15 PM
Venus Rising – Sunday, February 17, 1:30 – 7:30 PM
Buyer & Cellar – Sunday, March 10, 1:30 – 7:00 PM
Once – Sunday, April 28, 1:30 – 8:00 PM
Fall Community Engagement Project
A theatrical exploration of protest, activism, and immigration inspired by Katherine Paterson’s novel, Bread and Roses, Too
Created by members of YES, inspired by the book by Katherine Paterson
Directed by Hannah Ferguson, Zachary Gottschall, and Virginia Ogden
YES partners again with the Vermont Humanities Council’s Vermont Reads program, using Katherine Paterson’s book Bread and Roses, Too. Under the direction of theater artists Hannah Ferguson, Zachary Gottschall, and Virginia Ogden, YES students will engage, challenge, and inspire audiences while learning to create an original piece of theater using music, movement, and community conversations.
Rehearsals September 24 – October 12, 2018
Performances in the community:
October 13, Wilder Club & Library, 78 Norwich Ave, White River Junction, VT 05001, 2 PM
October 14, Socialist Labor Hall, 46 Granite Street, Barre, VT 05641, 10 AM
October 14, Howe Library, 13 South Street, Hanover, NH 03755, 2 PM (Note that the Howe will be closed on October 14, other than for this performance. Please use the lower entrance.)
Performance at Northern Stage:
October 15, Byrne Theater at Northern Stage, 6:30 PM
Age Advisory: recommended for ages 12 and above.
Winter White Box: Scenes from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Based on the novel by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens
Directed by Amanda Rafuse
15-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain: he is exceptional at mathematics but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. Now Christopher stands beside his neighbor’s dead dog, Buster, who has been speared with a garden fork. Christopher is determined to solve the mystery of who murdered Buster, a decision that takes him out of his ordered life and upturns his world. The 2015 winner of the Tony Award for Best Play, Curious Incident… is “a beautiful, eloquent, dazzlingly inventive show about the wonders of life” (Evening Standard). During Winter White Box productions, Ensemble members explore the world’s greatest plays in a studio setting, highlighting process and honing technique.
Rehearsals January 21 – February 7, 2019
Performances in Schleicher Rehearsal & Education Studio at Northern Stage: February 8 – 10, 2019
Spring Musical: World Premiere of Pete(Her)Pan, Jr
*Junior Edition World Premiere*
Book by Melvin Tunstall III
Music by Michael Thurber & Douglas Lyons
Lyrics by Douglas Lyons
Incubated by New York Theatre Barn (Joe Barros, Artistic Director)
Our fourth annual Spring Musical not only brings YES members’ training to the next level with a professionally-produced musical on the main stage, but for the first time we are proud to introduce a brand new musical to the American theater! Pete(Her)Pan is the classic legend of Peter Pan and Wendy as seen through the eyes of Wendy’s precocious and daring daughter Jane. Inspired by her mother’s stories of non-stop adventures in Neverland, Jane longs to find an adventure of her own. Imagination runs as wild as the Lost Boys in this retelling of a timeless tale with an eclectic and exciting score. Pete(Her)Pan reminds the kid in all of us that anyone can be a hero.
Rehearsals: February 23 – March 21, 2019
Performances in the Byrne Theater at Northern Stage: March 22 – 24, 2019
A NOTE ON REHEARSAL SCHEDULES:
YES rehearses Tuesdays*- Thursdays 3-8 PM, Saturdays & Sundays 10 AM-5 PM
*Winter White Box may include Monday rehearsals
Dates and times subject to change based on rehearsal needs.
Registration and Tuition
2018-19 YES Tuition is $600. This tuition covers participation in six group days at the theater (master classes, pizza parties, main stage performances, and post-show conversations), as well as one performance project (Fall Community Engagement, Winter White Box, or Spring Musical). If you wish to participate in more than one project, there will be an additional registration fee of $300 per project.
Scholarship and Payment Options
In an effort to ensure our programs are accessible to all, Northern Stage offers need-based scholarships for the YES program. Scholarship applications are now closed. We are grateful to lead donors Michael Aycock and Barry Baker, our Education Fund donors, and our entire family of supporters for making YES scholarships possible.
If you do not need a scholarship but have questions about payment options, please contact Susan Dicken.
Refunds and Cancellations: Please note that Northern Stage is not able to offer refunds. If you have any questions about your order, please contact the box office before purchasing.
Questions? Contact the Box Office at boxoffice@northernstage.org or (802) 296-7000.