Young People's Theatre (YPT) is a professional theatre for youth located in Toronto, Ontario. The company produces and presents a full season of theatre and arts education programming, performing to approximately 150,000 patrons annually.[1] Founded in 1966 by Susan Douglas Rubeš,[2] YPT originally operated out of the now-demolished Colonnade Theatre on Bloor Street. Since its 1977–78 season, the company has resided in a renovated heritage building in downtown Toronto.
YPT operates two performance spaces at 165 Front Street East: the Ada Slaight Stage and the Nathan Cohen Studio. It stages an average of eight productions each year. The current artistic director is Herbie Barnes, and the current executive director is Nancy J. Webster.[3][timeframe?]
Rubeš created the Museum Children's Theatre in her Toronto kitchen and opened Alice in Wonderland at the Royal Ontario Museum in 1963. Rubeš staged her first YPT show, The Looking Glass Revue, at the Colonnade Theatre in 1966.[3][4]
Before being located at its current site, YPT staged shows at the St. Lawrence Centre, the Ontario Science Centre and Toronto's Firehall Theatre. The company also toured to schools throughout Ontario, and toured the play Inook and the Sun in the United Kingdom. In 1977, YPT staged its first show in its current location with an adaptation of The Lost Fairy Tale.[3] YPT added a drama school in 1969. As of 2022, the drama school operates at four different locations in Toronto.[5]
In the spring of 2001, the theatre was renamed Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People after a donation of $1.5 million from Kevin Kimsa in honour of his mother, Lorraine. In March 2011, the theatre announced a change back to its original name.
The Slaight family's 2015 donation of $3 million resulted in the creation of the Ada Slaight Education Centre at YPT. At the time it was the largest non-capital gift received by a Toronto theatre company.[8] In 2022 a gift from the Slaight Family resulted in the renaming of the company's Mainstage to the Ada Slaight Stage.
In 2016 YPT was one of a number of theatres offering free tickets to newly arrived Syrian refugees.[4]
The buildingedit
Historic plaque on the building
Young People Theatre's current home is a renovated 1887 heritage building in Toronto, Ontario. This site was a three-story stable for the horses that pulled Toronto Street Railways horse cars in the late 19th century, as well as an electrical plant and a Toronto Transit Commission warehouse. The warehouse sat empty for much of the 20th century before it became the site for YPT. The building was renovated in 1977 by Zeidler Partnership Architects to contain a large main stage (the current day Susan Douglas Rubes Theatre) and a smaller studio (the Nathan Cohen Studio). YPT was given an Award of Merit by the Toronto Historical Board in 1979, "for its imaginative and sympathetic treatment of a landmark that might otherwise have been destroyed".[9] A $13.5 million campaign to expand YPT's complex is currently underway.
^"About YPT - Young People's Theatre". from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
^Csillag, Ron (February 2, 2013). "Creator of Toronto's Young People's Theatre credited luck for her success". The Globe and Mail. from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
^ abcElpa, Ann Marie (March 2, 2021). "Anishinaabe theatre artist Herbie Barnes named artistic director of Young People's Theatre". thestar.com. from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
^ abMaga, Carly. "Toronto theatres welcome refugees". Toronto Star, September 26, 2016. page E4.
^"Young People's Theatre opens new Drama School in east Toronto". www.insidetoronto.com. from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
^Ouzounian, Richard (December 31, 2013). "The actress defined the Toronto theatre scene in the '60s and '70s, founding the Young People's Theatre, which still stands today". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
^"Young People's Theatre opens new Drama School in east Toronto". www.insidetoronto.com. from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
^" Young People’s Theatre opens new Drama School in east Toronto" October 1, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. North York Mirror, Sep 03, 2015. By Fannie Sunshine
^"Torontoist". October 3, 2014. from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
^ ab"Awards - Young People's Theatre". from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
^"Ontario Arts Council Foundation Announces 1998 Winners Of The Lieutenant Governor's Awards For The Arts". www.arts.on.ca. from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
^Torontoist (October 3, 2014). "Ten of Toronto's Unique Heritage Achievements | cityscape | Torontoist". torontoist.com. from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
External linksedit
Media related to Young People's Theatre at Wikimedia Commons
young, people, theatre, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, major, contributor, this, article, appears, have, close, connection, with, subject, require, cle. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia s content policies particularly neutral point of view Please discuss further on the talk page September 2015 Learn how and when to remove this message This article contains content that is written like an advertisement Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view September 2015 Learn how and when to remove this message Learn how and when to remove this message Young People s Theatre YPT is a professional theatre for youth located in Toronto Ontario The company produces and presents a full season of theatre and arts education programming performing to approximately 150 000 patrons annually 1 Founded in 1966 by Susan Douglas Rubes 2 YPT originally operated out of the now demolished Colonnade Theatre on Bloor Street Since its 1977 78 season the company has resided in a renovated heritage building in downtown Toronto Young People s TheatreAddress165 Front Street EastLocationToronto Ontario CanadaCoordinates43 39 00 N 79 22 08 W 43 65000 N 79 36889 W 43 65000 79 36889TypeTheatreConstructionBuilt1888 stables Renovated1977 theatre WebsiteOfficial website YPT operates two performance spaces at 165 Front Street East the Ada Slaight Stage and the Nathan Cohen Studio It stages an average of eight productions each year The current artistic director is Herbie Barnes and the current executive director is Nancy J Webster 3 timeframe Contents 1 History 2 The building 3 Artistic Directors 4 Awards 5 References 6 External linksHistory editRubes created the Museum Children s Theatre in her Toronto kitchen and opened Alice in Wonderland at the Royal Ontario Museum in 1963 Rubes staged her first YPT show The Looking Glass Revue at the Colonnade Theatre in 1966 3 4 Before being located at its current site YPT staged shows at the St Lawrence Centre the Ontario Science Centre and Toronto s Firehall Theatre The company also toured to schools throughout Ontario and toured the play Inook and the Sun in the United Kingdom In 1977 YPT staged its first show in its current location with an adaptation of The Lost Fairy Tale 3 YPT added a drama school in 1969 As of 2022 the drama school operates at four different locations in Toronto 5 Several stage and screen actors have appeared on the YPT mainstage since the 1970s including Martin Short Megan Follows Brent Carver Cynthia Dale Fiona Reid Gordon Pinsent R H Thomson Sheila McCarthy and Eric Peterson 6 Celebrities such as Drake and Kiefer Sutherland also attended YPT s Drama School 7 In the spring of 2001 the theatre was renamed Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People after a donation of 1 5 million from Kevin Kimsa in honour of his mother Lorraine In March 2011 the theatre announced a change back to its original name The Slaight family s 2015 donation of 3 million resulted in the creation of the Ada Slaight Education Centre at YPT At the time it was the largest non capital gift received by a Toronto theatre company 8 In 2022 a gift from the Slaight Family resulted in the renaming of the company s Mainstage to the Ada Slaight Stage In 2016 YPT was one of a number of theatres offering free tickets to newly arrived Syrian refugees 4 The building edit nbsp Historic plaque on the building Young People Theatre s current home is a renovated 1887 heritage building in Toronto Ontario This site was a three story stable for the horses that pulled Toronto Street Railways horse cars in the late 19th century as well as an electrical plant and a Toronto Transit Commission warehouse The warehouse sat empty for much of the 20th century before it became the site for YPT The building was renovated in 1977 by Zeidler Partnership Architects to contain a large main stage the current day Susan Douglas Rubes Theatre and a smaller studio the Nathan Cohen Studio YPT was given an Award of Merit by the Toronto Historical Board in 1979 for its imaginative and sympathetic treatment of a landmark that might otherwise have been destroyed 9 A 13 5 million campaign to expand YPT s complex is currently underway Artistic Directors editSusan Douglas Rubes 1966 1979 Richard Ouzounian 1979 1980 Peter Moss 1980 1991 Maja Ardal 1991 1998 Pierre Tetrault 1998 2002 Allen MacInnis 2002 2021 Herbie Barnes 2021 present Awards edit62 Dora Mavor Moore Awards 10 13 Chalmers Children Awards for playwrighting 10 Toronto Arts Foundation Arts for Youth Award 2016 Ontario s Lieutenant Governor s Award for the Arts 1998 11 Award of Merit Heritage Toronto 1979 12 References edit About YPT Young People s Theatre Archived from the original on October 4 2015 Retrieved September 29 2015 Csillag Ron February 2 2013 Creator of Toronto s Young People s Theatre credited luck for her success The Globe and Mail Archived from the original on September 30 2015 Retrieved September 30 2015 a b c Elpa Ann Marie March 2 2021 Anishinaabe theatre artist Herbie Barnes named artistic director of Young People s Theatre thestar com Archived from the original on June 7 2022 Retrieved June 7 2022 a b Maga Carly Toronto theatres welcome refugees Toronto Star September 26 2016 page E4 Young People s Theatre opens new Drama School in east Toronto www insidetoronto com Archived from the original on October 1 2015 Retrieved September 30 2015 Ouzounian Richard December 31 2013 The actress defined the Toronto theatre scene in the 60s and 70s founding the Young People s Theatre which still stands today The Toronto Star ISSN 0319 0781 Archived from the original on September 30 2015 Retrieved September 29 2015 Young People s Theatre opens new Drama School in east Toronto www insidetoronto com Archived from the original on October 1 2015 Retrieved September 29 2015 Young People s Theatre opens new Drama School in east Toronto Archived October 1 2015 at the Wayback Machine North York Mirror Sep 03 2015 By Fannie Sunshine Torontoist October 3 2014 Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved September 29 2015 a b Awards Young People s Theatre Archived from the original on October 6 2015 Retrieved September 29 2015 Ontario Arts Council Foundation Announces 1998 Winners Of The Lieutenant Governor s Awards For The Arts www arts on ca Archived from the original on September 30 2015 Retrieved September 29 2015 Torontoist October 3 2014 Ten of Toronto s Unique Heritage Achievements cityscape Torontoist torontoist com Archived from the original on October 1 2015 Retrieved September 29 2015 External links edit nbsp Media related to Young People s Theatre at Wikimedia Commons Official website Young People s Theatre fonds R8245 at Library and Archives Canada Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Young People 27s Theatre amp 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