Young People's Theatre facts for kids
| Address | 165 Front Street East |
|---|---|
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°39′00″N 79°22′08″W / 43.65000°N 79.36889°W |
| Type | Theatre |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1888 (stables) |
| Renovated | 1977 (theatre) |
Young People's Theatre (YPT) is a special theatre in Toronto, Ontario. It creates and shows plays just for young people. YPT also has arts education programs. About 150,000 people visit YPT every year.
Susan Douglas Rubeš started YPT in 1966. It first operated from the Colonnade Theatre. Since 1977, YPT has been in a beautiful old building in downtown Toronto.
YPT has two stages at 165 Front Street East. These are the Ada Slaight Stage and the Nathan Cohen Studio. They put on about eight plays each year. Herbie Barnes became the Artistic Director in 2021. Camilla Holland became the executive director in September 2024.
Contents
The History of YPT
How YPT Started
Susan Douglas Rubeš began the Museum Children's Theatre in 1963. Her first YPT show was The Looking Glass Revue in 1966. It was at the Colonnade Theatre.
Moving to a New Home
Before its current home, YPT performed in many places. These included the St. Lawrence Centre and the Ontario Science Centre. The company also toured plays to schools. In 1977, YPT moved to its current building. The first show there was The Lost Fairy Tale.
The Drama School and Famous Faces
YPT started a drama school in 1969. It has locations in Downtown Toronto and Etobicoke. Many famous actors have performed at YPT. These include Martin Short and Megan Follows. Celebrities like Drake and Kiefer Sutherland also attended YPT's Drama School.
Name Changes and Gifts
In 2001, the theatre was renamed. It became the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People. This was after a big donation. In 2011, the theatre changed its name back to Young People's Theatre.
The Slaight family gave a large gift in 2015. This helped create the Ada Slaight Education Centre. In 2022, another gift from the Slaight Family renamed the main stage. It is now called the Ada Slaight Stage. In 2016, YPT offered free tickets to new Syrian refugees.
Recent Updates
YPT started a big expansion project in 2020. They bought a new building across the street. It is called YPT 161 Studios. The main theatre also had major renovations. These updates were finished in September 2022.
The YPT Building
A Building with a Past
Young People's Theatre is in a historic building from 1887. It is in Toronto, Ontario. This building was once a stable for horses. These horses pulled streetcars in the late 1800s. It was also an electrical plant and a warehouse. The building was empty for many years.
From Stables to Stage
In 1977, the building was renovated. Architects transformed it into a theatre. It got a large main stage and a smaller studio. YPT received an award in 1979 for saving and updating this landmark. The award was from the Toronto Historical Board.
Modern Upgrades
In 2020, YPT began a $13.5 million project. This expanded the theatre complex. The renovations were completed in 2022.
Artistic Directors
- Susan 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 and Recognition
YPT has won many awards for its amazing work:
- 76 Dora Mavor Moore Awards
- 13 Chalmers Children Awards for playwrighting
- Toronto Arts Foundation Arts for Youth Award, 2016
- Ontario's Lieutenant Governor's Award for the Arts, 1998
- Award of Merit, Heritage Toronto, 1979
