Young People's Theatre facts for kids
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| Address | 165 Front Street East |
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| 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) |
The Young People's Theatre (YPT) is a special theatre just for kids and teens in Toronto, Ontario. It's a place where professional actors perform plays for young audiences. YPT also teaches drama and arts.
Every year, about 150,000 people come to watch shows and take classes at YPT. It was started in 1966 by Susan Douglas Rubeš. YPT first opened in a different building on Bloor Street. Since 1977, it has been in a cool old building in downtown Toronto.
YPT has two main 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. The current artistic director, who helps choose the plays, is Herbie Barnes. Nancy J. Webster is the executive director, who helps run the theatre.
Contents
Discovering YPT's History
Susan Douglas Rubeš started the Museum Children's Theatre in her kitchen! Her first big show, Alice in Wonderland, opened at the Royal Ontario Museum in 1963. Then, in 1966, Rubeš put on the first YPT show, The Looking Glass Revue, at the Colonnade Theatre.
Early Homes and Touring Shows
Before finding its current home, YPT performed in many places. These included the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, the Ontario Science Centre, and Toronto's Firehall Theatre. YPT also took its plays on tour to schools all over Ontario. They even toured a play called Inook and the Sun in the United Kingdom!
In 1977, YPT put on its first show, The Lost Fairy Tale, in its current building. YPT also started a drama school in 1969. This school now has four different locations in Toronto.
Famous Faces at YPT
Many well-known actors have performed at YPT since the 1970s. Some of these include Martin Short, Megan Follows, Brent Carver, and Sheila McCarthy. Even celebrities like Drake and Kiefer Sutherland went to YPT's Drama School when they were young!
Name Changes and Big Gifts
In 2001, the theatre's name changed to Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People. This happened after a big donation from Kevin Kimsa, who wanted to honor his mother, Lorraine. But in 2011, the theatre changed its name back to Young People's Theatre.
In 2015, the Slaight family gave YPT a huge gift of $3 million. This money helped create the Ada Slaight Education Centre. It was the largest gift ever given to a Toronto theatre company at that time. In 2022, another gift from the Slaight Family led to the main stage being renamed the Ada Slaight Stage.
In 2016, YPT was one of several theatres that offered free tickets to Syrian refugees who had just arrived in Canada.
The YPT Building: A Historic Home
The Young People's Theatre is in a beautiful old building from 1887. This building has a long history! It was first a three-story stable for horses that pulled streetcars in the late 1800s. It was also an electrical plant and a warehouse for the Toronto Transit Commission. The warehouse was empty for many years before YPT moved in.
In 1977, the building was renovated by Zeidler Partnership Architects. They turned it into a theatre with a large main stage and a smaller studio. The main stage is now called the Susan Douglas Rubes Theatre. The smaller one is the Nathan Cohen Studio. In 1979, YPT received an award for how well they changed this historic building into a theatre. This saved the building from being torn down. YPT is currently working on a big project to expand its complex even more.
Leaders of YPT: Artistic Directors
The artistic director helps decide which plays YPT will perform. Here are the people who have held this important role:
- 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)
YPT's Achievements: Awards
Young People's Theatre has won many awards for its amazing work:
- 62 Dora Mavor Moore Awards (these are big awards for theatre in Toronto!)
- 13 Chalmers Children Awards for playwriting
- Toronto Arts Foundation Arts for Youth Award, 2016
- Ontario's Lieutenant Governor's Award for the Arts, 1998
- Award of Merit, Heritage Toronto, 1979
