youth theatre
Youth Theatre:
Summer 2025!
This year due to the wonderfully large group of youth interested in theatre, we've split our youth productions into TWO GROUPS! We will run 2 musicals: the Youth Musical, for ages 8–11, and the Teen Musical for ages 12–19! Our HOPO Production will still include ages 8–18.
These events are sponsored by our good friends at:
NEXT UP! Our HOPO Production:
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon
ABOUT THE PLAY:
The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are turned on their heads in this fast-paced, rollicking ride as two narrators and several actors attempt to combine all 209 stories ranging from classics like Snow White, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel to more bizarre, obscure stories like The Devil's Grandmother and The Girl Without Hands. A wild, free-form comedy with lots of audience participation and madcap fun.
*What is HOPO?
HOPO Productions gets it's name from it's two founders; Stephanie Hoerth and Gretchen Powers. They created HOPO to add an additional youth production, to be rehearsed and performed after the WRCT Youth Production.
Stephanie Hoerth
Director
Our 2025 Youth Production:
Dare to Dream Jr.
Thank you to everyone who supported this adorable production!
ABOUT THE PLAY:
Disney’s Dare to Dream JR. is a 60-minute musical revue that follows an eager group of trainees on their first day at a fictional Walt Disney Imagineering Studio. As the group sets out to help each other discover their dreams, they work together to explore the power of dreams to unite, inspire, and make anything possible. Drawing from a century of beloved Disney films, Dare to Dream JR. features songs appearing for the first time ever in a Disney stage musical, including fan-favorites from The Princess and the Frog, Coco, Encanto, and Frozen II. This musical revue is a thrilling mix of contemporary songs, timeless classics, and brand-new medleys that are sure to surprise and delight Disney lovers of all ages.
Designed specifically for today’s young performers and full of opportunities for ensembles big and small, Dare to Dream JR. turns a century of Disney magic into a theatrical celebration of music, creativity, and the dreams that live inside us all.
Gretchen Powers
Director
Our 2025 Teen Production:
West Side Story
School Edition
Thank you to everyone who supported this wonderful production!
ABOUT THE PLAY:
From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. With additional resources for students and directors, West Side Story School Edition makes the iconic musical more accessible and meaningful for high school performers.
Arthur Laurents' book remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever; the score by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim are still widely regarded as among the best ever written; and Jerome Robbins’ choreography endures as one of the most innovative and inventive applications of the medium.
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is transported to 1950s New York City as two young, idealistic lovers, Tony and Maria, find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the "American" Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.
Susan Becker
Director
Scenes from West Side Story - 2025
Scenes from Dare to Dream - 2025
Midsummerish cast - 2024
Newsies, Jr. cast - 2024
Sleepy Hollow cast - 2024
(Nekoosa Great Pumpkin Fest)
It's a Madhouse! cast - 2024