As its tenth and busiest year gets set to begin this fall, Yellow Door Theatre Project is opening its doors this Wednesday and Thursday, August 28 and 29 for an open house registration event.
It’s a chance for newcomers to discover more about the charity arts organization’s programs, explore the studio, meet YDTP’s instructors, and consider signing up for classes, says founder and artistic producer Andorlie Hillstrom.
New this year is a Devised Theatre program for children aged eight to 11, running on Thursdays at YDTP’s Line 2 location in Virgil.
Devised theatre is a collaborative process whereby performers create a new work without a pre-existing script, often developing the storyline from prompts.
The Goettler Film Academy for ages 13 to 17, which was launched last year with the help of the Goettler Family Foundation, returns this year in two forms. Hillstrom tells The Local that there will be an intake of new students who will be introduced to the basics of filmmaking, from scriptwriting and directing to filming and editing.
“The kids did a great job last year,” Hillstrom says. “This was the first year for them to learn how to operate a camera, how to do storyboards, to set up shots and to use different lenses. Their teachers (Carter Vahrmeyer and Eden Kennedy) were excellent, too. Their final short films were really good.”
Kennedy will be working with the new participants while Vahrmeyer will guide those returning from last year’s class for the debut of level two of the academy. It will build on the skills they learned last year, adding instruction on audio basics, so the students can learn how to score a film. Hillstrom hopes to submit final productions from this class to a few short film competitions.
Of course, Yellow Door’s main focus has always been on musical theatre. That hasn’t changed, as Kennedy and co-instructor Julia Celleti will be teaching the very popular Musical Theatre program for ages eight to 11 and 12 to 14 on Tuesday evenings.
The program introduces youth to the world of musical theatre, whether they have previous experience or not, in a fun and engaging learning environment. Students participate in drama games, ensemble music activities, and dance exercises, fostering their creativity and helping them to develop their performance skills.
There’s also the Acting for the Stage program for ages 11 to 14 on Thursday evenings. Instructor Katie Ryerson, who has appeared in productions across the country, will lead students through skills such as script analysis, character development, and scene study.
For the youngest aspiring performers, there’s the Pre-School Music & Movement classes (ages two to four) on Thursdays with Samantha Uhl, who will encourage creativity through the basics of rhythm and movement. Uhl will incorporate instruments like bells and drums as the little ones dance to Disney hits and more.
Finally, Yellow Door offers Recreational classes for students aged two to 17 who are likely exploring theatre and acting for the first time.
“Involvement in the arts helps kids develop a sense of self-worth,” Hillstrom says. “It helps them get over insecurities. We give them a safe environment where to explore and try things out. They gain friendships in a social context and are supported for their particular interests.”
Hillstrom claims that kids who thrive in this kind of program often feel more comfortable speaking in front of a class by giving them tools to work with.
“This is also a way for kids new to theatre to learn about our performance program, too,” says Hillstrom. “Those children often end up coming out to audition and become part of our productions.”
As for those productions, Hillstrom has decided to go big for YDTP’s milestone tenth year.
“We’re expanding to a three-show season this year,” says the excited Old Town Niagara-on-the-Lake resident. “We’ve divvied up the year. We’re in rehearsals right now with the junior and teen companies concurrently.”
Those rehearsals will lead to performances of The Little Prince by the junior company, while the teens will take on Into the Woods. Those productions will take place in November and December at yet-to-be-determined dates.
“We used to do a full company production in December,” Hillstrom adds, “but we’ve moved that to the spring. That one will be Beauty and the Beast. It’s a year where we’re trying to gather steam for this new routine and what we want to see happening for the upcoming years.”
And she promises the summer camp program, which saw 50 kids rehearsing for and performing Seussical Jr. at the First Ontario PAC last month, will return in 2025.
Reflecting on the ten-year history of Yellow Door, Hillstrom admits she is often in awe at how so many kids have developed into talented performers through their programs.
“These children just showed up on our doorstep,” she marvels. “They have become incredibly gifted. Every year there is new talent continually improving and getting better and better. I’m pretty pleased with all of that.”
The registration open houses are Wednesday and Thursday this week from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Registration can also be done online at https://yellowdoortheatre.com.