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A Sheridan Arts Foundation Program

Since 1999, the historic Sheridan Opera House has been home to the Sheridan Arts Foundation’s Young People’s Theater (SAFYPT), a diverse and flourishing center for young thespians that enrolls more than 250 children between the ages of 2 and 18 each year.

With an emphasis on child-centered learning that caters to individual’s needs, our curriculum ensures an educational process that nurtures both cognitive and creative growth. SAFYPT upholds the philosophy that dramatic learning experiences should be non-competitive, and we do not require auditions. Young people at varying levels of ability and experience are invited to embark upon extraordinary journeys of wonder, discovery and imaginative delight.

YPT FAST FACTS

Enrollment

YPT is a non-competitive, first-come, first-serve after school program. We are not audition based. Every child who wants to participate in YPT can!

Deposit & Tuition

We require 25% of tuition as a non-refundable deposit to reserve your spot in class. When signing your child up through the link below, you will be asked to pay the 25% deposit, and you can choose to create a payment plan or pay in full. You will also be asked to electronically sign our parental agreement. Payment in full is due by the first day of the class. You may pay via credit card online. If you would like to pay with cash or check, please call 970.728.6363 ext. 2 to sign your child up.

Scholarships

YPT ensures that cost is never a barrier for kids to participate. The Sheridan Arts Foundation awards over $8,000 in scholarships annually to families who need financial assistance; in addition to scholarships, YPT works with families for tuition deduction through work-trade and volunteer opportunities at the Sheridan Opera House!

Click to Register

 2023-2024 Young People’s Theater Season

Registration is open!

 

Disney’s Aladdin JR. (Grades 6,7,8) $650.00

Performances: December 15,16,17

Rehearsals: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays 3:30-5:00 beginning Monday, September 18

Disney’s Aladdin JR. is based on the 1992 Academy Award®-winning film and the 2014 hit Broadway show about the “diamond in the rough” street rat who learns that his true worth lies deep within. Aladdin and his three friends, Babkak, Omar, and Kassim, are down on their luck until Aladdin discovers a magic lamp and the Genie who has the power to grant three wishes. Wanting to earn the respect of the princess, Jasmine, Aladdin embarks on an adventure that will test his will and his moral character.

 

Mean Girls (Grades 9,10,11,12) $650.00 WAITLIST ONLY

Performances: February 2,3,4

Rehearsals: Mondays through Thursdays, 3:30- 5:00 beginning Monday, December 18

Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady and her friends devise a “Revenge Party” to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. Adapted from Fey’s hit 2004 film, Mean Girls was nominated for a staggering 12 Tony Awards.

 

Finding Nemo KIDS (Grades 3,4,5) $450.00 WAITLIST ONLY

Performances: May 3,4,5

Rehearsals: Mondays & Thursdays beginning Monday, February 12

Disney’s Finding Nemo KIDS is a musical adaptation of the beloved 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo, with new music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves.

 

*We will not be offering Adventures In Acting for grades K-2 this fall. Please check back in the next few months for details on our spring session!

 

*Scholarships are available! Please fill out the attached forms you will receive with your confirmation email upon registration.

TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID:

Financial Aid applications are processed electronically when you register your child through our regular registration process. After you have registered your child, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to necessary financial aid paperwork. You are required to provide the first 2 pages of your 2021 Tax Return and our SAFYPT Personal Financial Statement. All financial aid application documents are due one month before the first day of class.

IF PARENTS HAVE FILED TAXES SEPARATELY, EACH PARENT MUST SUBMIT THEIR INDIVIDUAL TAX RETURN AS PART OF THE APPLICATION.

Meet Our SAF Young People’s Theater Artistic Director Leah Heidenreich

Leah has been at the forefront of Telluride’s beloved Young People’s Theater for over six years, and she is so grateful to call this her job. Bringing theater education to kids from preschool through high school, Leah has extensive experience with  kids of all ages, and she passionately believes in YPT’s purpose to expose as many children as possible to performance art. Leah also created the Sheridan Arts Foundation’s NOT-So Young People’s Theater, an annual community musical that invites people of all ages to participate in a community theater production every fall.

Support Young People's Theater

Donate and watch our virtual programming

The Sheridan Arts Foundation has awarded more than $164,000 in scholarship awards to Telluride’s youth since the program’s inception. Additionally, we subsidize all tuition prices to keep them affordable for all families.