Organization History and Scope of Activities
Main Street Youth Theatre began as the Hilton Head Community and Youth Theater in the early '90s. Productions were staged at the community playhouse located in Dunnigan's Alley. Several years later it was re-incorporated as the Main Street Youth Theater and moved into its current location at 3000 Main Street on the North end of the island.
The Main Street Youth Theatre was founded with a goal to create a family-centered community-based theater where the performers are local children, parents and community adults. Our mission includes an objective to educate young local performers in all aspects of the theater, and to encourage family involvement in this activity. By exposing youth to a true theatrical experience, the Main Street Youth Theatre provides an avenue to increase their self-esteem as well as enlighten and educate them through the power of live performance.
Main Street Youth Theatre produces 5-6 full scale musicals per year, averaging 25 children in each cast between the ages of 7 -18. Recent past productions include; The Sound of Music, Annie, Oklahoma, The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Oliver, High School Musical and Peter Pan. Our annual attendance is over 10,000 and includes local families as well as many visiting island tourists. We also offer after-school classes and summer camps in drama, music and dance. Parents of cast members are encourage to participate in the youth theatre experience both on stage and backstage. It is not unusual for performances to include parents and their children as cast members or siblings as cast members. And, for those family members who may be stage shy, there are plenty of other ways they can showcase their talents backstage.