Youth theatre lands grant funding

The Lake Superior Youth Theatre has been awarded a $3,000.00 grant for scholarships and a $7,000.00 challenge grant by the Louis G. Kaufman Endowment Fund for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.  The support will allow the organization to provide scholarships to youth in need of financial assistance and to continue to educate, enrich, and entertain the Upstate community through quality theatrical experiences.  The challenge grant provides a 1:1 match to the youth theatre for funds raised up to a match of $7,000.00.

Lake Superior Youth Theatre is now an arm of the award-winning Lake Superior Theatre, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization working toward creating quality live performing arts in Marquette County.

For the past fourteen years, Lake Superior Theatre and for the past ten years, Marquette Youth Theatre have produced and presented more than 200 quality theatre workshops and productions for young people, community members and visitors. Both organizations have returning students, actors, beaming parents and cheering audiences to prove it. The Marquette Youth Theatre was formed in 2000 to provide theatre opportunities for youth in Marquette County and the surrounding area under the City of Marquette Arts and Culture Department. Youth theatre is starting its tenth season under a new name, Lake Superior Youth Theatre, and remains committed to its original goal and mission: to educate, enrich and entertain our community by providing a quality theatrical experience.

“Not only does the Lake Superior Youth Theatre present twofull scale theatrical productions a year, but also provideseducational programming and special events throughout the year for ages preschool through 12th grade,” said Nikke Nason, LSYT Artistic Director.  “This funding helps us to continue offering and expanding those programs.”

Since the transition in October 2012, the youth theatre has already produced a fund raiser concert, Annie Jr. full scale musical at Kaufman Auditorium, Blueberry Festival Talent Show in downtown Marquette, The Mouse That Roared play at Lake Superior Theatre, various workshops and community presentations, formed a board of directors and directly served over 250 youth along with utilizing 120 volunteers.

Friends of Lake Superior Youth Theatre will be hosting a fund raiser event on Thursday September 13th from 7-9 p.m. at the Lake Superior Theatre Boathouse located at 270 Lakeshore Blvd.  The evening  will feature entertainment by youth theatre graduates and current participants, the Fourtissimo Quartet, desserts, champagne, and a special beer brewed by Black Rocks Brewery.  Entertainment will be provided by  youth theatre graduates, current participants, and the Fourtissimo Quartet.  This event will cost $25 per person and RSVP’s can be made by calling (906) 250-8497 or emaillakesuperioryouththeatre@gmail.com  by Saturday September 8, 2012.

Local residents can see how the Louis G. Kaufman Endowment Fund grant and local matching funds are benefitting the Lake Superior Youth Theatre by visiting their website, www.lsyt.org (premiering mid-September), Facebook: Lake Superior Youth Theatre, emailing lakesuperioryouththeatre@gmail.com or calling the Youth Theatre offices at (906) 362-6453 to begin receiving their mailings.

The Lake Superior Youth Theatre iswill be holding a free audition workshop on September 15th and auditions October 5-7th for Disney’s The Little Mermaid which will be presented January 25th & 26th, 2013 at Kaufman Auditorium.