I was 20 years old in February of 2003 when I joined About Face Youth Theatre and I remember the fun and the exciting workshops every Saturday at Broadway United Methodist Church in preparation for the production. I remember passing the candle around and everyone throwing in what was bothering them, acting out stories shared by others, writing scripts and making changes, running through rehearsals and finally the performance itself. August 2003 the theater company performed Up Until Now at The Goodman Theatre, but this year they are up to something completely different. Let me tell you more!
I interviewed Megan Carney and Tony Alvarado-Rivera of About Face Theatre to see what's going to happen this year in the youth theatre program, how AFYT started and how it will be different this year.
'AFYT was started by a team of artists in 1998 who wanted to create a program using theatre and oral histories to empower LGBTQ youth and bridge the generation gap in the queer community. The Chicago queer youth scene was just starting to gain visibility at the time. We took that first year step by step, figuring out a model for bringing a really diverse community together to create a new play,' said Artistic Director Megan Carney.
'The youth theatre is a great place for young people to come and not only gain experience in performance and theatre, but most importantly it's a place where young people can connect with other amazing young people and adult role models,' said Educational Program Assistant Tony Alvarado-Rivera. 'Together we create a space where we value stories, experiences, and ideas. There are few spaces where you can go and be yourself. Everyone is allowed to explore, learn, grow, and have their stories told no matter who they are.'
'Over the years, a lot of youth would share, write, and perform through their experiences in AFYT,' said Carney. 'We want the program to continue to evolve with them, creating new opportunities for their leadership and creative input. This year youth participants and artistic staff are traveling citywide collecting stories—the raw material for the play—from people of different generations, neighborhoods, and identities. It's called Our City, Our Stories. So far. we've met with PFLAG parents, city officials, educators, and lots of youth. It's very exciting to work in this expansive way and, for us, it's one more way to build community through out this bit city.'
The program is for ALL youth (GLBT or straight) ages 14-20 years old. If you are over 20, you can still be part of About Face Theatre. You can be someone they interview for the youth theater or you can get involved with AFYT's internship programs, fundraisers or be a part of the Allies Council. If you want to get involved with About Face Theatre as an actor or a volunteer, call Alvarado-Rivera, (773) 784-8565 x 103.