Young Actors' Theatre Camp Celebrates SWEET 16 Season with Huge Stars!

Founding Directors, Shawn Ryan and John Ainsworth, today announced the all star summer line up for The Young Actors' Theatre Camp SWEET 16 ANNIVERSARY SEASON which will include TV, Broadway, and Films most inspirational Actors, Dancers, Singers, Choreographers, Producers, and Directors! This is a summer not to be missed! In honor of this milestone, YATC has made a Video about the Importance of Arts Education starring all of the favorite Master Class Teachers, Campers, and Parents.

- Megan Hilty (Smash, Wicked) - Jim O'Heir (NBC's Parks and Recreations)

- Alex Newman (Casting Dept. of Glee, Supernatural) - Missi Pyle (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

- Laura Bell Bundy (Tony Nominee for Legally Blonde) - JillIan Butler (National Tour of Wicked, Camp Alum)

- Naomi Grossman (FX's American Horror Story) - John Ainsworth (Glee, American Horror Story)

- Shawn Ryan (Bones, America's Got Talent) - James Alsop (Choreographer for JLo and Beyonce

- Alysha Umphress (Broadway's On the Town) & many more to be announced.

Check out a video from last year below:

HISTORY of the Young Actors' Theatre Camp

The Young Actors' Theatre Camp is celebrating 16 Years of inspiring and educating young performers to "Discover and Develop the Artist Within!" Consistently voted year after year as the Bay Area's "Best Overnight Camp," by Bay Area Parent & Parents' Press Magazines & readers, YATC has won multiple awards and was the inaugural inductee into Bay Area Parent Magazine's "Hall of Fame". Co-Founder & Director, Shawn Ryan states, "We're known as the place for all the Drama-tweens and Drama-teens to come each summer. By creating a safe and supportive environment where anyone can express themselves without limits and without fear, in a supportive peer group - that's what's special, and it's something that many kids have said is missing from their daily school lives."

This year is especially sweet, as YATC celebrates two camp alumni who are currently treading the boards on Broadway and on Tour! Bobby Conte-Thornton, star of "A Bronx Tale" on Broadway and Jillian Butler, who is currently on tour with "Wicked" both have formative experiences at the camp as youngsters.

"YATC is a haven that any musical theatre nerd, like myself, would find him or herself very fortunate to experience as an artist and human being," explains Bobby Conte-Thornton, star of "A Bronx Tale" and CampYATC Alumni, class of 2012. "There is no other place like YATC. It is absolute magic!" states Butler, a Brentwood native, now making her the world her home as she travels city to city in the smash hit "Wicked".

2017 also brings the release of YATC's first feature film, "Sleep Away" which was conceived by the camp's Co-Founding Director and Hollywood Producer, John Ainsworth and directed by Master Class Teacher and Hollywood Director Tyler Pavey. The film was shot entirely at the summer camp last summer utilizing the campers as the cast and assistant crew members of the film! Master Class Teachers who were visiting the camp even participated in the filming. Jim O'Heir (Star of NBC's Hit "Parks and Rec") stated, "We're shooting at an actual working camp" and "with a tons of kids who are having the time of their lives! I was blown away!"

The film also stars Missi Pyle (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story), Carlos Penavega (Big Time Rush, Grease Live), Alexa Penvega (Spy Kids), Laura Bell Bundy (Legally Blonde, Tony Nominee) and many more!

"Inspiring kids to express themselves through the performing arts and encouraging them to get out of their comfort zones to try something new and maybe even slightly scary - you can only achieve that if they know that they're safe and not going to be ridiculed for taking a chance or making a bold choice," said Ainsworth. Students take daily classes in music, dance, stage and film acting, even improvisation, a true exploration of the arts which has turned many a first time students into lifelong campers and eventual long-term staff. The Camp boasts a 90% student return rate, with many former campers now studying at Performing Arts Colleges (NYU, Michigan, Boston Conservatory, UCLA and USC to name a few), who jockey for coveted staff positions each summer.

YATC's is located in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains and is designed to fit all experience levels of campers.Registration is currently open at (925)858-3548 or Emailing: Info@CampYATC.com

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