Right before the 2023 YEProject began I wrote this: It is now July of 2023 and the news keeps popping up on my screen: Fires in Canada affecting air quality, bills being passed restricting human rights, theatres closing. I struggle to keep my center. I am continuing to learn to live in the right now and yet band together to effect the future. I am excited about the upcoming Intensive. Doing the daily list of things to get everything in order, checking in with all of the moving parts and phenomenal people coming from near and far to contribute and being so grateful for such amazing folks. Again, I am consciously finding that balance between wanting every amazing person and group I know to come and play and knowing we need time in the group to do that thing that we come together to do: connect.

Things heated up even more. The Intensive came together. We did it. We connected and explored we played, (I cried) and we laughed. We made it through the challenges, the adventures and the drama of devising. The YEP’sters performed and used their voices to reflect the world around them. We had friends and family from out communities supporting the YEP’sters as well as professional support from the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte! We even had multiple students from previous years attend the performance!

Does it get any better than this?

We are now looking toward the future of YEP. Stay tuned….