Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare
March 1 - 24, 1984
Avery Theatre, Wadsdworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT
Youth Theatre Unlimited was a non-profit theatre that operated from 1973 to 1985 in Hartford, Connecticut. About Romeo and Juliet: Shakespeare's timeless tale set as an interracial love story. The show ran for three weeks at the Avery Theatre in Hartford. The cast of over 30 came from throughout the Greater Hartford area and featured Tyron Leggett of Hartford and Lisa Petruzzi from Southington. Rehearsals were held in the former D'Esopo Funeral Home.
Click here to view the program.
Artistic Staff
Director..................................................................Clay Stevenson
Choreographer/Asst. Director.........................................Stephen Semien
Set Design…...............…...............................................Linda M. Glass
Lighting Design.......................................................Vincent G. Boucher
Sound Design and Composer............................................Kenneth W. Steen
Costume Design.........................................................Lani Beck Johnson
Costume Design............................................................Kenneth Mooney
Click here to view the entire program
Productions
The productions of Youth Theatre Unlimited.
Kids Are People Too (1979, two performances, 331 Wethersfield Ave. Hartford)
Untitled Summer Tour (1981, Hartford Parks Tour)
Antigone (1982, The Old Place and Tour)
Magic Minstrels, Myths and Masks (1982, Hartford Parks Tour)
Bits and Pieces (1983, Library Tour)
The Sign in Sydney Brustein's Window (1983, The Old Place)
David and Lisa (May 1983, The Old Place and Tour)
Traps - Htfd Contemporary Dance Co. (December 1983, Bushnell Church, Hartford)
Romeo and Juliet (March 1984, Avery Theatre, Hartford)
Sorry, Wrong Number (1984 Summer Youtheatre)
The Radio Station (1984 Summer Youtheatre)
Rebel Without A Cause (1985 Tour and Benefit)
Untitled Summer Tour
History of the Theatre
The Institute for the Study and Development of Youth Theatre (ISDYT) was founded in 1973 as a non-profit arts organization. ISDYT conducted ongoing research programs in the classroom application of creative play, dramatics and movement. This research was funded by the American Alliance for Arts Education, a division of the Department of Health Education and Welfare (HEW), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and local foundations.
At first, ISDYT was exclusively a teacher-training organization and a consulting agency at their first home on the campus of Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford, Conn. ISDYT also provided arts-in-education services in teacher classrooms, as well as in-school performances by individual artists. ISDYT taught teachers how to use theatre activities in the classroom. One successful teacher workshop was known as the "School is Theatre" program.
In 1979, ISDYT moved to its second home at 331 Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford Conn., across the street from Bulkeley High School. By this time, the organization was being headed by Director Phyllis Robinson and Assistant Director Alida Jay (one of the founders of Oddfellows Playhouse in Middletown CT. An Open House was held in the new space on September 19, 1979, featuring a performance by mime/circus artist David Tabatsky who was a regular member of the teaching faculty of ISDYT. At about this time, ISDYT began offering acting classes for area youths after school and during the summers. Soon thereafter, students were given the opportunity to put their training into practice in the presentation of live theatre productions. Click here for a program from a production entitled "Magic Minstrels, Myths and Masks."
In 1980 the name of the company was officially changed to Youth Theatre Unlimited. Alida Jay left YTU to move to Norway. The administration was reorganized with Phyllis Robinson taking on more of a fundraising role as the Development Director. Constance Washburn ran the day to day operations as the Managing Director.
In 1982, YTU moved their offices to "The Old Place", on Kinsey Street in Downtown Hartford. The Old Place was the original home of The Hartford Stage, which moved into a new theatre at 50 Church St. in 1977. The Old Place became YTU's home base for offices and productions until it was torn down in 1984. The theatre sat approximately 225 people around a thrust stage that had been carved out of a supermarket basement.
Clay Stevenson was hired as Artistic Director in 1982. His first YTU production was the Classic Greek tragedy, Antigone. The show toured area schools, in addition to its limited run at The Old Place.
Some of the cast included Denise Collins in the title role, Billy Yousman as Creon, Thomas Desrocher as Haemon, Wayne Pretlow as Teiresius, the blind prophet, and Wendy Bobbit as Ismene.
Click on the following links to view newspaper articles about the Antigone production: Hartford Courant,
West Hartford News,
Hartford Woman Magazine, March 1982 and
Northend Agent.
The next YTU production was David and Lisa, which ran at The Old Place from April 2 - May , 1983. The play followed the struggles two teenagers being treated at a psychiatric treatment center. Arthur Kulpanowski performed the lead role of David Clemens, while Heather Hornyak and Hilary Weinig shared the role of Lisa. Other notable performances included Billy Meegan as Dr, Swinford and Deborah Reynolds as David's mother. The cast also featured a large ensemble cast of teens. The play toured to area schools following its run at The Old Place.
Click here to view the program from David and Lisa.
The photo below is Hilary during a rehearsal of the play.
In 1983 Clay Stevenson began The Performers Workshop as the adult training and performance component of YTU. They produced Lorraine Hansberry's The Sign in Sydney Brustein's Window in January at The Old Place. Plans for a second production never materialized. 1983 also saw the departure of longtime Director Phyllis Robinson, who moved to Hawaii, and Constance Washburn. Alan Neal Levy took over as Executive Director and The Old Place was demolished in the Fall of 1983. (The last play performed in the space was the first show of the newly formed Company One.)
December 20, 1983 was declared "Youth Theatre Unlimited Day" by Hartford Mayor Thirman Milner. A reception was held at Bulkeley High School in Hartford, and featured performances from HCDT, The Performers Workshop, and numerous classes.
It was also announced at that time that YTU would be undertaking its largest production to date: a March 1984 production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Click on the following link to view an entire web page devoted to that production:
Romeo and Juliet - web page with photos, program and press clippings
Camp YTU was held during the summer of 1984. Classes in all aspects of the theatre arts were held in the studios of the Mark Twain Masquers on the campus of the Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford. Click here to view the promotional flyer for Camp YTU.
The final production presented by Youth Theatre Unlimited was Rebel Without a Cause. Click on a link to view an entire web page devoted to that production. The show was toured to approximately 12 area schools. Two evening performances were also held.
In its last days, attempts were made to merge YTU with Peace Train to try and save both organizations from their financial woes. When this effort failed, Youth Theatre Unlimited officially suspended its operations on March 13, 1985.