When the Young Artists Ensemble started in 1981 it was a small group performing on a shoestring budget in the back room of a local park. We’ve come a long way since then.

Today the Young Artists produces an annual Family Theatre Season Teen Summer Musicals, and a series of plays by younger performers under the banner Hillcrest Players. Our audiences (and sometimes even our staff members) are constantly amazed at the production quality of our shows. The YAE has truly made its mark in the Conejo Valley by instilling a seed of love for the arts in the youth of our community that continues to grow and blossom throughout their lives. Yearly we provide opportunities for hundreds of kids between the ages of 7 and 19 to perform in well-known musicals and plays. Our audiences include local families and theatre supporters adding up to about 6000 theatre-goers annually.

The program is jointly presented by the Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD) and the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley (ACCV), with assistance from the Alliance for the Arts and the Conejo Valley Unified School District. CRPD pays the administrative staff and some technical staff. The directors, stage hands, orchestra conductors, and other program leadership positions are paid from ticket sales, fees and donations. More than 100 volunteers help in raising funds and implementing the programs.

For more information, visit www.YAEonline.com