Honolulu Theatre for Youth Collection

Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY), Hawaii's only professional theatre company, is dedicated to producing high quality theatre experiences and drama education for Hawaii's young people and their families. Each season HTY offers a broad spectrum of plays, from adaptations of children's literature, to children's favorite folk and fairy tales, to plays focusing on contemporary social issues and the diverse Pacific-Rim cultures. HTY tours at least one show annually statewide to the five neighbor islands. The drama education program provides materials, workshops, and classes for teachers and students. HTY has provided international outreach programs and has toured to American Samoa, Australia, Micronesia and Okinawa.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth was founded in 1955 by Nancy Corbett, Creative Drama Director for Honolulu's Department of Parks and Recreation. In May 1959, the theatre was incorporated as a non-profit cultural and educational institution and a Board of Trustees was established to represent the local Hawaiian community and provide governance and oversight of policy and finances. During the mid-70s, HTY became a professional theatre and began employing a resident acting company.

Jane Campbell served as Managing Director from 1977-2001 and Producing Director from 1997-1999. Louise King Lanzilotti became the Managing Director when Campbell retired.

After receiving financial support from CETA (the United States Comprehensive Education and Training Act) in the mid 70s, a series of directors have contributed to the growth of HTY's Education Department, namely Karen Yamamoto Hackler, Brian Clark and Daniel A. Kelin, II. This Department provides workshops, residencies, and special partnership projects for schools and teachers, as well as a range of classes for children and young people that teach basic drama skills, playwriting and experimental theatre. Its playwriting classes include the Pacific Young Playwrights, a 15 year program for high school writers, and a NEA sponsored workshop for local prose and poetry writers.

HTY continues its commitment to the development of new plays that reflect the Hawaiian community's experiences and concerns in new and fresh ways that will enrich the American theatre's multi-hued constituency. Nearly one third of HTY's productions have been world premieres.

HTY works primarily through the public and private school systems in the state. 85 percent of all elementary school children in Hawaii see at least one HTY production a year. HTY reaches out to all children in the state regardless of race, economic condition or geographic location.

HTY's many honors include the 1962 CTAA (Children's Theatre Association of America) Winifred Ward Outstanding New Children's Theatre Company Award, the 1982 ATA (American Theatre Association) Jennie Heiden Award, and the 1986 AATE (American Alliance for Theatre and Education) Sara Spencer Artistic Achievement Award. In 1995 Daniel A Kelin II received the AATE Youth Theatre Director of the Year Award.

In 1999 HTY changed to a management trio that consisted of the Managing Director, Artistic Director and Director of Drama Education. HTY is a member of: the American Arts Alliance, AATE, ASSITEJ/USA (international professional theatre for youth association), Hawaii Alliance for Arts and Education, Hawaii Consortium for the Arts, Hawaii State Theatre Council and Theatre Communications Group (TCG).

For more information regarding HTY, visit its website at http://www.htyweb.org