Alumni Panel

On December 27 an Alumni Panel came to Brattleboro's New England Youth Theatre and spoke to the Professional Track students about their college and professional experiences.

Active NEYT alumni range in age from 18-25 and are involved in theatre in many different gradients of intensity – some are pursuing careers in New York City and Boston, others work in the theatre world in smaller communities, and many are still in college either earning a degree in theatre or a complimentary degree in liberal arts.  They also come from different disciplines in theatre - stage management, marketing, acting, composing, singing and dancing!

NEYT Students were able to ask questions about making the college choice, auditioning, and what happens after college.  Alumni were able to discuss the variety of programs that they had attended and many were loyal to the training they had gone through - whether it was a conservatory program or a liberal arts program.  Alums emphasized that finding the right school is a very personal decision - it is not only ranking and programs, but also the community and culture of the institution that should influence a student's decision.

Also, Pro-trackers were curious what it is like to make the transition from rural Vermont to a big city such as Boston, New York, or any others that the alumni have traveled to.  Alumni confirmed that the cities are the best places to begin, but reasserted the old boyscout adage: "'Be prepared!'  Cities are really different." Noah Smith, who now lives in Manhattan, added "Its best when you can find a place in a city where you can be outdoors, like a park.  Its good to get fresh air."

NEYT - an Accessible Theatre

NEYT is making strides in becoming a more accessible theatre!  This fall we purchased four Assisted Listening Devices (ALDs).  These devices receive a signal from a microphone near the stage and they transmit the dialogue and audio action right to your ear!

And for the first time ever for a main stage production, NEYT brought in two American Sign Language Interpreters for Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka.  In the past only Theatre Adventure Program performances have been interpreted, but it is NEYT’s goal to at least provide one interpreted performance for the holiday show and maybe even the big spring production.

On top of all of that, NEYT offers reserved handicapped parking, seating, and most of the theatre is on ground level.  What is not yet wheelchair accessible are the booth, where lights and sound are operated, and the costume loft, where many of the costumes are made and stored.  There are plans in progress to build an elevator so that we can make the full technical theatre training experience available to everyone.

If you would like to assist in helping New England Youth Theatre become more accessible for people of all abilities and mobilities, please contact our general manager, Michelle, at michelle@neyt.org.  You may also make a secure donation online by clicking here.