Youth Actors Academy of Lincoln Inc

Our mission at YAAL is to take theatre to youth and bring youth to theatre. There are no boundaries to our mission. Regardless of circumstance, if a child wishes to participate, we will find a way to get them involved. We believe in being inclusive with no winners and losers, just friends.  We routinely welcome children with disabilities in our productions and classes, and we have served youth with disabilities ranging from autism to traumatic brain injury. Every child deserves the experience and benefits of participation in live theatre.

So far this year:

We have awarded 10 need-based scholarships - and we aren't even half-way through the year!

We've welcome children with disabilities into all of our classes and shows. We've included children with autism, blindness, anxiety, and built a ramp for those wheelchair-bound. We are committed to doing whatever we can to make all children feel safe, comfortable, and included

We have a free, non-auditioned children's chorus directed by an LPS certified music teacher - 38 children representing schools citywide participated and they've performed at Barnes & Noble, the Lincoln Children's Museum, and at a Lincoln Haymakers game.

We've had a filmmaking class taught by an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, in which youth pitched, scripted, acted, shot, and edited a short film which premiered at the Ross Theatre in Lincoln. This class had national equipment sponsorship and is the first of its kind for this age group in the region.

We have taught after-school theatre clubs at Rousseau, Maxey, Cavett, and Adams Elementary.

We maintain a low teacher:student ratio 1:8 - one of the lowest in the region - so we can give more individualized attention.

Coming up:

We have already awarded multiple summer scholarships to youth that would not be able to participate otherwise.

We are producing four productions this summer, as well as providing theatrical enrichment opportunities, and engaging summer camps. We strive to be on the forefront of choosing both exciting and educational material for our students.

We continue to have three LPS certified teachers on our instructor staff, along with other experienced directors and instructors, in order to expose youth to a variety of teaching.

We keep our tuition costs affordable by keeping our administrative and overhead costs low. All day to day operations - administrative, construction, and maintenance - is done by volunteers.

AND WE ARE NOT EVEN HALF-WAY THROUGH THE YEAR!