By: Annie Hart

You may have heard of Your Act Theatrical Company, that is if you went to an adult production of Rocky Horror Picture Show about two years ago, or a college student casted production of Godspell and Murder Ballad around the same time.

Have you heard its name since then? I hadn’t either.

2019 production of You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown                                                                                                                          (With cameo by AAD Kyle Boardman as Snoopy)

This might be because Your Act Theatrical Company switched gears in 2017.

They now only produce shows for the youth, 18 years of age and under. Andrew Kelly, junior arts entertainment and media management major, said the group made this switch because “there are so many opportunities for college kids at Shenandoah, so we wanted to give something to the youth.”

Your Act has become a non-profit educational youth musical theatre company. They desire to create immersive opportunities for young people to express themselves and learn how to be a professional in the world of theatre. Their core value is to always be educating.

This value of education also rolls through to their staff, Andrew Kelly is currently producing the next show for Your Act and got the opportunity to travel to New York City to the Commercial Theatre Institute for a three day producing intensive, all paid for by Your Act.

They truly take care of their staff.

Speaking of staff, the majority of theirs comes from Shenandoah University. It all began with Alex Boyd, a 2018 graduate of SU. He began the concept at home in Ohio before bringing it here when he came to college. Boyd decided to use it as a catalyst to assist his colleagues.

Now, the staff has three main pillars all from Shenandoah University. Alex Boyd, Andrew Kelly, and Kyle Boardman.

As founder and Artistic Director, Boyd recruited Andrew Kelly in 2016 as a production assistant for Rocky Horror Picture Show, Kelly is now Managing Director.

Next, Boyd and Kelly recruited Kyle Boardman, senior music therapy major, in 2017 as a pianist. Boardman is now Associate Artistic Director and is Music Director for most shows.

Your Act Theatrical Company has grown into a pillar for children in our community who want to explore their artistic side. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Winter 2018 Production of Annie

Do you want to support Your Act Theatrical Company?

If you want to do more than attend a show, Andrew Kelly told The Buzz, “volunteer positions are always popping up”.

Currently, the group is rehearsing for Shrek The Musical. There are four potential openings for adult volunteers. If you want to apply, follow the link:

https://www.youracttheatrical.com/voulenteer