
Fort Wayne Youtheatre is celebrating its 90th season with a brand-new space and new directors to lead it into its next act.
The organization is one of the oldest children's theaters in the nation, having been around and operating continuously since 1934.
What distinguishes it is still further, according to Heather Closson and Christopher Murphy, its executive and artistic directors, respectively, is that, while most children's theaters are theater for kids by adults, Youtheatre is founded on the principle of being theater for kids, by kids
The milestone season, kicked off last fall, continues into the new year with a production of Something Happened in Our Town, which opens Friday, February 21st at First Pres Theater.
WBOI’s Julia Meek discusses the momentum of this pivotal year with the dynamic duo, the staying power of the organization and its impact on the community.
EVENT INFORMTATION:
Fort Wayne Youtheatre’ production of Something Happened in Our Town
First Pres Theater, Fort Wayne
Friday, Feb. 21
7:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday, Feb.22 & 23
2:00 p.m.
Sensory Friendly Performance:
Saturday, Feb. 22
4:30pm
(Touch Tour Begins at 4:00 PM)
Find more information and tickets at the Fort Wayne Youtheatre website.
We should disclose that the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and the Fort Wayne Ballet are underwriters of WBOI

Here is a transcript of our conversation:
Julia Meek: Heather Closson, Christopher Murphy, welcome.
Christopher Murphy: Thank you so much, Julia Meek.
Heather Closson: Yeah, thank you.
Julia Meek: So, you two long-time pillars of Youtheater activity have taken leading roles as this 90th anniversary season unfolds. In a word, how does it feel to be leading this amazing organization into its next act?
Heather Closson: It feels incredible.
Christopher Murphy: Amazing.
Julia Meek: Okay, that's two very positive and very understatedly elegant answers.
Christopher Murphy: (chuckles) Yes, we are thrilled, truly.
Julia Meek: Now, those 90 years of great leadership and community support have really solidified your group and its mission. What are the most important benefits you see now as a result?
Christopher Murphy: Well for me, I always try to approach you theater as not so much a place where we are trying to build an army of Broadway stars, as we are just trying to build better community members, leaders in our community.
And make sure that the soft skills and the hard skills that you learn in theater take these kids to wherever they want to go, whether that's standing center stage on a Broadway theater or, you know, anywhere, even if it's just being the next audience members in the theater.
Heather Closson: Everything is a benefit of being a part of Youtheater, truly, and I love to see the growth that we have in reaching into our community.
It's such an honor to watch people get to participate in theater who may not otherwise have the opportunity to do so. So whether it's coming to see a show with us for the first time, participating in a class or a camp, I think it's wonderful to embrace everybody where they're at.
Christopher Murphy: Yeah.
Julia Meek: Now, Heather, you are no stranger to creative nonprofits, Youtheatre in particular. What makes this new directorship particularly exciting for you from that approach?
Heather Closson: Yeah, my journey with Youtheatre began in 1999. I was cast as a baby angel in the annual production of Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Christopher Murphy: Oh my...that was the last time anyone called her an angel. (all laugh)
Heather Closson: And it was such a wonderful experience for me. I continued to audition for shows, and even if I wasn't cast, I would work backstage. That was actually one of the first interactions that I had with Christopher Murphy.
Christopher Murphy: Don't let her tell this story on the air please. (sighs)
Heather Closson: I'll just say I was working props for a show in which he was an actor. We'll say that.
Christopher Murphy: She thinks I yelled at her. I didn't yell at her. (all laugh)
Heather Closson: But my path just continued. And as I got into high school, I started to explore the technical theater elements more. Running fly rail, running the sound, and that propelled me into studying technical theater as a part of my college degree.
And when I graduated from college, I knew I was coming home, I knew I wanted to be involved in the arts community. So, I came to Youtheatre, and Leslie Hormann welcomed me with a big, warm hug.
And although I've been involved with the organization in a number of ways over the past 10 plus years, it's just such an honor to finally be in this position and to be one of the leaders of an organization that has such a long-standing impact in our community.
Julia Meek: Meanwhile, Murphy as you throw yourself into the artistic directorship, how is working with Heather enhancing your own accomplishments there, do you think?
Christopher Murphy: Oh, this is, this is a golden opportunity. (all chuckle) I will just say there is no one I would rather be on this journey with than Heather Closson.
Heather and I have known each other and been working together for over 20 years. And you know, she is not only one of my dearest friends in the world, she is my most cherished and trusted collaborator in all things creative.
She's the smartest person I know. I respect her so much. It's really an honor to take this journey with her, and I think we have really exciting things in store at Youtheatre.
Julia Meek: It is great to hear the story of how you came together, and hear you now together, talking about this wonderful organization and plans for it. And as you tackle this new year with a great lineup of shows, you are getting ready to do it in a whole new location, actually in residence with the Russ Koehlinger Foundation as a strategic anchor at RKF Studios. What does that mean for you and yours?
Heather Closson: Yeah, for so long, the evolution of Youtheatre has been ingrained in the Arts United Center, and it is a wonderful facility. I used to work for Arts United, and I'm so excited to see that project come to fruition.
It's going to propel our community into the 21st century and beyond! But it's going to be really exciting for us to get to begin to develop our own identity and having a physical location to do so. So, our offices, our classes, our camps, our storage, everything will be centralized in one location.
We can have rehearsals at the same place, offering consistency to all of our participants, starting to build an identity, a physical identity, for the Youththeatre. We'll still perform at other venues, out in the community.
We perform most frequently with the First Presbyterian Theater, and for one of our shows, in collaboration at the Allen County Public Library's theater. So, we're excited to still engage with the community in that way, but just thrilled to have the opportunity to have our own space to grow.
Christopher Murphy: Yeah, you know, the thing with the Arts United Center, as wonderful as it is, is that it is a shared space by so many groups in the community.
And so, you know, this really gives us autonomy over our own space and our own destiny, and it gives us room to breathe and to grow, that we didn't have for a very long time.
Julia Meek: And this seems a very organic undertaking, especially since your new neighbors, the Indiana Musical Theatre Foundation, compliment and interconnect with your youth programs so well. How might it change your scope, if not your vision, do you think?
Heather Closson: I think interconnects is a great word to use, Julia, because so much of our programming begins at really early age.
We offer classes and camp opportunities starting at age three, whereas IMTF, a lot of their programming is geared toward high school, collegiate and adult.
So, we're gonna build great synergy together, I think, and really be able to curate programs in a communal space and familiar spaces to either party but let Youtheatre participants know about the IMTF opportunities that are available and vice versa.
You know, we have interns, if any of their high schoolers or collegiate students want to come intern with our organization. There's a world of possibility there.
Christopher Murphy: Yeah, absolutely. The synergy, I think is a really, really great word for it.
Julia Meek: You are proving there's huge strength in numbers.
Christopher Murphy: Yes, always. Collaboration is key.
Julia Meek: So, okay, 90th season, now that means big productions, which are already proving what's been happening and what's coming next?
Christopher Murphy: Yeah, so we are so excited to be celebrating our 90th anniversary season this year. We kicked things off in the fall with Shuttersome: Tales of Poe, an evening of one-act plays by Edgar Allen Poe, and we just finished the Fort Wayne premiere of the musical Anastasia, which was our Christmas show.
Getting ready to move into a play that we're in rehearsal for right now called Something Happened in Our Town, and then we're gonna wrap things up in collaboration with the Allen County Public Library and that classic book, Dragons Love Tacos, (all laugh) a little something for everyone, truly!
Julia Meek: Well covered, and the Young Heroes of Conscience series, hats off to Gregory Stieber, its creator. You are bringing a new energy to this series, that's the next piece coming up, Something Happened in Our Town. Where do you see this going now, with new input and a new format.
Christopher Murphy: Yeah, that's a program that we're really, really proud of. Like you said, it was founded by Greg Stieber and Leslie Hormann, our old Executive Director, and the whole idea is to do programming that demonstrates to young people just how powerful they can be.
If given the opportunity and the resources, that they truly can change the world. And I in particular love that, because that's the whole idea of Youtheatre, right?
Most children's theaters are theater for kids by adults. Youtheatre is founded on the principle of being theater for kids, by kids, and so the fact that we also get to highlight these plays that tell stories about how powerful young people can be, I think just fits so nicely into our programming, and we owe a lot to Greg.
He's done all of these wonderful plays highlighting people like Ryan White and Ruby Bridges. Now we're sort of moving into a new chapter, and we're doing a play this season called Something Happened in Our Town.
It's based on an award-winning children's book that tells the story of two elementary school children that live right next door to each other, one is black, one is white. They're best friends. And one day there's a shooting in their town.
A police officer, a white police officer, shoots an unarmed black man. And so the play is about how their parents and their families and their teachers and their classmates try to make sense of something that you just can't make sense of.
And so, we're really, really looking forward to telling what we think is a really timely story. We have a wonderful guest director named Marcus Deweese joining us, and a whole host of amazing youth actors that run from, I think, 8 to 18 years old. It's gonna be a really powerful but very entertaining evening of theater.
Heather Closson: It's also about the community relationships that we're building as well. So, we are so fortunate to have a handful of community partners in this.
Fort Wayne Urban League is one of our community partners in the production, and they'll have an opportunity to speak with our students and participate in the talkbacks following the shows as well as United Front. S,o it's a two-way street.
We're hoping to spark a conversation with the community, but we're also pulling in the community resources and sharing them with the students that are involved in these productions as well.
Christopher Murphy: We really want to present a play that will entertain you for an hour sitting in that theater and then spark a conversation when you get in the car.
Julia Meek: Incredibly timely, meaningful, unfortunately, and hats off to Gregory Stieber, who started it all. I'm sure he would approve of such a work.
Christopher Murphy: Yeah, he's the best. He will be joining us as the moderator for our talkback at several performances actually.
Julia Meek: Love it. And on a larger horizon, this community is seeing an impressive increase in its already solid community theater activity. It comes up in conversation over this microphone all at the time, which we do know is born from and fueled by your own Youtheatre. Now, how might this develop even more going forward with everything we're talking about?
Heather Closson: As time goes on, kids continue to grow up and continue to go play important roles in the community. And my selfish hope, because I love Fort Wayne, is that a lot of our youth will choose to stay here and support this community, whether it's the arts or the economy in general, in whatever capacity.
But I'm having lovely conversations with alumni who have gone through the program and move on and move away and continue to think back fondly of their time with you theater, and it's such a joy to learn about all of these stories and to know that the programming and the opportunities and the confidence that Youtheatre has given people continues to impact them to this day.
A lot of that credit, I think we would all agree, can be paid to Harvey Cocks and all of the love and care that he gave the organization. And it's just such a blessing to be able to continue that and propel it into the future.
Christopher Murphy: Yeah, and Fort Wayne does have such a vibrant art scene. I mean, you know, we all say it especially for a city our size, (chuckles) but we really, really do. And you know, we are so proud to be the feeder for that.
Julia Meek: Indeed, you are and thank you. Keep up the good work.
Christopher Murphy: We'll do what we can.
Julia Meek: Meanwhile, there is such a pull on kids and adults in this fast-paced 21st century. Is it difficult to get and keep participants in the Youtheatre?
Christopher Murphy: I personally don't think so. I think kids, no matter how many devices they have in their hands, no matter how many things they have to do and how separated we all are, they will always have a desire to create.
They will always have a desire for community. They will always have a desire to come together and do something big. You know, the same thing that made us love Youtheatre, you know, when we were younger, makes them love it today.
Julia Meek: And the multi-generational support that you have amassed in these 90 years is impressive too and adds to your own fame and reputation and street cred now, of course.
Christopher Murphy: If not fortune. (all chuckle)
Julia Meek: How many second, third and more generations are you seeing on both sides of that curtain?
Heather Closson: We're seeing quite a few, especially when it comes to our audience members.
We'll have people come up and introduce themselves to us following a show saying, you know, I participated in a Youtheatre show or a class back in the 70s, back in the 80s, and I'm, I'm here today with my grandkids, and we're just coming to enjoy a lovely day out at the theater, but I hope to get little Johnny enrolled in the class soon so they can experience the same thing.
So definitely a lot of new faces, which is always exciting, but there are definitely familiar ones as well.
Julia Meek: And how do you continue to rank regionally and even nationally in putting things out and publishing things and connecting. That's something you've been working really hard on. It seems to have gained momentum. How's that working for you?
Heather Closson: I think last year there was a great opportunity with The House, when Todd Espelland was here. He has a great relationship with the team over at Theatrefolk, and so those youth had the opportunity to work with the playwright and develop through that series together.
Christopher Murphy: Yeah, that was a premier production of, you know, a new play. The author came, worked with our kids, and so we're really excited to give them opportunities like that.
You know, Youtheatre is one of the oldest children's theaters in the nation, having been around since 1934. I think we figured out where the fifth oldest in continual operation.
Yeah, just to survive that long and continue to serve our young artists for that long is an amazing accomplishment in itself.
Julia Meek: And of course, having Harvey Cock as your mascot and your mentor and your patron saint.
Christopher Murphy: Our mascot! We should get a Harvey suit that somebody wears around. We keep a portrait of Harvey in the office, and I truly use it as my North Star.
Marcus, who's directing Something Happened in Our Town, told me yesterday, he said, well, you know, while you are on vacation, if I had a problem, I just asked myself, what would Murphy do?
And I said, Well, that's okay, because I wake up every day and I ask myself, What would Harvey do? And I truly use that as my guiding star in how I try to approach my job every day.
Julia Meek And Harvey himself, very early on in his career, had the firm belief that youth theater should be, as you mentioned, by children, as well as for children. He also noted, and that's something that your whole group carried on, people should want to see it because it's good theater, and not because it's kids.
Christopher Murphy: Absolutely. That's exactly right. It should be more than I'm going to this because my nephew, Teddy is in it. I mean, these young artists truly produce amazing work.
I am continually proud. I am continually impressed. And I would certainly encourage anyone if you haven't ever been to a Youtheatre show, this is a great time to come to a youth theater show, because we do have such diverse offerings. There truly is something out there for everyone to enjoy.
Julia Meek: Do the kids realize that themselves, as they are putting these things forward, how amazing they are, and this group is?
Christopher Murphy: Judging from the tears on closing night of most of our shows, I would actually say yes, it's like a therapy group in there some days. (all laugh)
Heather Closson: Oh, goodness, boxes of tissues flying around. (chuckles)
Julia Meek: That's quite something, though, to evoke that kind of dedication and to talent to be developed and execute something like that. Really congratulations to all of you. And as new directors, executive and artistic, if you could add one whole new thing to your agenda, tomorrow, sky's the limit here. What would it be?
Christopher Murphy: If could do anything? I think, honestly, I would just love to see our reach grow.
I would love to see every single youth who wants to have the opportunity to come to Youtheatre, either as an audience member or as an artist, have the opportunity to do that.
If I could buy a fleet of busses and bring those kids down to Youtheatre every day, if I could build a show that I could take into their school and into their community, I would do it every single day.
Julia Meek: Good for you, Murphy and you Heather?
Christopher Murphy: Top that!
Heather Closson: Well, I will provide the bus drivers, which I think is important, to support your pipe dream there. (all laugh)
I think the thing that I would add would be to provide any and all of the opportunities that the students want to have when they participate. A kid will come in and have an interest in playwriting. I wish that I had unlimited resources to bring in the best playwright to come and host a workshop.
Kids come in and they want to learn a very specific style of dance. I wish I had all the resources in the world to bring in those professional dancers from across the world, provide them those educational opportunities and resources that they crave.
I think we do a wonderful job as we are able. But if I'm dreaming pie in the sky, man, I'm bringing everybody from all over the world to Fort Wayne Youththeater. (chuckles)
Julia Meek: And in the meantime, with those 90 years under your Youtheatre belt, what do you hope never changes for your group, your craft and that community you do love.
Christopher Murphy: I hope it never ceases to feel like home, no matter how small it is, no matter how big it is, no matter how little or how much programming there is.
I just always want it to be a safe and welcoming space for every young artist who wants to walk through its doors.
Julia Meek: Heather?
Heather Closson: I hope it always remains theater for children by children. it is, it's such an essential core root in our history.
It's the reason all those years ago, Youtheatre became its own organization, as opposed to just a program of the Old Fort Players. It was providing opportunities for kids to experience every aspect of theater for themselves, and I hope that never changes.
Julia Meek: Heather Closson and Christopher Murphy are Fort Wayne Youtheatre's executive and artistic directors, respectively. Thank you for your dedication and congratulations on your great work, you two. Do carry the gift, and here's to 90 more.
Christopher Murphy: Thanks, Julia, you are our best cheerleader, and we love you.