Youth Players Program

Welcome to the 2022-23 Season!

Registration is now open! Click here to register! 

Wondering if the Youth Players Program is for you?

*Do you love theatre?
*Are you between the ages of 12 and 17?
*Are you interested in all aspects of theatre…..acting, directing, design, stage management, technical theatre etc.?

If you answered yes to any one of these, then the Youth Players Program Program is perfect for you!

About the Program

Theatre; Just Because (T;JB) is once again proudly producing the 2023-23 program hosted at the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts and presented by the Friends of the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts (FoSECPA). This program gives new and experienced theatre artists the opportunity to develop and hone their skills in a fun and safe environment.

The 2022-23 Youth Players program will provide a broad foundation of the various elements of theatre arts. Students will receive education in acting, directing, design, and technical theatre. This experiential education will culminate in a final production of Dolcevita or The Clown Chorus of the Carnival del Dolcevita Proudly Presents the Sad Tale of the Turbinado Triplets by Briandaniel Oglesby.

About the Play

When our story begins, the Turbinado triplets are already orphans. Zeppelin accident, you know. And now the clownish Chorus spins the sad tales of Amalia-Tamalia, Jayce-Marie, and Nic Turbinado, triplets separated to lead lives so different, it’s like they come from different eras.

A chance meeting at the carnival their parents used to work at starts a tradition of reuniting once a year – which is shattered when the differences between the siblings become too great to handle.

And for many years, the siblings live their own lives. Nic, whose impoverished life is like a roller coaster, grabs his boyfriend and hits the road – which hits back. Amalia, the invisible one, leaves her middle-class upbringing to embrace a life of con-artistry, falling in unrequited love with someone who wants to make history as a bank robber. Meanwhile, non-binary Jayce-Marie lives in the massive family estate that feels like the worst parts of a funhouse, eventually becoming the caretaker for the elderly family matriarch.

Fee Schedule

2022-23 Youth Players Program Schedule

Rehearsals will run:
Sundays 2:00pm-5:00pm and Tuesdays 6:00pm-8:00pm

Fall Dates:

Sunday November 6, 13, 20, 27
Tuesday November 8, 15, 22, 29
Sunday December 4, 11, 18
Tuesday December 6, 13, 20

Winter/Spring Dates
Tuesday January 10, 17, 24, 31
Sunday January 15, 22, 29
Tuesday February 7, 14, 21
Sunday February 5, 12, 19, 26
Tuesday March 7, 14, 21, 28
Sunday March 5, 12, 19, 26

Performance Schedule (Times TBD)

About the Instructors

BAILEY YARKIE

Bailey Yarkie is an educator and theatre artist in Wood Buffalo. She has received nominations for theatre and arts education awards by the ACWB. Bailey has been involved with Theatre; Just Because for 6 years, and currently acts as its Artistic Director. She has appeared as an actor in Theatre; Just Because, Keyano Theatre, and independent productions.

Bailey Yarkie has worked with the T;JB Youth Players program for 4 years as a facilitator on productions including “A High School Horror Story”, “An Evening of Commedia” and “Almost, Maine”. She has taught workshops for adults and youth on improv, ensemble, and collaborative storytelling. She worked as a supervisor at Theatre Alberta’s Artstrek for four years. She holds a degree in education, and works with the FMPSD.

EMMA CARTER

Emma Carter is an interdisciplinary artist living in Wood Buffalo. Her poetry, plays, and prose have been published in The Warren and This Side of West magazines. She has won awards for her writing, acting, and directing. In 2017, she was an Artist in Residence with the RMWB.

She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria and she takes great joy in teaching performing arts through Theatre; Just Because. When she’s not instructing with TJB, she is the Assistant Manager of UpTown! at SECPA.

Program Rules:

• Please bring a water bottle
• No hoodies or shirts with inappropriate/offensive slogans. Participants must wear a clean pair of indoor shoes. Participants must wear pants they can move in – leggings/tights are acceptable. Tight/restrictive jeans are not encouraged.
• Lateness/Absence: All participants are expected to arrive between 5 and 10 minutes prior to rehearsal. All classes/rehearsals begin precisely on time. Three absences are grounds for dismissal from the program. Unexcused lateness will be treated as an absence. Any foreseen absence should be shared with the instructors at least with one month’s notice.
• Materials: Participants will be expected to bring their own notebook and pencil for every day in the program. Depending on the nature of the participant’s character in the production, they may be asked to pull from their own wardrobe for the costume collection. Participants will be provided with a script that they will be expected to bring every day in the program.
• Safety: Theatre; Just Because is dedicated in maintaining a safe working environment which includes respecting the physical, mental, and emotional boundaries and well-being of the participants and instructors alike. More information about the Theatre; Just Because Harassment Policy can be found online (theatrejustbecause.com).