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The Young People's Center for Creative Arts was established in 1982 in East Hampton, Connecticut by sixth-grade teacher Mike Mansfield. Mike saw a need for theatrical opportunities in the area as budget-cuts had eliminated many theater programs from the local schools. In 1982, YPCCA presented two shows, Oliver and Cool in the Furnace and had an enrollment of twenty-five students, all of which were from East Hampton. Three years later, YPCCA's summer camp production of Bye, Bye Birdie opened with a cast of over one-hundred students representing towns from throughout central Connecticut. In the years since, YPCCA has continued to flourish. Students at the YPCCA summer camp participate in theater-skills classes as well as rehearsals for a full-length Broadway show. Classes range from Shakespeare and Hip-Hop Dance to Stage Make-Up and Scene-Writing with the developed material presented at the Parent's Night performance. Afternoons at camp are spent preparing a full-length Broadway musical. Past productions have included West Side Story, Once on This Island, Fiddler on the Roof and The King and I. All students are involved in the production. Many of the sets and costumes used in the production are created by the students themselves. In the 1990's, YPCCA began to present productions during the school year. These were designed to raise money for the arts-scholarship fund created in Mike Mansfield's name after his passing in 1989. These shows created new opportunities for community involvement in YPCCA productions as students of the camp combined forces with the general public in producing successful theatrical performances. For twenty-five years we have dedicated ourselves to producing quality theater in central Connecticut. Thousands of children have been exposed to the creative arts through their experience at YPCCA. Most students of the camp go on to pursue careers outside of the art world. However, it is our belief that the skills learned at YPCCA will be invaluable in whatever careers their futures hold. |