Using the Arts to Address Social Issues
YEA continues to produce heart-stopping, powerful original musical dramas created by young people to tackle the challenges they face in their daily lives. These performances have been enjoyed by critics and audiences for more than twenty years on three continents.
If you are interested in bringing YEA to your venue, event, or city, please call us today or send your proposal to touring[at]youthensemble[dot]org. We regularly create custom projects to meet the needs of our touring clients.
Focus: Self-love and Understanding
Time: 2hrs with Intermission
B.L.A.C.K. explores the innocence of a time once so simple. What happened? All the rules have changed and who’s controlling the game. Are you ready for the next level? YEA will soulfully sing and dance you into enlightenment.
Focus: Issues faced by young girls
Time: 2hrs with Intermission
Endangered Species revolves around the journeys of five souls as they explore what life would be like for a black woman growing up in America. Through a series of vignettes, including Baby Mama Drama, Battered Black and Blue, Gold-Digger’s Rules, Too Much and Dance with My Father, the newly reincarnated black girls collect their “baggage” and continue to face life’s little devils who challenge their better instincts at every turn. Endangered Species is not about being a victim, bashing men, or blaming the “man”. It is about empowering women and society to stand up for the right choices and make the changes needed to help ease the path a little for everyone who comes behind us
Focus: Love
Time: 2hrs with Intermission
Written and sung in the key of Love, Jekonni’s Song is an emotional roller coaster that hears, believes, hopes and endures all things. This phenomenal production features music that transcends funk, jazz, country, classical R&B and rap, capturing the essence of an ordinary melody in extraordinary style. Jekonni’s Song, a story of love will leave you with a song on your lips, a swing in your hips, a message on your mind and a change in your heart!
Focus: Teen Pregnancy
Time: 2hrs with Intermission
How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? Forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?
This beautiful song of David is a cry from the innocent. A plea from a child, a prayer for mercy, grace, and love. Today, this song is sung not by kings and royalty, but by the humblest members of our society– our youth. Young people are the future of this world, and the struggles facing them are crucial to their eventual success or failure as citizens of tomorrow. Psalm 13, brings their explosive energy to the topic of teen pregnancy. The kids are singing for themselves, spreading a message of warning and a beacon of hope to all.
Focus: Child Abuse
Time: 2hrs with Intermission
This dramatic theatrical production unlocks the doors that hold our deepest and most hidden emotions. It says the days of “speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil” are long gone. In Rhymes and Reasons, we see “lost kids”, young people who are afraid to speak out against social and political conditions which are devastating their very existence, coming together to support, educate, and encourage each other to do the right thing…TELL SOMEBODY.
Focus: Youth Violence
Time: 2hrs with Intermission
This powerful production explores many issues of youth violence and positive youth empowerment. School House Rocks examines the dynamics which influence a typical day in an inner-city public school. The story takes us to places we have never dared to go. Experience the honesty of youth who are making a difference.
Focus: Apartheid and Empowerment
Time: 1hr 30mins. No Intermission
Soweto is a powerful contemporary dramatic production written to acquaint young people with the social and political structure of Apartheid South Africa. This riveting play is the ultimate commemoration of the death of Hector Peterson, the first youth to die in the Soweto uprising of 1976. This play, filled with song, dance and rhythms of South Africa is definitely a must see production for all young people entering the 21st century.
Focus: AIDS and Sexuality
Time: 2hrs with Intermission
Times is an engaging musical which explores youth issues and concerns surrounding HIV/AIDS, sexual identity, self-respect and responsibility. This production takes us to another level of understanding and relating to the disease. It is the goal of this production to remove the fear and ignorance associated with AIDS. The passion and honesty of this production are beyond belief!
Focus: Speaking out on the issues we turn a blind eye to in the community
Time: 2hrs with Intermission
Created as part of our 20th Anniversary celebration, YISI brings to the surface all those issues we have been trying to sweep under the rug for generations. When a group of pants-sagging teens are the first encounter for an alien invasion, they are offered several opportunities to confront the realities of the world around them. After failing to see the truth and being threatened with annihilation, only History has the power and strength to step in and save them from their demise.