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-The Monterey County Gives! team.
The mission of Hartnell College Foundation is to cultivate resources to champion student success.
For 39 years, The Western Stage’s Young Company offered theater programs for K-12 students, preparing young artists for future roles in the arts and other life pursuits.
Unfortunately, the program has been on hiatus since 2013. The Hartnell College Foundation, on behalf of The Western Stage, is seeking support to resurrect the Young Company, with an emphasis on making theater arts accessible to low-income youth in the Salinas Valley.
In 2025, The Western Stage will bring back two components of the Young Company: a matinee performance will introduce 500+ students to theater and a summer SPARK! Camp will provide a fast-paced introduction to performance and technical theater for students ages 10-15, taught by performing arts professionals.
Theater benefits youth by enhancing collaborative communication and problem-solving while building self-awareness and confidence in the art of public presentation. Additionally, these programs foster a sense of belonging and reduce social isolation.
Young Company at The Western Stage is a program I feel indelibly grateful for. This program instilled a foundational understanding of theater, and also taught me that community is a gift. Theater is the most collaborative of the art forms. Within that collaboration, there must be the intention to have clear communication, patience, and a steadfast passion for the art itself. Young Company is what made these pinnacles true… Young Company felt like magic. It was a place to explore my imagination, my artistic skills waiting to be unearthed, and the necessity that is the art of storytelling. I’m lucky to have told many stories at a young aspiring age.
- Pablo Murilllo-Edwards