At 17 in his last year of highschool, Artistic Director Alessandro Costantini started YES Theatre alongside Mary-Ann Belowos, Daniele Muscolino and a team of dedicated and passionate local Sudburians in order to produce HAIR at the Sudbury Theatre Centre.
The impetus behind the project was a profound desire to cultivate a community and space for emerging artists. Season 1 was nothing short of miracle, with the company raising over $40,000 from the community and HAIR becoming a smash success.
YES Theatre (then Youth Entertaining Sudbury) catapulted into becoming a prolific and long standing arts institution in Northern Ontario, producing over 20 large scale musical works, creating its own Orchestra, Youth Program, and a New Works Program.
YES was anchored by people; emerging artists, their parents, friends and neighbours. The company became a beacon for connection and renowned for aesthetically and ethically distinct productions of beloved theatre pieces.
In the spring of 2022 YES Theatre and the Sudbury Theatre Centre entered into a partnership season, which, after tremendous success, resulted in the amalgamation of the companies into the present day organization.
It has the power to connect, inspire and generate community. We work in a specific form coined “Citizen Artistry”; utilizing artists from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. Those who live, work and play in our community and who believe in the value of artistic connection. We fundamentally recognize that artistic excellence is inseparable from community involvement and therefore our entire ecosystem -artists, volunteers and patrons – is rooted in meaning making and most importantly, relationship.
Relationship to the material.
Relationship to the artists.
Relationship to the spaces.
“I believe that regional communities are the bedrock of our nation’s cultural identity. Creating vibrant artistic ecologies in communities like Sudbury is paramount to the survival of this art form. We must empower the next generation of artists to critically examine and re-define what it means to be a professional artist. How do we make the theatre an integral pillar of our society? This is the principal question that we look to answer through our work…. And to have a blessed bountiful time.”
Immerse yourself in a year packed with powerful performances, captivating stories, and unforgettable moments. Join us at YES Theatre and let your imagination soar!
