Young Shakespeare Players
About
Year-Round Shakespeare Theater for Kids and Teens
Young Shakespeare Players (YSP) is a non-profit Madison theater program founded in 1980 that invites youth ages 7 to 18 to perform full-length, unabridged original works by Shakespeare, G.B. Shaw, and Charles Dickens at its own playhouse on West Lawn Avenue.
Programs for Kids and Teens
No auditions, no rejections. Any registered young person receives one or more substantial speaking roles. Offerings include:
- Full-length Shakespeare productions
- G.B. Shaw and Charles Dickens productions
- Year-round rehearsals and performances
- Substantial speaking roles for every participant
- Veteran actor track for ages 14-26
- Adult track for ages 18+
What's Included
- Dedicated indoor playhouse at 1806 W Lawn Ave
- No-audition inclusive casting
- Long rehearsal cycles building toward full productions
- Mixed-age ensembles
Experience
Rigorous classical-text immersion uncommon for kids' theater - young performers tackle unabridged Shakespeare, Shaw, and Dickens with substantial roles regardless of experience level, learning text and stagecraft over multi-month runs.