Founded in 1978, PYTCo has been around for over 4 decades. Over the course of those 40+ years, the role and importance of the organization has evolved. In 1978, we put on a production of "Oklahoma" at Keuka College. The sets simple, the cast and crew fairly inexperienced at what they were taking on. Fast forward through those decades and we now have professionally trained technicians, actors that have been through out youth camp for years, directors with exceptional experiences. We've evolved and grown thanks to the support of our community.
That is truly what has allowed PYTCo to become the organization that it is today: a strong community. The continued support from the people of Penn Yan, Dundee, Branchport, Yates County and beyond has led us to where we are. For example, back in 2004 we were gifted the Sampson Theatre by the Trombley family. It's their hope, and now ours, that we can restore the theatre to its former glory and bring it back to life. The impact a performing arts center would have on this community is nearly intangible.
Not only will the Sampson Theatre be a physical home for PYTCo, but it will be a venue for traveling shows, concerts, weddings, small conferences, workshops, recitals, classes and more! Our programming offerings will be able to increase greatly.
While the future is bright, let's not forget the current impact we are making. Youth actress and board member Izzy Hinkal states, when asked to reflect on what PYTCo means to her, "It means the world to me I have been apart of PYTCo for almost my entire life." Izzy has acted with us for years and is only 15. This past January she became a member of our board of directors and a non-voting youth representative.
Izzy's mom agrees. When asked about the impact PYTCo has had on her daughters, (Izzy's younger sister Chloe also performs with us) her mom says, "Our girls have been able to gain confidence in front of a crowd, be a part of a great group of people, and gain acting skills!"
Let's keep PYTCo moving forward and making lasting impacts. We'd like to hear from you about what PYTCo means to you.
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