“I’d like to sing a little ode, about my good friend Toad,” they sang while looking over the lyrics to the song.
The children are performing in the Youth Education on Stage’s “A Year with Frog and Toad” from July 8-10. This summer’s set of productions, with “Summer Shorts 4: Celebration“ that ended Thursday and “CATS” from July 22-24 are happening during a milestone year for Youth Education.
Twenty-five years ago, two men created the event with the dream of exposing children and teens to the performing arts. The idea is to give youth hands-on experience in theater with drama, dance, music, costumes, props and sets. This provides self-confidence while making friends, developing hidden talents and having something fun over the summer.
Co-founder Jack Dyville said he and co-founder B. Michael Quale saw the need for such a program because at the time, there wasn’t much opportunity for youth in the performing arts. Dyville had come to Williston from New York about 25 years ago as the director of a company that performed for benefits, including Williston’s Mercy Medical Center. Dyville had been in theater in New York for many years and ended up staying in Williston for 20 years.
He moved back to New York five years ago and returns to Williston every summer for Youth Education and working with the Miss North Dakota Scholarship Pageant.
Quale has a degree in English and sociology with a theater minor from North Dakota State University. He’s involved with Entertainment Inc.!, the Miss North Dakota Scholarship Pageant and other theatrical organizations. Quale lived in Watford City when Youth Education was created and moved to Williston 16 years ago.
“That’s my career, theater,” he said.
Throughout the years, Youth Education has been successful not just because of its founders, Quale said. Music teachers, theater professionals, members of the community and parents have all made it a success with their support and contributions, he said.
“It’s not just a two-man operation,” Quale said.
Some who have participated in Youth Education have gone on to have careers in theater, and others have studied theater in college, Dyville said. In addition, the program is seeing second and even third generations of participants, Quale said.
It’s exciting to see children who start out as first- or second-graders in the program and go on to more demanding roles as they get older, Dyville said.
“We have kids that started as the third tree on the left when in second grade move on to leading roles,” Dyville said.
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