July Newsletter
A New Face, A New Production & Student Success
This month, we’re so excited to welcome a new integral team member, reflecting on the magic of Aladdin: Remixed, looking ahead to Hadestown: Teen Edition, spotlighting student success, and celebrating the first-ever YCA Elite Competition Team.
Introducing Olivia Symes
Our New Director of Philanthropy & Business Relations
ACT is excited to welcome Olivia Symes to our team. In her new role, Olivia will help strengthen relationships with community partners, supporters, local businesses, and philanthropic leaders who share our belief in the power of arts education.
Hear From Olivia:
What are you most excited about as you step into your new role with ACT?
What excites me most is building relationships with people who care about making a difference in the lives of young people.
Every conversation is an opportunity to connect someone with a mission. I'm also excited to learn from the incredible team at ACT, meet our students and families, and watch firsthand how creativity and encouragement can shape a person's future.
How will your background and past experiences contribute to your role?
It's a privilege to be part of an organization helping teens discover who they are and who they're becoming. My background has always centered around people.
Whether I was working in healthcare, teaching yoga, volunteering in my community, or helping lead fundraising efforts through parent organizations, I've learned that meaningful relationships are built by listening, showing up, and caring.
I'm excited to bring that same approach to ACT by building authentic partnerships with our donors, businesses, and community members who want to invest in the next generation.
How does ACT’s mission resonate with you?
This mission resonates with me because every young person deserves a place where they feel seen, encouraged, and inspired to dream bigger.
The arts build confidence, resilience, creativity, and communication skills that last a lifetime.
I love that ACT isn't just teaching theater, music, dance, or visual arts—it's helping young people discover their potential, not only in the Arts but in who they are becoming as members of their community and future workforce, giving them the confidence to carry that into every part of their lives.
How do you hope to help ACT expand opportunities for local youth?
I hope to connect more people and raise awareness of the incredible work happening at ACT and the team behind it.
I want businesses, donors, and community partners to see how meaningful their support is—whether they’re giving, supporting our shows, or simply helping share our story.
When people understand the impact they’re making, they’re excited to be part of it.
Every connection and every act of support helps create opportunity for more students to learn, grow, and experience programs they may not have had access to otherwise.
What is something you want the ACT community to know about you as you begin this new chapter?
I hope people know that I'm genuinely grateful to be here.
I'm looking forward to learning from this community, building lasting relationships, and serving ACT in any way I can.
I believe the best work happens when people come together around a shared purpose, and I'm excited to be part of a team that's making such a meaningful difference.
Recapping: Aladdin Remixed
What an unforgettable journey this past month. From the first rehearsal to three incredible performances and over 1,100 audience members, this production was something truly special. Every song, every dance, every scene, and every standing ovation reminded us why we do what we do.
Hear from the director: Darnel Butler:
“As I reflect on the journey of Aladdin: Remixed, I’m filled with so much gratitude and pride. Over the past two months, these incredible young artists have poured their hearts into every rehearsal, every song, every dance, and every moment on stage. They committed themselves to creating something truly special, and they absolutely delivered.
To see our community respond the way they did was beyond anything we could have imagined. Selling over 1,100 tickets across our three performances was an incredible milestone, but what meant even more were the countless compliments, standing ovations, and heartfelt reviews from those who experienced the show. Your encouragement reminded our students that their hard work, passion, and dedication mattered.
I know this is an experience they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives, and I couldn’t be more proud of every cast member, crew member, volunteer, family, and supporter who helped make this production possible.
We can’t wait to begin the next chapter together as we journey to the Underworld for Hadestown: Teen Edition. The next adventure starts now.”
Coming Next: Hadestown: Teen Edition
Following the incredible success of Aladdin: Remixed, ACT is thrilled to announce our next production — Hadestown: Teen Edition. Hadestown: Teen Edition is a full-length, authorized adaptation of Anaïs Mitchell's acclaimed folk opera. It retains the haunting, contemporary retelling of the ancient Greek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as Hades and Persephone. This powerful musical brings a bold and moving story to life through music, performance, and the unique voices of our young artists.
Performances: September 26 & 27, 2026
Congratulations to the Cast of Hadestown: Teen Edition!
The wait is finally over, and we are beyond excited to officially introduce the incredible cast that will bring Hadestown: Teen Edition to life this September!
To every student who auditioned—thank you. We were absolutely blown away by the talent, passion, preparation, and heart you brought into the audition room. With 114 incredible applicants, this was one of the most difficult casting decisions we’ve ever had to make. You should all be extremely proud of yourselves.
Congratulations to Our First-Ever YCA Elite Competition Team
After an incredible day of auditions this past month, ACT is beyond excited to officially announce our inaugural YCA Elite Competition Team, with 25 students selected. The level of talent, preparation, passion, and dedication we witnessed was nothing short of extraordinary. Every student who auditioned brought their unique artistry, creativity, and heart into the room, making the selection process incredibly difficult. We are so proud of every young artist who stepped out of their comfort zone and shared their gifts with us. As members of YCA Elite, these students will represent Arts Conservatory for Teens at competitions, performances, masterclasses, and special opportunities throughout the year. We cannot wait to watch them grow as artists, leaders, and performers.
