Christian Youth Theater

CYT Portland, now Journey Theater Arts Group is a radical evangelical Christian group representing the ultra-​conservative agenda of a few Anti-​government, survivalist, homeschooling, 300lb junk food gorging baby factory whackjobs, masquerading as a Youth Theater company.
They provide children with mediocre instruction from unprofessional Theater «enthusiasts», while shaking the parents down for Thousands of Dollars and hundreds of hours of «volunteer» time, all while preaching hypocritical moral platitudes from their bully pulpit.
Never in my life have I experienced such a level of hubris and arrogance from such uneducated, unprofessional idiots.
Don’t plan on receiving any respect or deference for your personal situation should you sign your kids up for one or more of their classes or productions. Christ like humility is a foreign concept to them… their attitude is that you are lucky that they are willing to accept your time, effort and money in exchange for their holier than thou moral browbeating and essentially radical Christian fundamentalist daycare for teenagers and pre teens.
If that sounds good to you, and you have thousands of extra dollars and hundreds of hours of your excess time that you are willing to part with, and you don’t mind being chained to their agenda and theirs alone while your kids are «involved» then by all means sign up!
The rest of us will look elsewhere for a truly theater based program for our kids that does not include fire and brimstone apocalyptic rhetoric and extreme right wing brainwashing as a requirement.

Out of all the youth theater production companies I’ve watched, CYT is definitely my favorite! (There are six at least in the local area, none of which produce as quality a show-​at least over all those I’ve seen through the last four years-​as CYT.) And I was blown away to learn that the kids did everything! Aside from the singing and acting, they even did the scene changes and the lights and even the sound system! Every show I watch (I’m up to number 16 now) impresses me more and more!

My first experience at this theater company occured because my gregarious 8 year old granddaughter tried out for this theater company. After several call backs she got the significantly important role of Lucy without having ever acted a day in her life.
Obviously I had to attend. Imagine my surprise when I found out she had tons of dialogue lines, a couple of group dance numbers, and three solos among the many songs she sung. I had no idea her voice was pitch perfect. My eyes weren’t the only ones that were wet in the audience when she sang.
This 2:25 minute rendition of the play was performed entirely by kids under 18, and for the most part under 14. There wasn’t a flubbed line. Not a single one. All the music was live and done by an all kid orchestra, save a sit in due to an illness. The stage crew, the lighting, and all the rest was handled by kids too.
I figured I could sit through this because of the granddaughter. It was way, way, way better than an obligation. The choreography was terrific, and the pace of the show never lagged a bit.
The granddaughter was awarded the Directors Chair by the Company at a dinner ceremony last night. I’m gonna get posed in that chair. I’ll light up a cigar. Move over Demille! Makeup!
CYT? You betcha!