Creative Youth Productions (CYP) and the Mentoring From The Inside Out program are joining forces in a production at The Little Theatre of Newtown on Sunday, April 29, at 2 pm.

CYP has been active for the last five years under the direction of Newtown resident Donna Sue DeGuzman, who has a long history with theater programs for youth in the Bridgeport area.

Operating out of the Boys and Girls Club, the members of CYP write their own work as well as direct it. Youth leaders are assigned to different aspects of the performances. Ms DeGuzman consults with these leaders regarding choices and changes in these productions.

"They amaze me!" declares Ms DeGuzman. Many people, she said, underestimate what kids can accomplish. She has found that, when faced with big challenges, they meet and exceed expectations. It is with tremendous gratitude that she says that the members of CYP just keep showing up and working hard.

In her many years of teaching theater to Bridgeport youth, Ms DeGuzman has worked with hundreds of children from ages 10 to 20. All have graduated high school and many have gone on to college.

Participants are required to do well in school and stay out of trouble in order to continue in the program. Ms DeGusman feels, she says, that it is because they are a part of something that engages and inspires them that they perform well elsewhere.

Mentoring from the Inside Out is a program developed by fellow Newtown resident Elizabeth Young, founder of the nonprofit Theatre Arts & Opportunities, Foundation, Inc. The program provides a chance for inmates in the theater classes at Garner Correctional Institute, which Ms Young also co-directs, to write plays that are mentoring in nature. The work addresses issues and challenges faced by children today.

By offering guidance, those who are most familiar with the consequences of choices can help steer kids onto paths that lead to a productive and fulfilling future. The work is inspiring for the playwrights and valuable for the performers, as well as entertaining for audiences, according to Ms Young.

Ms DeGuzman and Ms Young are excited about this collaboration and look forward to future productions together, as their philosophies are closely aligned. Budget cuts in Bridgeport have diminished the role of the arts in schools. Organizations such as theirs provide creative opportunities to new thespians so they can develop their talents and learn from others as they create theater. Young people everywhere benefit from active participation in the arts, the women believe.

For April 29 performance, Mentoring From The Inside Out will feature letters written by the performers to family members. Each letter is followed by a short play by one or two of Garner CI Players.

One piece focuses on a smart young student who has trouble facing challenges until he meets a kind stranger.

The second one is about a young man trying to get his life back on track, who gets an earful when he visits his lively grandparents following a stint in prison.

The third piece is a poem set to music with a modern dance performance.

The CYP performance is the first act of a longer production that addresses budget cuts in schools and the risks kids face without something to do after school that inspires them.

There is no charge to attend. Donations will be accepted, and divided between Town Players of Newtown, which owns the theater where the program will be taking place, and CYP and Theatre Arts & Opportunities.

The Little Theatre is at 18 Orchard Hill Road. For additional information call 203-270-9144.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-316198" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Town-Players-to-host-Creating-Youth-Productions-Mentoring-performance-group.jpg" alt="Town Players to host Creating Youth Productions-Mentoring performance -- group" width="800" height="600" /]

Young adults participating in Creative Youth Productions (CYP) and Mentoring From The Inside Out programs join CYP Director Donna Sue DeGuzman, standing fourth from left; Ken Anderson, center, co-director of an upcoming performance in Newtown; and Elizabeth Young, developer of the mentoring program. The public is invited to a free performance planned for April 29 in Newtown.

-photo courtesy Elizabeth Young

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