Christian Youth Theater (CYT) is an after-school theater arts training program for students ages 4-18. Since its founding in 1981, CYT has grown to be the largest youth theater program in the nation, with Branches across the country training thousands of students a year.

Each local program conducts three ten-week sessions (Fall, Winter, and Spring) teaching drama, voice, dance, and specialty theatrical workshops at weekly two-hour classes. Enrolled students have the opportunity to audition and perform (or work behind-the-scenes) in a Broadway-style musical performed for the community. CYT also offers summer camps for kids ages 4-18, where they will spend a week learning musical theater skills resulting in a showcase performance for family and friends!

CYT stands in the forefront in its commitment to the highest ethical, moral, technical, and artistic standards of excellence. Instructors are professionals, qualified in teaching and/or performing, who understand our mission statement, values, objectives, and goals.

In 2021 an independent board of directors was vetted and voted on by the leadership of all CYT Branches to assume responsibility for the organization’s governance.  A key priority for the new board was the development of a comprehensive safety system that includes the programs, training, and resources available on this page. The Safety Scene program goes well beyond background checks in it's work to prevent, detect and respond to physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse in CYT programming.  The Safety Scene is currently active and available to all CYT branches across the country.
 
Any act of abuse is unacceptable and stands counter to CYT’s beliefs. CYT is committed to maintaining a community where all participants can work and learn together free of harassment, misconduct or abuse of any kind, including verbal, emotional, physical and sexual.

Classes
CYT offers classes over the course of three sessions during the school year: Fall, Winter, and Spring. Weekly classes last for two hours and run for ten consecutive weeks. A variety of classes are offered in drama, voice, dance, and specialty classes that vary per session. Class sizes are small and offer supervision both inside and outside the classroom.

Parents send their children to CYT classes to learn, and that’s exactly what they will do! At the end of a CYT session, your student will come away with a new or improved skill in the area of emphasis. During the last week of class, a high-energy Showcase is presented by each class to show other students, family, and friends all they’ve learned.

Shows
CYT shows are always appropriate for the entire family and are an excellent way to introduce children to the arts at a young age!

CYT produces one Broadway-style musical each session. Enrollment in CYT classes provides students (ages 8-18) the opportunity to audition for their affiliate’s current production.

Students not cast in the show are encouraged to participate in other ways. Depending on age and ability, students (and siblings) can participate on the backstage crew, technical team, or the costume and makeup committees.

Camps
Week-long musical theater day camps are offered during the summer months for students ages 4-18. Typical camps include team competitions, drama, dance, music, and craft workshops, theme-related devotionals, and an impressive concluding showcase for family and friends.

CYT Summer Camps are all about fun, friendships, and theatrics. Camps are great yearly tradition for your child!

Programs
There are many ways to be part of CYT beyond the stage! CYT programs consist of everything that is not a class, camp, or show. Some of the available programs include CYT@school, HYPE, Improvathon, and the yearly CYT EXPO.

In 1980, Paul & Sheryl Russell had the dream of bringing wholesome family entertainment to their community. Along with a small band of theater-loving friends, they mounted a fully-staged production of The Sound of Music in San Diego, CA to a surprising audience of 5,000.

One year later, they started an after-school theater arts program specifically for youth ages 4-18. Their first show, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, had a cast of 24 students and the rest is history.

Nationally, CYT has grown to be the largest children’s theater organization in the country with more than 38 locations in 25 different cities and enrolling 18,000 students annually.