Thankful to community for supporting YTN | Letter

Published 10:00 am Friday, May 6, 2016

We are a group of high school students who have spent many years performing at Youth Theatre Northwest (YTN), and we want to express our thanks to YTN and the amazing staff and parents who support it.

We have all been in multiple YTN shows. Sometimes, we have lead roles, and sometimes we are in the ensemble. Regardless of our role, we learn something with every show. We keep returning to YTN because of the amazing experiences we have had.

YTN is a place where everyone is welcome. The atmosphere is much like a family, and many of us consider YTN our second home. YTN is also a place where we are challenged. We are expected to perform as professionals and maintain a disciplined atmosphere. We are often given roles that stretch our capabilities, and we grow as actors and as people.

When many of us started at YTN, we were very shy. The community at YTN helped us get out of our comfort zones, meet new people and gain new experiences. Mercer Island is very focused on sports, and YTN provides a more creative environment. We are thankful to this community for supporting YTN and giving us a place to grow up and have a second family.

Jeff Parkinson, Katie Parkinson, Claire Ingalls, Shelly Dean, Annika Evens, Josh Tanzer, Connor McKenna, Sophie Kelly-Hedrick

Mercer Island