Debut Theatre Company is one of the few theatre companies in the western United States that involve students directly in all aspects of the craft. We divide our students into troupes based on age and experience. The troupe structure allows students to performing on stage as characters, but they also gain experience with backstage leadership and responsibilities involving sets, lighting and historical research of the classic stories they produce.
Our goal is for young people to experience, learn and create their own expression in both the performance and technical aspects of live theatre “hands on” and as a community. We believe that pride and confidence grow from active involvement in the arts and that being a part of something bigger than yourself can change the way a person views themselves and the world.
Many of our students were first exposed to theatre as DTC audience members. Seeing their peers create a show, they too imagined their possibilities within the craft as designers, builders, stage managers and performers. These are not only the audience members of the past, they are the audience members of the future, for Debut as well as all the arts organizations in Fort Collins. This excitement for the arts began as a spark when they first took their seat in the theatre, is growing into a flame as they experience being students and performers at DTC, and will burn brightly long after they leave our classrooms and stages.
“Growth as an actor and as a human being are synonymous.”
– Stella Adler –