YPTW..."A Special Place" 
In 1978, Donna Peck and Bob Moore set out to
establish a children's theatre wing of The Players Club of Swarthmore. In that
first year they taught a few core classes and put on a small production of Snow
White. Then as each year passed, the workshop grew and was
redefined over and
over again by the teachers and the students. However, one basic philosophy has
never changed. YPTW is about learning about theatre while learning about
ourselves. Children who are involved in theatre learn to use their imaginations,
to celebrate differences, to reach out to an audience and to one another and to
gain self-confidence through taking risks. Many of the YPTW staff members are
certified teachers. We spend Monday to Friday with children. Yet we all
recognize that our time spent with these 
students is somehow different. We get
to watch these children grow over a period of years. Many students start with
YPTW in grade school and stay through high school. Some even come back to teach
or help backstage after graduation. But even if a student's visit to YPTW is
short, they will leave with a greater knowledge and appreciation of the theatre
arts and perhaps of themselves.
One of our alumni, Brian Lowdermilk,
wrote a song for our 25th anniversary gala.
The chorus sums up much that is YPTW:
"In this place no one’s left behind
In this place no one’s going to laugh or tell you you can’t fly
This is how we learn that walls can give
This is how we learn that dreams should live
And light each child’s face
In this place”
Copyright (c) 2003-2008 YPTW Inc. All rights reserved.