■ Slated to disband, Solano group suddenly gets new life

By David Ryan Palmer
Assistant Editor

At the 11th hour, Solano Youth Theatre has been pulled from the brink of closure.

The theater group, which had planned to close down permanently after its current production, “The Wizard of Oz,” ends in late May, was rescued from the threat of going under last week by the Young Artists Conservatory of Music, a Solano and Yolo county group based out of Vacaville.

YACM is a 501 (c3) nonprofit organization, that focuses on musical instruction and live public events.

“I know it seems like it was at the last minute, but we’ve been working covertly, behind the scenes, to make this happen,” said Wanda Cook, YACM artistic director.

Solano Youth Theatre had faced severe budget cuts that would have made it impossible for the group to continue operating out of Solano Community College.

Now, Cook said, YACM will fund the group. But there will be some small changes. “We are going to look at ways to combine and condense,” she said.

“Of course, training and production quality won’t change. Their venues may look a little different. We’re out to make this work financially.”

Cook said bringing together YACM’s focus on music and SYT’s dramatic pursuits is simply good sense.

“We’re a nonprofit, and this really comes out of our mission,” Cook said.

Solano Youth Theatre started as Harbor Youth Productions, founded in 1995 with the encouragement of the SCC theater department, according to the group’s website.

In 1997, the college, Harbor Youth and Suisun City formed a partnership to renovate a waterfront building to become Harbor Theatre, which would be managed by SCC and be home to both Harbor Youth Productions and the Solano College Theatre’s Actor Training Program.

In 2001, Harbor Youth become part of the Solano College theater program, changing its name to reflect the new relationship. It soon expanded its operations to offer programs in other cities, doubling enrollment and growing in size and scope.

In 2003, the group changed its name to Solano Youth Theatre.

SYT will relocate its base of operations to YACM’s office space in Vacaville, though Program Director Robin Stanton said she still plans to continue operation of the group in the cities of Vacaville, Suisun and Vallejo.

“Solano Youth Theatre will now be a division of the Young Artists Conservatory, but we intend to operate Solano Youth Theatre much in the same way that it operated under the Solano College Theater Association,” Cook said.

Solano Youth Theatre’s productions may even be enhanced further by the inclusion of a full jazz orchestra, Cook said.

“I have had a longstanding desire that the youth theater arts program also showcased the talents of young musicians in the pit. This could be a dream come true,” said Holli Hornlien, Solano Youth Theatre program coordinator.

For more information on Solano Youth Theatre visit solanoyouththeatre.com/.

For more on Young Artists Conservatory of Music visit youngartistsconservatory.org.