NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 13, 2022
CCYT Theatre Club Launched,
Provides Outlet for HJHS Students
HUDSON, NY — The Hudson City School District and the Hudson Junior/Senior High School Drama Club and program in conjunction with Columbia County Youth Theatre (CCYT) are excited to publicly announce the launch of the CCYT Theatre Club for Hudson Junior High School students to provide theater and arts access for the students of Hudson.
“Although the club has been operating for a couple of months, we feel it’s important to inform families in our community of what we are offering to the fantastic scholars at Hudson Junior High School: an opportunity to expand their horizons, enhance their skills in a new interest and establish bonds with peers and with the music and scenes they engage with,” Hudson Junior/Senior High School Drama Club Director Andrew Stein said. “CCYT has a large presence in Columbia County and we want to make sure the community knows how much they do for our region.”
The club, open to all students from 6th to 8th grade weekly on Mondays from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. in the JSHS Auditorium, originally a mere idea was turned into a reality after Stein was able to secure a $5,000 grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). The state funding will be applied towards the pilot of the program at the junior high level, the exposure of the arts to young scholars to see either “Hadestown” or “Hamilton” at Proctors Theatre, and to purchase needed materials to provide the best learning and entertainment experience possible.
“In 2012, four years before I retired from teaching in Hudson, I founded Columbia County Youth Theatre,” CCYT founder and Executive Director Edgar Acevedo said. “With support from the Hudson community and the school district, we created the Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School drama club. The program is now under the direction of CCYT associate producer Daniel Scirico. This year, our music director, Andrew Stein took the lead in securing CCYT a NYSCA grant. These funds will allow us to partner with the district in bringing the drama program to the Jr. High and High Schools. CCYT is excited for the opportunity to work with the Hudson City School District in enriching the lives of our students and the community.”
Students involved in the club will be focusing on scene work, improvisation, audition preparation, team building, the functionality and practical aspects of theatre arts and have the chance to participate in the upcoming spring musical, “Mean Girls – High School Version”.
“As the mother of children heavily involved in the arts, I couldn’t be more thrilled to support and experience the origin and eventual success of the CCYT Theater Club at Hudson City School District,” Superintendent Dr. Lisamarie Spindler said. “It’s an incredible outlet for our scholars to divulge into an area that is prime for social interaction, personal growth and overcoming adversity in numerous facets.”
Stein said he is hopeful to launch the club at the senior high school level in the near future, as well.
Pictured from left: Brady Eschberger, Parker Kittrell, Andrew Stein, Victoria Carius and Makenzie Steuhl.