Whitney Young has tons of great clubs to choose from, but the one that is agreed upon across the board that is it the best is the Young Company.

Whitney Young’s drama club is widely recognized as one of the best high school companies in the city, with over 150 members every year.

Not only are theatre kids some of the best you’ll meet in high school, the Young Company has been a source of kids discovering their passion since its beginning. The club not only offers aspiring actors a chance at the art, it also has 13 different backstage crews to try your hands at, including set design, makeup and costume crew, and lighting, to name a few.

In addition to the hardworking crews, the most important man backstage is Dan Winkler, the director since 2008. He has been nominated for numerous awards over the years, credited to his unbelievable ability to combine the ideas of 150 teenagers into one every day, and his brilliant approach to teaching acting.

Students like Madeline Moderhack, 15’, first discovered their love for the stage in the Young Company. “After the closing of the first play I was in at Whitney Young, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, I knew I wanted to be an actress.” Moderhack continues, “I hope more freshmen join in the next few years so they can also discover their passion”. Moderhack held leading roles in the Young Company’s past productions of Summer Brave, Noises Off, Ghost Bike, and Big Fish.

The Company puts on two plays a year, one in the fall and one in the spring.

This year’s fall production is a play called She Kills Monsters, by Qui Nguyen, and action packed adventure of a young woman searching to deepen her understanding of her sister, who was killed in a car crash three years before the start of the play. The production features scenes with advanced stage combat, elaborate hand-made costumes, and a very ambitious set design.

The show opens December 4, 2015.

For more information about upcoming events, like The Young Company on Facebook, or follow us on Instagram at @theyoungcompany