Peninsula Youth Theatre

One of the best youth theatre companies in Bay Area. Truly safe place for all. Great school of organization, collaboration, and, of course, art. It requires a high level of parental engagement that creates a strong community.

My kids have performed in several PYT productions over the years and I’ve volunteered at many of these events and every experience has been top-notch. The people in charge REALLY LOVE THEATER KIDS and work hard to foster an environment that nurtures and celebrates every single person on (and off!) stage. Do yourself a favor and dive-in to this glorious company and experience the excitement with your family.

The program itself is good and creative. Engages the kids well and all that. If you and your kid are white, or part-white with one white parent, its all great. For others this place is borderline racist and unapologetic about it. If anything involving 2 students happen, the non-white student is assumed to be the trouble maker, and threats of all kinds are immediately leveled, even when its very clear the situation was instigated by the white kid. Enough said... if you are not white, just avoid the hassle and frustration of being in a camp here.

We were very excited to have our child join an immersive 2 week theater camp. My child enjoyed all the games and activities, the staff was kind and the kids enjoyed. However I felt the camp did not have enough emphasis on "acting skills". The kids didn't appear coached on projecting or animating their performances. They did a great job on remembering their lines and saying them and also hand-making their props and costumes. Overall we were a bit disappointed. Felt more like a play based summer camp rather than an immersive theater camp.

PYT has always been a very family friendly organization. All my 3 kids have performed, taken classes, and made friends. They have literally grown up on stage. PYT has encouraged and inspired them every step of the way depending on how involved they wanted to be. PYT offers teens experience in Stage Managing and Directing too! Come see a main stage show or better yet their wonderful Stories on Stage program where children bring books to life on stage. All performances are at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

I love this place!! It is the best place to sign your kids up if they want that professional acting experience. All of the staff and cast members are so kind and welcoming, and the performances are marvelous!

My daughter always enjoy her classes at PYT! And the plays they put on are great for kids 5+ onwards to see.

My son has participated with the PYT. Everyone is very nice. 😃

We had a horrible experience and we would never come back to this cult like theater. They don't teach anything, they called it audition but as long as you paid, you got a part in the ensemble. They treat nonwhite horribly, even though now they saw people pointed out their racist problems in the review, they now put some Asian actors for better roles, but behind the scene, they treat nonwhite parent abhorrent Ly. They shout at you and threaten to take your kid out of the show if you accidentally missed one schedule. When you report, the theater swept it under the carpet. They don't hold racist employee accountable, instead they gang up against the parent who reported it. True experience, on the last day of the show, I made a mistake of arriving late but it was still one hour before the show, they shouted at me for a good twenty minutes. After that a white parent arrived with her child, they were greeted nicely. This is a real cult like place, really backward place and on top of that, they have nothing substantive to offer. Online research also shows that this place has not disclosed their financial statements, it's a very questionable place. White or nonwhite, the kids just don't get to learn anything here. They gave out some certificates to kids who ask good questions only. What a bad example to kids, you have to be smart enough and ask correct questions to survive in this cult like environment.

We had a horrible experience with the Peninsula Youth Theatre summer camp program in Mountain View. First, the teaching staff is a group of inexperienced middle schoolers just a few years older than our first grad kid. It's clear they have no idea how to engage the kids. Second, the staff is rather rude and impatient with the kids. For example, the team in charge of the sound for the final performance made an unsolicited comment to one of the kids that he was so loud that she needed to turn down the speaker making the kid almost want to cry. Third, without even saying a word to us the parents, the staff made a false report to the Child Abuse & Neglect Center and initiated an investigation of because they are concerned of a potential child abuse of our kid!!! The investigation wasted our time and nearly scared our kids. It was surreal that we needed to explain to the county agent how a 7-year boy would have a scar on his knee from his soccer practice a few years ago. Both the agents and we are frustrated by the trouble the careless and inexperienced staff are causing us. Stay away from this program unless you want real dramas in your life!

My daughter had a fairly good experience doing one of their main stage shows when she was 8. She didn't have a lot of stage experience so was casted in the ensemble which we were fine with. She made a lot of friends and had a good time. Overall though, it was a very time intensive activity as the kids have a lot of rehearsals and if you do not have a main role just be prepared that there is still a lot of time involved. There is a lot of parent volunteer work involved too. It is a group of dedicated parents working these shows. I enjoy being on several different committees with different parents and it is a great activity to do with your child. One thing is if your child is on the younger side, be aware they will be exposed to high schoolers and things like language and and mature topics can be issue so I would recommend it more for slightly older kids. Overall a good experience!

A great theater program for budding thespians. Our son started out with their Story Stretchers after school program since he was 4 and for four subsequent summers with their two week camps at which kids get parts in a play, make the costumes and sets culminating in a show in the park. The staff there is dedicated and enthusiastic. If we didn't have an equally amazing after school theater program in San Carlos, we would be taking greater advantage of the full depth and breath of their offerings.

This place is incredible - it gives young kids and teens a space where they can safely be themselves, learn, and make friends and even family. It is my favorite place in the whole world to go to, always giving me a comforting sense when I step into the studio. Even after one or two shows it quickly became my happy place, the mainstage shows being so fun and such a great learning experience, and the Stories on Stage shows are so amazing and so good for kids! The tight knit cast makes for a little family as you put on a show in only a month or less!! PYT is an incredible company that makes me so happy, it's given me passion towards theater and the ensemble roles are such a blast. They're so much fun, with so much stage time and choreography and singing, the ensemble may be onstage more than some of the leads! I would highly recommend PYT to anyone who is considering doing a show, class or a camp here.

PYT is a family affair! Not only will your children love performing, taking classes and camps and making new friends, we parents make new friends and learn new skills too! You just get hooked! Who knew finding crazy props would be such fun or painting sets, or planning cast parties. You can be as creative as you want. As a family, we have been involved with PYT for over 15 years. My 3 children love PYT. Each have learned what it takes to work along side adults and children of all different ages. They have gained confidence, patience and leadership skills. They have learned to take risks, to think on their feet, and they have each felt very proud when the show comes together. PYT's MainStage shows are of the highest quality with professional staff and sets. Another program, Stories on Stage provides performers with a smaller more intimate experience for those kids who prefer straight acting. PYT's Theatre in the Park summer camps are great fun and are quite reasonably priced. All in all, check PYT out. You and your kid will have the time of your life!

My wife has always been the one who organizes and co-ordinates our kids Summer camps. I don't mean just for our kids, but she leads the charge in making sure that all the kids friends are in camps with them. She's really good at it, too-- part wedding planner, part air-traffic controller. I offered to help one year. I wasn't very helpful and was politely asked if maybe I could just take out the garbage instead. My point is-- my family knows camps. Thanks to my wife's extensive market research and personal experience by my kids, we've sampled it seems like every offering in the area. Every summer, we come back to Peninsula Youth Theatre's program for at least one and usually multiple sessions-- as does a huge group of our kids' friends. First off, at least on my list, is the cost. We both work, and camps are at least in part for us, child care for the summer. I really appreciate that Peninsula Youth Theatre has managed to keep their program on the reasonable end of market rate. Reasonable enough that some of the kids friends who have a parent at home for the summer haven't balked at the cost of joining in, too. The camp itself has been a favorite of the kids for a long time. In a nutshell, the kids put together a short play-- learn lines, paint sets, create props and costumes - over the two weeks, and do a performance for the families (and the public) the final evening. The shows themselves go from groaners to pretty cute-- and they do get more interesting as the kids get older. I like that the camp finale is something that parents can be a part of-- we always bring a picnic and make an evening of it. During the camp day, they are jumping between practicing the show and painting sets and such, and other drama games. Sometimes my kids have had big parts in the show, sometimes small ones. I don't think they care much-- my youngest's favorite part of the camp is the theatre games anyway, and it seems that everyone loves to paint the backdrops (usually the main topic of conversation in the carpool on the drive home!) Like most of the camps we use, the counselors are mostly college aged kids. Most if not all are involved with theatre, and they are super enthusiastic and clearly love being around the kids. We've even gone to see some of them perform in PYT's big musical productions in the theatre right next to the park where the camp shows are held. PYT Theatre camps have been a highlight of our kids' summers for years. Check them out!

After participating in several theater and art organizations in the bay are, both children/youth and professional, we found PYT to be very refreshing. People are nice, accessible, and really committed to the mission of the organization to help every child grow in confidence. From start to finish, the process is well organized and coordinated. They may sure every child, even those with small roles, get a chance to shine on stage. Well done, highly recommended.

If you're not a Caucasian, you most likely act as part of the settings, like a tree or a pole, standing with one or two lines. This was my daughter's experience 9 years ago when she was 6, and it doesn't seem to change too much lately.

My daughter joined the 2-week Little Mermaid summer camp and it was a very bad experience with the PYT. All the instructors are very young and I don't think they have much experience in performing. And the worst part, they gave the worst 2 roles who have the least lines to the only 2 Chinese girls. I don't think this is coincidence. This is obvious racial discrimination! I am very not very happy with this and I do want an explanation and apology!

My child attended the PYT 2 week summer camp. It was his first experience with a theater camp and he liked it. However, as a parent, I am dissatisfied. Here are the reasons: (A) My kid get sick with high temperature a day before the camp starts. There was no possibility to withdraw with a partial refund or to get a credit that could be used later. As a result, my kid missed the first week of the camp. (B) Their second week flyer said: "Don't forget to bring in your pizza money if you want pizza for lunch on Thursday! Just $5." So we sent our kid with $5 and no lunch on Thursday. He will have pizza, right? Wrong. The phrase was supposed to mean: Bring the money on Thursday for lunch on Friday. As I was later explained, any mention of Friday was omitted due to a clerical error. As a result my kid went through the day without lunch. No one even noticed it. (C) My wife takes our kid to the camp. She told me that she was puzzled by the surly look of the counsellors. They even forget to say Hi!. As I said, my kid liked the camp. (I am yet to find a camp that he did not like.) However, since it caused unusually many problems for us, it is unlikely that we will use their 2-week camp program in the future. And may be you shouldn't either.

Two weeks of PYT this Summer, here is our review: The camp is for 6-8 yo, there is clearly a difference between capabilities of a 6-yo vs a 7 or 8 yo. Our child was one of the youngest ones. First off, we received a weekly newsletter from the camp director. We have "NEVER" seen/met the camp director, not during day-to-day dropoff/pickup, not during the final performance. What we have seen, are teenagers helping to herd the kids. Read on to see how that worked out: 1) Our child "thought" she was assigned the role of a King. This assignment came in the 4th day of the first week. We as parents received absolutely no communication, no email, no paper letting us know which role the child is playing. We are then to practice the lines on our own at home. We practiced for 4 days (including weekends) until our child told us she was actually playing the role of a Queen. I then asked one of the teenagers which role our child is really playing. She said the King first, then said, "wait, she plays one of the two Queens", and we finally confirmed the role. That was already the second week, and performance was on that Friday, so we scramble to re-study the lines. 2) During the first week, after learning about the roles, I think they did some arts/crafts session, and our child drew a King. Of course, in order for it to be a King, she drew on crown, clothes, shoes etc. The older girls took her drawing, and drew male genitals on it, and drew liquid coming out of it and back into the mouth. Our child did not understand what that was, and how offensive it was, but she did understand that was not nice, and she told the teenagers about it. The teenagers simply told her: "Tell them to stop." Our child did, and they did stop. But that was it. Now, compare this to the next incident: 3) One day, when I picked up my child, one of the teenagers pulled me aside and gave me a stern talking: "Your child was pulling down her shorts and showing her panties with another girl, that is not appropriate camp behavior!" I agree, that was not appropriate behavior anywhere. She was being silly with the other girl and they were both showing off the patterns of their underwear. HOWEVER, since they did talk to my child and her parent in this incident, and they only casually told my child to tell the other kids to stop drawing penis on her drawing, clearly the teenagers thought two little girls showing each other underwear patterns is more serious of an offense than bigger kids drawing genitals on some young kid's drawing. Since this review is on Yelp, I'd like to hear from all the parents if your child were the younger one, do you think the two incidents are equal in offensiveness, and they were handled by these teenagers adequately? I also wonder if the camp director, ever received reports of children's behavior and address them? OK, some people might say, it's a drama camp, they are not there to babysit or teach your children life lessons. Good, the following is the review of the final performance. Remember, we did drop-off and pickup for two weeks, never saw the camp director, and only received weekly newsletter. Now, the final performance: Sound systems set up on stage, 5 standing microphones in place. The sound guy sat in the corner. Two teenagers showed up, one sat on the grass close to the stage. Her only job, as we later found out, was to read out the entire line should a child forgets it. The other one, gave a nice speech thanking everyone, welcoming everyone, let the show start. Then she left. The show started, the kids went on stage (on their own), and all stood about 3-5 feet behind the microphones. We were in an outdoor setting on a lawn, no one sitting beyond 15 ft from the stage could hear a thing. After about 10 minutes, the parents started asking the sound guy and telling him they could not hear a thing. The sound guy did not even get up from his chair, I think he said/signaled to the parents that the sound system is working, the kids were just not close enough to the microphones. Remember the lone teenager on the lawn, well, she has her job, so no one else is telling the kids to go closer to the microphone or anything. The show went on, there were times a few kids walked up closer to the microphone, and we heard bits and pieces. Now remember, all these kids are supposed to know their line, their place, their time to go on stage. There were a total of seven scenes, some kids are done after the first few scenes, some kids will have to wait until the last 2-3 scenes. This is again, an open area outdoors, there is a play structure nearby, there is no one preventing the kids from going over there to play, no one letting the kids know when it's their turn to go on stage. That went on for an hour or more, and this is over. We will never consider this camp again, you can draw your own conclusions.

I have an extremely shy child. I talked to the instructors about this and let them know that I wanted this camp to be a chance for her to step outside of her comfort zone. I am not looking for her to star in the show nor wish for her to be an mini-actress. I just wanted her to have adequate lines to work on her voice projection. They did not listen to my feedback at all. What a disappointment.

We had a terrible experience with the PYT summer camp. My youngest did their Cinderella Caterpillar 2-wk camp and wanted to stop going 3 days in. The counselors are young and don't do a good job keeping the kids engaged. Their focus is more on the kids that get the top 3 or 4 parts and every body else gets neglected. I was also disappointed in the play that they selected. 95% of the play was the kids acting snarky/mean to one another with a focus on being popular or pretty/handsome. Most of the girls played brainless fans who adored Prince Grasshopper and were mean girls to each other. My husband commented that it seemed like the Kardashian sisters wrote a kids play. It was awful. Only a few of lines could even be described as positive, and even they were non-convincing you-can-be-anything-you-dream-to-be fluff. Worst part is that my daughter, who loves drama, is now totally turned off by it. Truly regret having my child go to this camp. I have heard very positive things about the mainstage plays and have enjoyed watching the plays, but the summer camp was terrible.

I did PYT for many years and was told many times that you have to pay your dues there but this is not true, they are just racist and since they cast everyone who auditions they cast almost exclusively white actors as leads and everyone else as ensemble regardless of talent

My daughter was nervous but excited to participate in the Pint size players, then after the first class came bounding out with excitement about the class, new friends, etc. So happy that I signed her up. Thanks PYT!!!!!!

My children benefited tremendously from their experiences with PYT...in fact they blossomed before my eyes. Their level of confidence increased and they were just so happy to be a part of something creative. PYT is a supportive environment that brings out the best in our kids...makes them responsible, reliable and feel an important part of a team. My children are young adults now. My son is a working actor and my daughter is studying theater and creative writing at Santa Clara University...PYT helped them find their passion!

It doesn't get any better than this! PYT provides a wonderful opportunity for kids from 8 to 18. Don't have a child that is into sports? This is a great alternative that is sure to give him or her self-confidence, teach responsibility, and provide an opportunity to have fun participating with other kids in some really awesome, well run play performances. (Think teamwork. : ) The PYT staff is extremely organized, professional, and takes a lot of pride in making it a fun experience for everyone. My son has been involved in PYT for the last 6 years, so they're definitely doing things right. Check it out!

PYT is pretty much what you'd think it would be - it's cute and fun and the venue is to die for. I just saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and it was really cute. I have to admit that I am much more of a fan of San Jose Children's Musical Theater in general but this is worth checking out.

My son attended the two-week summer camp with PYT. We hoped this would provide him a stage to express himself, to improve his communication skill, and to have fun. We were very disappointment after the two weeks he was with PYT. 1) PYT picked a play that was heavy on actions for key roles, and were very light for the supporting roles. If you kids were assigned for the supporting roles, there were not much for the kids to do during the whole 2-week session. 2) My son told me there were not much to do, and he spent more time just watching. At the end of the 2-week session, he was really bored and told me he didn't like to go back ever. So for most parents who think they will send their kids to PYT camp for fun and learn to play, reality is they will not get it from PYT.

PYT is one of the best organizations for helping youth to gain confidence. Their encouraging and supportive directors and staff really help kids achieve amazing things! My daughter loves it ... and that says it all.

PYT provided the most wonderful and nurturing experience for my daughter for 6 years. She went in cold, not knowing anyone and not having auditioned before and made friends and mentors that championed her all along the rough road of middle and high school. Performing on the stage in MountainView gave her confdence and the hard work helped her to be disciplined with her school work. It also gave her community and her theater friends have remained close even now that they are all scattered across the country in college. The popular family friendly main stage shows attract so many kids that it is challenging to cast everyone in parts worthy of their talent. The directors work so hard to make everyone feel important; everyone is cast and seemingly small chorus roles many times get the most stage time and receive the most costume changes. Parents and some hired hands do all the work of sewing costumes, organizing communications, painting and building sets, working backstage with cast members; it us truly a community affair to put on a show. My personal favorites over the years have been Oklahoma, les Miserable, Mary Poppins, Shrek, Peter Pan, and the teen play, Brighton Beach Memoirs. Stories on stage, which performs on the side stage feature smaller casts and since they aren't musicals they provide opportunities for those actors who are shy about singing. My daughter has moved on now, and I've moved away, but I will never forget the amazing PYT years!

At a teachers recommendation, we encouraged our 8 year old shy son to get involved with Peninsula Youth Theatre. Because every child gets casts when they audition, and the tremendously encouraging directors and staff, his experience and the self confidence he built over the years of doing theatre there, was honestly the best gift we could have given him. His teachers commented on how it changed him and it developed a passion for theatre that is still with him today at 23. It is the "toastmasters" for children and develops the self confidence children often need. You cannot put a price tag on that, but it is one of those items that is "priceless". The quality of the shows is excellent and well worth the ticket price. Where else can you see quality live theatre in a venue like Mountain View Center for Performing Arts with free parking? Our family loves theatre and we think many of their mainstage performances are better than many of professional groups charging a much higher ticket price. Their after school classes are equally excellent and their summer camp programs are the biggest bargain on the peninsula; they fill up quickly so sign up early! The families and children who participate in this theatre group are great. Both the children and the parents will make long lasting friends. It was a wonderful experience and the talent there has gone on to star in Broadway shows!

We have been involved in PYT for over 10 years. Initially we were season ticket holders to MainStage and Stories on Stage shows. My daughter loved attending shows. She attended several toddler classes and later summer camp where the students get to be the actors, costume designers and set builders. She was hooked! Those experiences helped her build confidence in acting, singing and dancing and she now performs in Main Stage musicals. The PYT organization is a well-oiled machine. The directors and staff are very supportive of kids of all ages and my daughter has met some amazing friends and role models through her participation at PYT.

PYT is a wonderful organization with incredible staff! We first came to know PYT because we enjoyed the Stories on Stage shows (45 minute shows about great children's books) and then attended Main Stage shows. Fast forward a few years and my kids all enjoyed the camps and classes. Presently, my kids have participated in the Main Stage shows. Not only have they learned singing, dancing and acting skills - they have learned about hard work, public speaking skills and being confident about their role in the large production.

Amazing organization, wonderful staff and producers, incredible programs for young ones! Shows are always spectacular and a treat for the whole family. My daughter has grown so much from being an actor in many shows and seeing all the parts and steps of a production has taught her how important is to plan, manage time and be responsible to your team. More important, she has developed many close friendships. From audience and fans to now active members, we love being part of PYT!

I went to peninsula youth theater and I had a great time. I had so much fun doing plays there. The staff are very nice and they make great costumes and sets and so many people love it. I would rate it 10 stars!

Peninsula Youth Theatre is a wonderful children's theatre. The musicals are really high in quality in terms of acting, singing, dancing, sets, costumes etc. It is a relatively inexpensive way to entertain the kids for an afternoon and to bring some culture into their lives. Sleeping Beauty is the next production from May 9-17. They also offer terrific summer classes as well. The website is www.pytnet.org. Most of the productions are at the Mountain View Center for the Perfoming Arts which is a great venue.

PYT provides quality experiences for kids and teens on the peninsula. They offer great classes and camps as well as the opportunity to perform in top-notch plays and musicals. The staff at PYT really know how to connect with young people so that they get the most from their experience. Go see a show and you'll want to be part of the action on stage.

My kids have enjoyed Peninsula Youth Theater from the time they were eight till now at eighteen! The main stage shows allow everyone who auditions to participate, and the shows are really first rate! The Stories on Stage program allows the older kids to work with a smaller group and really hone their acting skills. My son has also enjoyed helping behind the scenes and learning what it takes to put on a production!

Theatre space is gorgeous, and you can't argue with a company which encourages kids to develop a love for theatre. Our daughter is four, and we just saw Sleeping Beauty and I was really disappointed with the script. The show was 1 hour and 45 minutes long, and filled with a ton of "filler" music. For a 4 year-old, it was very difficult to wait for the "milestone" events of the fairy tale between all the (long) songs. Also, the show was an adaptation of the fairy tale, and the adaptation was aimed at older kids, with lots of modern vernacular and references. It was difficult to hear some of the performers. So: a great idea, well-funded, we're really happy the theatre exists and the kids are great, but since it's pricey, it's important to know that the shows are aimed at kids older than 4. Maybe 6 and older is the right age. If you're not sure, ask ahead of time.