During a press conference and logo unveiling held on Thursday, December 12, inside the lobby of the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center (SKyPAC), officials announced plans to expand SKyPAC’s youth education outreach as part of an acquisition of BG OnStage, a pillar in the youth community theatre world. The move, scheduled to take place in January 2020, will unite BG OnStage’s highly revered theatre lineup with pre-existing content at SKyPAC, which has an annual outreach to more than 15,000 youth who experienced a performance, participated in a residency, or toured SKyPAC’s galleries. As part of the transition, BG OnStage will establish offices inside the historic Capitol Arts Theatre and utilize both SKyPAC and the Capitol Arts Center facilities for future events and performances.
Founded in 2009 as the Art Education Task Force by Flora Templeton Stuart, BG OnStage was intended for ages 6 through adult from all backgrounds to explore the depths of their creativity and experience the thrill of live performances. Since its inception, BG OnStage has become one of the region’s premier educational arts organizations providing school day performances for thousands of children and young adults ranging in age from 6 to 18. Known for their summer musicals and community focus, BG OnStage hosts a number of classes and workshops including private acting and audition prep classes and voice and piano lessons which are expected to continue as part of the SKyPAC acquisition.
“I am very excited to start this new chapter of BG OnStage. I have been a part of the company in a part time capacity since its inception, then full time in 2014. Growing this theatre company has been extremely challenging yet rewarding at the same time. There are students that I have been working with for upwards of 7-8 years. To see these kids grow in the theatre from children to young adults has been so amazing. I cannot wait to continue this growth and expansion with SKyPAC to continue to create and produce quality theatre education programs and productions to the community,” said BG OnStage Artistic & Education Director, Elise Charny.
