The Theatre’s current Board and Management has a very clear commitment to providing area youth with numerous opportunities to engage in the performing arts. That commitment is based on two basic premises. First, today’s youngsters are tomorrow’s performers and patrons; and second, it is simply the right thing to do! At a time when local schools have cut their theatre programs, the importance of this organization’s efforts to engage youth cannot be overstated. Among the many youth programs offered at the Historical Ironwood Theatre (H.I.T.) are:
Children’s Theatre
Generously supported by Gogebic Range United Way, Missoula Children's Theatre and Prairie Fire Children's Theatre provide an early summer, one week drama “day camp”, at no cost to the participants. Local children are cast in an original musical theatre production based on well-known children’s stories. At the end of a week of rehearsals, they offer two shows to the public. The recent production of "Beauty Lou and the Country Beast" saw 40 local young thespians strut their stuff on the grand stage.
HIT Idol
Based on the successful television show American Idol® this local pop vocal contest is currently taking a hiatus but we hope to bring it back to our stage. The two-night show consisted of solo performances, group numbers and gave local youngsters a chance to share the spotlight with nationally known performers. American Idol® finalists who have performed on the Ironwood stage with local youth include Matt Giraud; Amanda Overmyer; and Casey Abrams, Naima Adedapo, James Durbin, and Jessica Meuse. Naima Adedapo was so impressed by the program she invited the winners to perform with her the following year at Milwaukee's SummerFest, billed as the world's largest music festival.
Youth Drama Club
Formed in mid 2013, the drama club is a cooperative effort by the Ironwood Carnegie Library and Historic Ironwood Theatre. The club began as an after-school meeting of high school students at the library to talk about theatre and read some plays, but it quickly grew into something much bigger. At a special morning matinee in early December 2013, a group of 30 high school students from four areas schools presented three, one-act plays to a near full-house of 600+ excited K-8th graders from throughout the region. Their first production was an outstanding success! Since then the ASDC has presented at least one show per year, and run special Halloween Spook walks. The Covid pandemic put a halt to 2020 productions. Once life returns to normal we know club members will again be seen strutting and fretting their hour upon the stage. It is worth noting that a number of students who got their start in theatre through ASDC have gone on to perform in local productions on the stages of both Theatre North and the Ironwood Theatre, including Mary Poppins and Mamma Mia.
Community Groups
The Theatre is also used by a number of schools for band and choir concerts. Three local dance studios, Ironwood Dance Co, Bethany Ann Hellen Studios, and Platinum Dance each present annual two-night dance extravaganzas. Local dance students are also provided the opportunity to occasionally work with professional dancers through workshops and master classes presented by traveling dance companies who appear on the Ironwood Stage.
