16: Kyla Meyer Hatler Uses Youth Community Theater to Teach Life Skills

For some people, the idea of a Youth Community Theater sounds like an absolute nightmare.  For Kyla Meyer Hatler, it was her dream.  For over 17 years she has molded her dream into her every-day reality.  From the first scraps of an idea, to rehearsals in her parents living room, to a proper theater space that now hosts several shows and camps per year, Mountain Youth and Community Theater has been serving Tuolumne county for almost two decades.  Kyla has been the beating heart at the center of it all, helping to fuel a passion for theater in the hearts and lives of the modern youth.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about her journey and how it all got started with a wishful conversation while driving with a friend.  We talked about how important it is to wear a lot of different hats when running a theater, from balancing the books to creating flyers, to fixing the spotlight, to learning how to fundraise, and that doing the shows is the easy part.  She talked about how rewarding it is to see young people step out of their shell and grow in confidence and ability through their participation in the theater.  Kyla talked about how a really special performance where everything was kind of falling apart due to cast illnesses, but the cast and crew pulled together to put on a seamless show that was as impactful as ever.

She also talks about the things that are coming up on the horizon: Shows, camps, rehearsals, it’s all coming down the pipeline.  Kyla was a great guest, thanks Kyla!

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