InterView
YES Company Celebrates 30 Years and the Future
By Chris Murphy
One of the most exciting things about our community coming out of the COVID pandemic is seeing the youth arts programs returning to the stages. Our youth have been hit so hard with the school closures and many of the cancellation of the arts program now the stages are opening up, it is time to dance and sing. YES Company has been an important part of the Modesto cultural scene for 30 years. Founder and actor/director Melanee Wyatt was instrumental in the development of YES Company. Members of Modesto Performing Arts and other organizations would help and mentor the young talent of our region to amazing results. After the 2018 production, YES Company became a part of the Gallo Center for the Arts under the guidance of Tiffany Davis and Cortney Hurst with the continued support of SCOE, the Stanislaus County Office of Education. This month, YES will be the reopening act at the Gallo Center as 30 years of YES performances will be presented as a special greatest hits concert style revue. There are certain to be many favorites performed. Let’s meet Tiffany and Cortney.
Tiffany Davis, YES Company Director
Cortney Hurst, Director of Arts Education – Gallo Center
ModestoView How does it feel to be ready to be on an open stage again?
Cortney: It feels great! The Gallo Center is not meant to be empty and dark. We are more than ready to get back to work providing these very special opportunities for our students and to get back to the business of entertaining our patrons!
MV: It has been an amazing 30 years, what is it like to continue the legacy of YES Company?
Cortney: It’s an honor to continue in the legacy and tradition and history of YES Company. It’s also a responsibility we take seriously. Tiffany and I both are the result of our community’s arts organizations so we have a personal understanding of how impactful programs like YES Company are for our students.
MV: Are you continually amazed to see the talent of our local youth?
Cortney: Always. Kids have an incredible capacity especially when challenged. We’ve talked about this a lot, especially this year, as we’re facing so many new challenges coming out COVID. It’s been a year and a half since we’ve been able to work with our students and so we’re asking a lot of them in this rehearsal process as they build back stamina and strength learning this show.
MV: YES Company has developed a lot of talent. What have some of the alumni accomplished?
Tiffany: The unique part of the YES Company program is our focus on education along with a musical theater experience. Through workshops, guest lecturers, and our curriculum component we hope to add to our students’ tool sets to set them up for success in the next step of their journey. Whether that’s higher education, professional work in performing arts, or entering the workforce. Our YES alum have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, police officers, musicians, artists, actors, directors, and parents to new YES Company students.
MV: How important do you think arts are to youth development?
Cortney – The arts are crucial. An education in the arts naturally lends itself to so many of the skills required in the 21st century job force. Things like creativity, collaboration, communication and flexibility. This is what our students learn in theater, music and dance.
MV: What has surprised you most in preparing for this anniversary show?
Cortney: We talk about YES Company being a summer program, but for us, it’s a year-round job planning, prepping, preparing, etc. so the fact that we’re able to offer YES Company this year immediately coming out of our shutdown feels like a miracle. It’s putting 12 months of work into two months. It’s truly a testament to the team that supports YES Company, some of who have been working with the program for 20 years and also to our students for trusting us especially with this kind of production.
MV: Tiffany, former YES leader Melanee Wyatt was also your former director when you were performing, how did you view the challenge coming in to this role in the new YES Company?
Tiffany: It has been especially important to me to honor our history and include our alumni in the journey forward. Mel impacted the lives of so many young people through this incredible program, and words can’t describe how much it means to me to have the continued support of alumni who come back to share the spirit of YES Company.
MV: How has the partnership with SCOE and the Gallo Center changed YES Company?
Cortney: There has definitely been some change with our new partnership. YES Company is now housed in our Arts Education department as one of about half a dozen programs we have each year. So while it’s important to us that we maintain the mission and original intention of YES Company, its also important that it fits into the mission of the Gallo Center and our education department. So, the original piece of YES Company which is the summer program for 7th-12th graders remains the same. YES Kids and YES Kidettes, which were the programs for younger students have been absorbed into our Gallo Center Youth Academy, which is a similar musical theater program for students in 1st -8th grade.
MV: What has been your favorite revived YES Company performance that you are bringing to the stage this month?
Cortney: Don’t ask us to pick a favorite! 🙂 Each number is a favorite! All joking aside, each time I sit in a rehearsal I have a new favorite but the one number that stands out for me is Hold Your Head Up High from the musical Honk! Which is the story of The Ugly Duckling and I think it’s a perfect metaphor for YES Company. The song features two of our older students who sing the role of Ida, the mother duck, who takes in Ugly, the ugly duckling, which is sung by all of youngest students. YES Company is a family for so many of our students. It’s a place where traditions are passed down to each new class and where they learn to find and use their voice and that’s what we hear in that song.
Tiffany: I love all of the company numbers. You can’t beat the energy of the full cast on stage. The joy of performing, and reuniting with our community and friends, radiates from a stage full of bright faces.
MV: Will you hint about any surprises in this show?
Cortney: It’s not a YES Company show without some surprises and showstoppers, after all, kids have flown more than once and we made it rain on stage in 2019. So without giving too much away, we have a few of those surprises up our sleeves for this year.
MV: If you had unlimited budget, what would you add to the YES Company organization?
Cortney: Space! As our education programs continue to grow we have our eye set on our own classroom and rehearsal space.
MV: Beatles or Stones?
Cortney – Beatles
Tiffany- Beatles
CM: I knew I liked YES Company.
Do not miss this amazing YES Company 30th Anniversary Show as the first reopening performance at the the Gallo Center for the Arts on July 23, 24 and 25th. To get tickets, please click here www.galloarts.org or purchase tickets on the Gallo Center Ap on your phone or call 209-338-2100.
Read our 2018 article about creating the new YES Company.
www.modestoview.com/yesview-the-new-yes-company/
