Black Spectrum's Youth Theatre Company educates teenagers in the theatre arts and brings new visions and opportunities to underserved young audiences throughout Queens. The Company offers classes and workshops in movement, speech, dialects, interpretation, character-building, lighting, sound, and set-building to its 25 student members. Classes are held on weekends and during the after-school hours.

During its 17-year history, the Youth Theatre Company has presented dozens of works by contemporary African-American playwrights, addressing critical issues including drugs, teen pregnancy, and handgun violence. The Youth Theatre Company has won AUDELCO awards for Best Musical Production of the Year, Best Lead Actor, Best Choreographer and Best Musical.

Our Children’s and Youth Theatre Institute is a 28-week education and training program for children and youth from 7-1 8.

Each year, following the end of the Summer Theatre Camp, we bring in professionals from the theatre world to provide intensive training in acting, music, dance, movement, singing, diction, makeup, lighting-and sound.

Instructors have included Geoffrey Owens "Elvin" from the Bill Cosby Show. Kimberly Harris from the Road Company of "The Full Monty"). We offer two classes each week- October thru May. This year we have 25 enrolled students, 15 of whom are receiving full scholarships.

An extraordinary number of past participants in the Professional, Youth, and Children's Companies have gone on to illustrious careers in theatre, television and film.

Among the most celebrated are Desiree Coleman of the Youth Theatre Company, who received national recognition for her role in Mama I Want to Sing, Lisa Nicole Carson who was featured in the Theatres first feature film went on to Star in the TV Hit Show "Ally McBeal", Byron Mims, formerly of our professional Co. who went on to the original production of Fences on Broadway; and Debbie Burrell, also of the professional Co. a member of the original cast of Dream Girls.