All-of-Us Express Children's Theatre

Mission: To offer young people of all backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles the opportunity to produce professional quality plays, study many aspects of the dramatic arts, and develop valuable life skills while providing outstanding entertainment to the community.

All-of-us Express Children’s Theatre began in March 1989. Founder Evelyn Weymouth had been free-lancing children’s drama in the greater Lansing area; teaching classes, performing and directing. As she met and conversed with the parents of her students she often mentioned she would someday like to have a theater company that did theater for children by children. When the question asked by parents changed from, “Are you still planning to start a children’s theater company?” to, “When are you planning to start a children’s theater company?,” Evelyn knew the time was right. She sent a notice to her entire mailing list stating that there would be an organizational meeting on March 30, 1989. Eighteen people showed up and the company began. Since 1989, All-of-us Express Children’s Theatre is a unique program that provides theatre opportunities for youth.

AECT provides a program unlike any other. It unites veteran artists with youth in an apprenticeship model of arts education that culminates in publicly performed plays. With instruction by artist mentors, youth become responsible for all non-administrative aspects of play production, on both sides of the curtain: Not only are all the actors children, but young people also make up the production crews that build the sets, sew the costumes, run the sound and lighting, manage the stage, and do countless other jobs to bring a story to an audience.

The target populations for our activities are area youth aged 6 to 18 who want to learn dramatic arts skills, and local families who desire child-friendly entertainment. AECT attracts these young people from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as children with a wide range of physical, mental, and developmental abilities. Aside from learning theater skills, our participants experience self-confidence, personal achievement, team building, and self-discipline.