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Baltimore, Maryland
2005
Christina Youngston was amazed when she first laid eyes on the 1,100-seat theater in the Lake Clifton High School building—but dismayed to learn that the financially strapped school had not had a drama program for years.
Youngston, who fell in love with theater attending high school in suburban Houston, stepped forward and volunteered to launch an after-school theater workshop. Students welcomed the idea and formed a group they named "Unchained Talent."
In its first two years, Unchained Talent has put on five shows, all but one of them written by students. The themes of the productions have included family relationships, the realities of growing up in the inner city and forgiveness. This year, the troupe plans to present its first musical.
Youngston's goal is to create a sustainable theater program, one that will continue to give students a much-needed chance to express themselves. "It's a very powerful venue for students' voices to be heard," she says. "The students believe nobody is listening to them. But this is a place where they can share with the world and with each other."
