Superior Arts Youth Theater is a year-round arts organization that seeks to provide young people with high quality educational, performance, and technical theater opportunities through acting, music, dance, and other arts disciplines. We have been part of the Marquette community for 20 years, beginning as a civic enrichment program through the City of Marquette Arts and Culture Center and eventually forming an independent 501(c)3 in 2015. We’ve steadily grown over the years and now serves nearly 200 youth ages 5-18 from Marquette and its surrounding communities each year. SAYT’s typical programming consists of 3-4 large cast musicals, a one-act play festival, performances at community events, and a summer acting camp and workshop series each year.  By increasing access to the performing arts, SAYT builds confidence, creates positive connections, and through practicing commitment, teamwork, and responsibility. Youth performers and technicians from Marquette, Alger, and Delta counties collaborate with adult designers, directors, and musicians on SAYT productions.

Although some of SAYT’s funding comes from grants and ticket sales, the registration fee helps defray production costs including renting the rehearsal and performance space, buying scripts, securing performance rights, hiring support staff, and all the physical needs of the show (costume pieces, makeup, props, and set materials).

Show Registration — $150

Summer Camp Registration — $85

Financial aid is available for all SAYT programming. We evaluate need based on the Michigan Income Eligibility Guidelines for free and reduced lunch. 

Inclusion Statement

SAYT is working to become a more inclusive and equitable space for young people interested in theatre. We believe everyone deserves access to the performing arts regardless of age, ability, race, ethnicity, economic status, sexual orientation, and gender. Our program includes need-based financial aid, wheelchair accessible rehearsal and performance spaces, and a faculty happy to work with families to meet participants’ individual physical, learning, and social needs. If there are ways we can be more welcoming to your family, please contact Becky Heldt at becky@saytheater.org. 

Accessibility Information

Wheelchair Access and Mobility
SAYT encourages the use of mobility equipment whenever necessary to improve access to our productions and programs. Wheelchair-accessible entrances at our rehearsal space, the Marquette Hope Connection Center, are located near both the upper and lower level parking lots. A wheelchair-accessible restroom is located on the upper level of the building and may be accessed from the lower level via elevator. Please contact Becky Heldt at becky@saytheater.org for more information. 

Service Animals
SAYT acknowledges the vital relationship between a person with disabilities and their service animal. Examples of service animals include dogs used by people who are blind, hearing-alert animals for people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, and animals trained to alert an individual to an oncoming seizure and lead them to safety. Service animals are welcome at SAYT. Please contact Becky Heldt at becky@saytheater.org prior to bringing a service animal to an activity or program to ensure the appropriate arrangements are made.

Support Persons
A person with a disability who is accompanied by a support person will be allowed to have that person escort them on our premises. There is no fee for support persons attending any of our programs.

Allergies
SAYT is sensitive to allergy-related concerns and maintains a nut-free environment.

Financial Aid
Partial to full financial coverage is available for participation in all SAYT programming. To apply for financial aid prior to auditions use this online form: https://goo.gl/forms/zF6BSw5HcoXv9ep92

Staff

Becky Heldt is a long time resident of the Marquette area and a graduate of Northern Michigan University. She has over 20 years of experience in arts management, with extensive experience in production and administration. Beginning her theatrical career in the early 2000s, her regional production credits include Brevard Music Center, Theater West Virginia, the Know Theatre of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Capital Fringe, Chicago Fringe, and the New York International Fringe Festival. 

During her years at NMU she was an active member of the Forest Roberts Theater department with numerous credits both on stage and off including The Good Doctor (2004), Tartuffe (2005), Tell Tale (2006), and The Full Monty (2008). An equally active member of the local arts community, she has participated in many community theater productions throughout the Upper Peninsula and has spent many wonderful years as an assistant coach for the Michigan Interscholastic Forensics Association (MIFA) programs at Westwood High School.

After spending a few years in the corporate sector as a marketing professional, she returned to her arts roots in 2019 as the Director of Marketing & Communications at the Arkansas Repertory Theater. Prior to joining the Superior Arts Youth Theater as the Executive Director, she was serving as the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at the Michigan Theater Foundation in downtown Ann Arbor. 

Becky has always found Marquette to be a place that truly values and celebrates the arts. She believes that Superior Arts Youth Theater plays a significant role in helping to foster that lifelong love of arts that is so vibrant in our community. From performing arts to Art on the Rocks and everything in between, ensuring our young people have access to arts year-round keeps our community creative and vibrant for generations to come. She is humbled and honored to have been selected to lead this next era of SAYT, and she looks forward to seeing you all at the theater this season and beyond! 

Sara Parks has been enthusiastically involved in Marquette’s theatre community for the past ten years, as both an actor and a music director. Sara also holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education from NMU and is a certified music teacher. For the past nine years, Sara has taught music in the public schools, primarily as an elementary music teacher for Marquette Area Public Schools. 

Sara has been performing on stage from a young age as a musician and an actor. As a performer, she has many favorite roles including Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar (Masonic Arts Theatre & Innovation), Emily Hobbs in Elf the Musical (Forest Roberts Theatre), Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Historic Vista Theatre), The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods (FRT), and Catherine in Pippin (Lake Superior Theatre). As a music director, Sara has worked on multiple productions for Superior Arts Youth Theater, including Frozen, Jr., Into the Woods Jr., and James and the Giant Peach Jr. She has also music-directed for Northern Michigan University, and most recently worked on their production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. 

Sara’s passion for working with children and her passion for theatre are what led her to pursue the Artistic Director position. She could not be more thrilled to be stepping into this position with SAYT. Sara’s husband and her two teenage children also share her love for theatre and inspire her with their own talent and creativity on a daily basis. 

Sara believes that children possess the greatest creative potential of anyone on earth, and she feels honored to be given the opportunity to work with the young artists in this community. Sara looks forward to continuing the incredible tradition of excellence that SAYT has established and is beyond excited to begin sharing her passion and artistic vision with this organization.