Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio
Preparing Ojai's Youth for Life's Stage!
Our Mission
Founded in 2000 as Theatre 150, Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio (OYES) is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to challenging, inspiring, educating & entertaining children and families in the Ojai Valley through the experience of quality theatre, dance and music.
Through the theatrical process, OYES helps students explore their creative potential and find their authentic voice.
Students learn meaningful communication skills on and off the stage, respect, and responsibility for their cast and self. OYES guides students to become confident, engaged, and compassionate.
About Us
Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio began with a simple, powerful belief — that young people deserve a place to be seen, heard, and challenged through live theater.
Because when young people are given a stage, they learn to stand tall in every part of their lives.
And when they learn to roar on stage, they carry that strength into every corner of their lives.
For 25 years, our organization has been creating meaningful performance experiences in the Ojai Valley for performers across generations. Fifteen years ago, we made a bold commitment to focus entirely on youth — building a training ground where children and teens could grow not only as performers, but as collaborators, problem-solvers, and confident human beings.
The earliest productions were intimate, heartfelt, and community-driven. Families gathered. Volunteers raised sets. Students stepped onto the stage — sometimes for the very first time — discovering courage they didn’t know they had.
The spark ignited.
A home for young artists was taking shape.
And OYES kept building.
We invested in teaching artists. We trained young lighting designers and sound engineers. We created multi-cast productions serving over 100 children at a time. We launched Shakespeare ensembles, technical theater apprenticeships, and performance programs for ages K–12.
And with every production, our students found their voices.
Today, in an era dominated by screens and distraction, OYES offers something different: live connection, shared breath, and the thrill of storytelling unfolding in real time. More than a program, we are a creative home — a place where young people rise, risk, collaborate, and belong.
This is why we say: Hear Us Roar.
Because when young artists are given the tools, the training, and the trust to step into the spotlight, they don’t whisper.
They roar.
And when they learn to roar on stage, they carry that strength into every corner of their lives.
Hear Us Roar
As our productions grew, so did our casts. When we began expanding into multiple youth ensembles, we needed a way to distinguish them. The Wizard of Oz has always been a beloved classic in the theater world, and its iconic phrase — “Lions and Tigers and Bears” — felt instantly recognizable and full of spirit. Our Lions, Tigers, and Bears casts were born.
What started as a practical naming solution quickly became something more. Those casts embodied courage, heart, and boldness — and from that season forward, “Hear Us Roar” became our rallying cry. It represents the confidence our students build on stage and the collective voice of young artists rising together in the Ojai Valley.
