Family Receives, Gives Back to Claremont School of Theology

Back in the 1960s, when young Kathy Kilsby was working on her “Arts” badge, she acted in a Girl Scouts production of “The Birds.” That experience hooked her on theater.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, and a Master of Arts in education from Claremont Graduate University, then studied special education at the University of La Verne. Eventually, she joined the Screen Actors Guild, appearing in movies, TV shows, and commercials. 

Today Kathy combines her love for theatre with a passion for using art to educate about other voices. For more than 25 years, she has taught general and special education, drama, dance, and life skills to elementary through high school students, and integrated visual arts curricula into mainstream classrooms.

But perhaps one of her greatest accomplishments is as a founding member of Youth Theatre Works (YTW; www.youththeatreworks.com), a community-based program in Claremont, California. YTW offers opportunities for youth to sing, act, dance, and perform.

“Youth Theatre Works,” Kathy said, “began at a church that had an after-school program called ‘Sing, Sing and Dance.’ That’s where I met Barbara Durost. She did the music, and I did the dance. YTW developed as an offshoot of that. 

“Barbara and I saw a need for a youth group where we could incorporate the ideas of creativity and process to develop shows using ideas from the kids. The emphasis is on collaboration and discovery, rather than didactic directing.” 

The program debuted in 2002 with “Guys and Dolls.” Since then, the troupe has done at least one show a year. Some are junior versions of professional productions. The list of shows over the past two decades includes such classics as “Alice in Wonderland,” “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” “Anything Goes,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Godspell,” “Hello, Dolly!” “Into the Woods,” “Little Women,” “Mulan,” “Scrooge,” “The Boyfriend,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Music Man,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” and “The Secret Garden.” 

“Throughout the years,” she said, “YTW has attracted a unique performers troupe. We are open and accepting of every individual and try to lift up unique abilities and perspectives.” Youth Theatre Works, Kathy noted, costs very little, and scholarships are available. 

Even the COVID-19 safer-at-home policies didn’t deter the young actors, who gathered via Zoom and made a movie of “Once on This Island.”

“We were terrified,” Kathy admitted, “but held onto each other tightly as we worked on this project. Every kid came to every Zoom rehearsal during this time, and that was through the BLM marches and everything.”

She acknowledged that emerging from a pandemic is challenging.

“The kids are displaying signs of PTSD,” Kathy said. “It’s scary out there for them. But when we go to rehearsal and come together, it is joyful. We are engaged in the creative process.” One mother told Kathy that her daughter wished they had play practice every day.

This year’s show, “Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist,” debuted in Mudd Theater at Claremont School of Theology (CST) on November 5. The story is a unique take on the classic story: Estella, like her ancestor Ebenezer, is haunted by three uninvited visitors. 

Kathy and Barbara reached out to the school last summer to talk about renovating Mudd Theater and making it YTW’s “home.” President Kuan shared, “We are delighted to have this partnership with Kathy and YTW.”

Kathy and her team have been working hard on the space ever since. “We’ve been in the theatre almost daily, cleaning, rebuilding, and resupplying,”

Kathy inherited a love for learning – and teaching – from her parents. Mary Ellen Green and Graham Perry “Bud” Kilsby met at Pomona College and married in 1956. When a Claremont friend suggested that they and their four children join a new church meeting in an elementary school, the couple jumped in feet first, co-leading Claremont Methodist Church youth groups.

Involved in his family’s steel business, Bud encouraged Mary Ellen to pursue seminary. Earning master’s and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Claremont School of Theology, the Rev. Dr. Mary Ellen Kilsby was ordained by The United Methodist Church in 1975 and began working in Christian education. A friend invited her to become the Christian educator at the Claremont United Church of Christ, where he was associate pastor. She was ordained by the UCC in 1978. 

A strong advocate for the LGBTQ community, she wasn’t afraid to tackle difficult, sometimes controversial subjects, and she is remembered as a gifted preacher. 

Bud died in 2009, Mary Ellen in 2013.

“My mother,” Kathy said, “was the one who was originally connected with Claremont School of Theology. This was at the same time Mudd Theater was being built.”

After Mary Ellen’s death, Kathy discovered that her mother had established a scholarship in perpetuity, with an established chair with Dr. John Cobb, a professor emeritus at CST. “Mom wanted to hang on to the process through theology,” Kathy said. Professor Roland Faber holds the Kilsby Family/John B. Cobb, Jr. Professor of Process Studies chair.

In Mary Ellen’s obituary, Cobb said, “It’s an inspiration to see people [like Bud and Mary Ellen] who, year after year, grow together, work together and support each other. The way he supported her as a minister was a marvel.” 

Following the production of Estella Scrooge, President Kuan received a number of thank you letters from parents and a cast member. Here are their letters (names and personal information edited out):

I want to take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the opportunity you have given my daughter and the entire YTW team. Youth Theater Works (YTW) is a program near and dear to my heart.

I wish you could see/experience for yourself what is happening in the theater and this little program. In his book, Discovering God Through the Arts: How Every Christian Can Grow Closer to God by Appreciating Beauty & Creativity, Terry Glaspey discusses that engagement with the arts can be “a tool for spiritual growth and formation.”

Many of the children and young adults who make up YTW are busily learning their lines, developing their character, singing, creating…etc. And they have such a wonderful time that I am not sure if they are aware of the transformation occurring.

I believe that YTW gives the participants and the audience the opportunity for spiritual growth. Appreciating beauty and creativity does, after all, in my humble opinion, allow us to grow closer to God. These kids come from a variety of backgrounds and a range of abilities, but each of them is given a purpose. The older children mentor the younger children, and they foster inclusivity throughout the YTW.

When the hours of practice and rehearsal are over, and it is time to present the show, watching the kids and adults present the final product to the audience creates a sense of gratitude.

I am grateful to you for giving them a place to do this and thankful to our creator for blessing them/us with talents. Through the eyes of children and the fruits of human creativity, I have the opportunity to appreciate God’s beauty.

As soon as the last show of “Estella Scrooge” was performed, I heard the same lament from many of the participants, “I’m going to miss you” and “I can’t believe it’s over.” As I stood outside the dressing rooms, I could hear the young voices full of excitement and appreciation. They are excited that YTW has found a place that will allow them to continue creating and growing.

Mrs. Kathy Kilsby, Sarah Innerst-Peterson, Barbara Durost, and the team have created a safe and nurturing environment. They foster creative growth within the participants of YTW. They encourage them, and they genuinely care for the kids.

As a teen parent, I cannot thank you enough for providing them with a place to do that. My daughter shared with me that one of her peers from YTW is suffering from depression and how having the opportunity to spend time in a creative and nurturing environment has helped them.

It was so wonderful to hear that my suspicions were correct. Thanks to your kindness and generosity, the kids and adults now have a place to showcase their God-given talents and help others.

Thank you for extending a welcome to Youth Theatre Works for their production of Estella Scrooge, and especially for making it possible for them to use Mudd Theater.  The production was a wonderful success and was enjoyed by many in the Claremont community over the weekend.

My son is a budding thespian and he has not only found new friends through theatre, but he has also discovered profound meaning through the arts which have nurtured his curiosity and opened up the world of literature and philosophy for him. Youth theater makes so much possible for young people and we are very fortunate to have Youth Theatre Works in our community. Thank you for your generous support, and for CST’s partnership in making this possible.

Our deepest thanks.

Thank you for making the Mudd Theater available to Youth Theater Works! We were so grateful to have our family’s first YTW experience take place in this beautiful venue.

Being on the stage, in the dressing rooms, in the lobby, in the (incredibly comfortable!) seats – it all made a huge impression on my daughter who is just starting out as an actor. She felt like a professional, and it showed in her performance and the performances of all of the young actors!

All three performances of Estella Scrooge were special and unique, and we will never forget this show. Thank you for making such a successful show possible!

With so much gratitude.

I want to thank you so much for allowing Youth Theatre Works to use the Mudd Theater. Since we have known YTW, they have been performing in a church. This had the virtue of community support but was limited as a performance space in terms of set construction, visual effects, performance scheduling, and audience comfort. The Mudd Theater provides all the advantages of a professional space that is limited only by imagination. I love the fact that this theater is affiliated with the School of Theology, and so the community programs using this theater become an extension of creating hope in the world.

YTW offers youth an opportunity to act, sing and dance on stage. These are opportunities to learn how to communicate thoughts and feelings when words alone fail. For my child, this experience challenged her to understand a character who had rejected love and kindness (she was, after all, a descendant of Ebenezer Scrooge), and then journey with this character to finding the desire to be open to love and to making the world fairer. I had the honor of watching her mature as a person and a performer, and the pleasure of helping her to discover that she could do things she never knew she could do.

If you interviewed the cast of Estella Scrooge about their experience, I think the most common response you would hear was that they had fun. Performing can be fun, but only when the directors create an environment that fosters fun. My son also participated in several YTW productions. In his words, “YTW felt more communal and friendly than most other theatre production groups.” Kathy and Barbara intentionally create a culture that is warm, kind, and inclusive.

There are other youth theater groups in the area. Many of these charge a high tuition, or cast hundreds (literally) of kids in a single production, or require parents to do extensive fundraising. While I understand that this is being driven at least in part by having to rent a theater and pay for other production costs, it has the disadvantage of limiting access for low-income families, and adds a degree of stress that can outweigh the benefits for the youth.

For a long time, I have been jealous of the city of Chino, which decided that they were going to support community theater by making a space available to their children and adults. I am hopeful that Mudd Theater can be the equivalent for Claremont in partnership with YTW. In this space, YTW can expand the community programs that it offers. This will lead to more opportunities to nurture creativity, fun and community. And this will continue the ancient tradition of using stories and songs to share our humanity.

I was recently a member of the cast in Youth Theatre Works’ production of Estella Scrooge. Kathy mentioned that you (President Kuan) were the one who gave us the Mudd Theatre to use for our production. I wanted to thank you for being such a big part of what has been such a meaningful opportunity. Thanks again.

It’s so fitting that we take this opportunity to thank you during the month of Thanksgiving. It is during this month that we reflect on our family’s many blessings and YTW has been one of our greatest. Over the past 7 years our daughter has performed in 10 of YTWs’ plays. Over the past few years she had hoped to build a “real” theatre where YTW could perform. This has involved asking her father and I to buy lottery tickets for her at every opportunity she had. By now, you must know that you have given a home to a youth theatre group that has made a huge difference in the lives of many children.

You see, our daughter was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. Even before her diagnosis we realized she had an interest in music and Barbara Durost became her music teacher when she was 7. Soon after, Barbara invited her to perform with YTW and she LOVED it. YTW has been a loving and inclusive group where she has developed her talent. Her experiences with YTW have taught her teamwork, commitment, self-expression and Faith. Over the years, she has also performed with her middle and high school theatre groups, her high school performing choir, at Casa Colina’s Casa Blanca fundraiser and, this year, with LifeHouse Theatre in Redlands. With much encouragement and support from Barbara, Kathy, all of the YTWs’ crew and her high school theatre teacher, she plans to enroll in a college musical theatre program next year.

It is for all these reasons that we could not possibly be more grateful to you for your kindness and generosity. It is, also, for all of these reasons that you should know that you are making a great difference in the lives of our YTWs’ children and families. Lastly, it is for all of these reasons that you should know that you are supporting a group that has made a huge difference in our daughter’s life.

Learn more or volunteer by visiting the Youth Theater Works website. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram, where you’ll also find a lot of photos from their production!