Can a Youth Theater Outshine the Pros?

When Utah’s Do Good Theater decided on their inaugural musical, they didn’t pay attention to what else was being produced nearby. If they had, they might not have chosen to stage Les Miserables – not when the touring Broadway company's production of that show was closing in nearby Salt Lake City just three weeks before the Do Good Theater’s show would open. 

But Do Good Theater wasn’t trying to compete with anybody, and certainly not with a touring Broadway production. They didn’t even consider what other companies were doing. They were looking for a show that was sufficiently beloved to draw a crowd, while building emotional resilience and spiritual strength, alongside theatre skills, in their youth cast. Les Mis was the perfect fit for that job. It was a shock when an audience member said they preferred the Do Good show to the touring production. 

“I saw the touring cast,” says director and theater-founder Luke Garrett, 22. “I wouldn’t compare ourselves favourably to that.” But the audience member said Do Good’s production had more heart “because the kids seemed to know what they were singing about.” 

The comment wasn’t just gratifying. It meant that Do Good was achieving its goal, “to develop exceptional young individuals who can thrive in all aspects of their lives.” 

Part of the impetus for starting Do Good was Garrett’s university research about the negative effects of violent, stereotypical, and sexualized media on the mental, emotional, and physical health of teens. Since youth spend an average of eight hours a day in front of screens, he saw a pressing need to offer a healthy alternative, something that fostered authentic connection between young people while offering powerful, positive role models and messages. It also needed to give them opportunities to challenge themselves and to develop leadership abilities. The solution that came to mind for this Brigham Young University student of both psychology and theatre and media arts, was a youth theater. He reached out to fellow students Trevor Smith and Marin Miller to join him as music director and choreographer, respectively, and Do Good Theater was born. 

Where did he get the financing? Garrett smiles and says, “I financed it myself.” He’s had a passion for videography since he was 8 years old and started working professionally on a film crew when he was 15. He saved enough to cover both his educational expenses and to launch the theatre. Cast members pay $300 tuition for the experience, where they are also trained in leadership and given responsibility for the various aspects of putting on a show. They made enough their first summer to return this year with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (auditions just ended), and to add two more shows: a professional production of Bandstand in late summer and another, yet to be announced, this Christmas. 

For Garrett, one of the joys of having his own theater is the ability to be authentic about his beliefs. A devout Christian in a predominantly Christian community, he explains that Do Good is unabashed about “helping people spiritually and focusing on the Savior.” As soon as they’d cast their first show with its themes of love, sacrifice and redemption, they held a devotional with the youth. Garrett, Smith and Miller, each shared their personal witness about their Redeemer, then told their cast, “We're not just here to put on a show. We're here to help you come unto Christ. That's going to be the focus of this experience and why we chose Les Mis. And with any show we choose, we want to focus on that.” Then, throughout the experience, they drew lessons from the text to emphasize to the kids. 

Did it make a difference in the lives of the youth? So much so, says Garrett, that after the show was over, “many people came to me in tears, just so touched to have had such a powerful experience.” It’s an experience he looks forward to directing again and again. He’s found his calling and turning Do Good into a regional theatre is his new dream.