WORCESTER — The Hanover Theatre & Conservatory for the Performing Arts announced that its WYSH (Worcester Youth Speak Honestly) Project will present free public performances this coming weekend.
After nearly 100 hours of collaboration and creative exploration, a dozen city teens are prepared to share their voices with the community through an original production, with three opportunities to catch the performances in the BrickBox Theater at the at the Jean McDonough Arts Center, 20B Franklin St. – Friday, July 10 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 11 at 2 and 7 p.m.
Founded in 2021, WYSH Project was created to provide Worcester youth with a platform to discuss the unique experiences of being a young person in the city today. Through various arts-based activities, participants explore the challenges and opportunities they encounter while imagining their “wyshes” for a better future.
Along with fundamental actor training, including vocal projection, eye contact, storytelling, and using bodies to express emotion, participants have the opportunity to find their voice as they share their stories with their peers to find commonalities in their experiences.
“The WYSH Project has been a transformational program over the last six years,” said The Hanover Theatre Conservatory Vice President Sharon Hart, the founder and producer of the WYSH Project. “Rooted in the ideology of ‘Creative Youth Development,’ students are empowered to find their individual and collective voice and share it with their community. We are very proud of how this program has evolved over the years, and of all the students that have participated and shared their voices.”
The 2026 cohort has been working together for 13 weeks, since April, led by co-facilitators Diana Khong and Monica Risi to create an original piece of theatre based on their lived experiences. The final performances this coming weekend represent the culmination of the collaborative, student-driven creative process and each performance will be followed by a talk-back with the cast, giving audience members an opportunity to engage directly with the students in conversation about the show and how the community can work together to address the issues raised.
However, the program does not end when the show closes. Students receive a scholarship to take classes at The Hanover Theatre Conservatory to continue the training they began during rehearsals and remain connected through ongoing WYSH community gatherings.
When reflecting on their experience, one program participant said, “I learned that I’m capable of expressing and letting other people know my passion, my history, and many more things without feeling ashamed or embarrassed,” and another shared “Thank you for creating this program; it quite literally saved my life.”
Admission for the July 10 and 11 performances is free but advance reservations are recommended. For more information about the WYSH Project and to reserve tickets visit TheHanoverTheatre.org.
-The Hanover Theatre
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