DIY Teen Theatre was founded by Helen Knudsen, in summer 2009, when she was 14. She loves theatre and wanted the opportunity to direct a show by herself. While her home town of Elmhurst, Illinois had a wonderful childrens' theatre that ran through the school year, there was nothing for theatre geeks to do during summer. She recruited two of her friends to help her direct a musical extravaganza! She put to work everything she had learned as a graduate of Elmhurst Children's Theatre.
Our shows are performed in the summer by children entering grades 4 through 9. Middle school and highschool students make up the pit orchestra, tech crew, and assistant direction. The first show, A Little Princess, in Summer 2009, was a huge success, and the second and third, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (2010),and Alice in Wonderland (2011), was even more popular and drew in an enormous crowd! The cast performed to a packed house, and had a fantastic time. DIY is now planning their Summer 2012 show, which has yet to be announced.