Center Theatre Group, YMCA partner to expand access to live theater

Victor Dominguez, president and CEO of YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, photographed on Aug. 14, 2025. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Center Theatre Group and the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles announced Thursday a partnership that will provide free theater tickets to YMCA members, bring live performances and acting workshops to local YMCA centers and introduce young people to careers in theater production.

The initiative, called "Every Age. Every Stage.," will connect Center Theatre Group's artists and educational programs with the YMCA's 28 centers throughout Los Angeles County, according to the organizations.

Under the partnership, YMCA members will receive free tickets to select Center Theatre Group performances during the 2026-27 season, beginning with "The Music Man" on Nov. 3.

Other scheduled performances include "Destiny of Desire" on Nov. 17, "Fiddler on the Roof" on Feb. 16 and "John Proctor is the Villain" on March 23.

Members will receive links from the YMCA to obtain free tickets, along with promotional codes to purchase tickets for other productions.

"Partnering with Center Theatre Group brings world-class theatre into our centers and opens the doors of LA's greatest stages to our members," YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles President and CEO Victor Dominguez said. "Whether it's a family seeing their first musical, a teenager discovering a career backstage, or a grandparent stepping into an acting workshop, this collaboration is about making sure every Angeleno, at every age and every stage, has a place in the arts."

The partnership will also bring live theater performances directly to YMCA locations, beginning with a free presentation of "¡SÍ SE PUEDE!" at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA, 401 S. Hope St., organizers said.

The production tells the story of labor activist Dolores Huerta, co- founder of the United Farm Workers, through music, movement and performances inspired by El Teatro Campesino. Admission will be free for YMCA members.

Beginning in 2027, Center Theatre Group will offer theater workshops led by professional teaching artists at YMCA centers across Los Angeles, organizers said.

The partnership will also provide mentorship and hands-on opportunities for YMCA members ages 16 and older to learn about careers in stagecraft, theatrical design and production.

Additional programming will include discussions connecting live theater with the YMCA's youth civic leadership initiatives, including Youth Institute and Youth and Government.

"Both Center Theatre Group and the YMCA have deep roots across Greater LA and a shared commitment to reaching all Angelenos," Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Snehal Desai said. "Through this partnership, we can expand access to the arts across our region and empower the next generation through storytelling."

Center Theatre Group, founded in 1967, operates the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.

Additional information about the partnership is available at ymcaLA.org and CenterTheatreGroup.org.