The Young Company at Brigham Young University

The Whittlin’ Whistlin’ Brigade was founded in 1974 by Harold Oaks as a children’s theatre touring company. In order to associate the company more closely to Brigham Young University it was renamed the Young Company in 1983. The Young Company is a training ground for student actors and directors who want to work in theatre for young audiences. The group has performed plays such as Androcles and the Lion, Yankee Doodle, The Yellow Boat, Taste of Sunrise, and, most recently, Babe, the Sheep Pig. The Young Company tours elementary and junior high schools sharing their love of the theatre with young audiences.

The Brigham Young University Archives is home to a manuscript collection and a thesis that document the history of the Young Company. They are:

• UA 1024 The Young Company records, 1961-2002. This collection documents the history of the Young Company with photographs, calendars, film, audio, and play scripts from 1961 to 2002.
• Lay, Ruth Ann 1949-. The Memory and the Legacy: The Whittlin’ Whistlin’ Brigade – The Young Company 1974-2001. This thesis is available through Brigham Young University’s Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Click here to access the thesis.

If you would like to learn more about the Young Company, contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu