OUR STORY
Rainbow Youth Theatre is a registered non-profit organization that provides volunteer-based, youth focused community theatre in the Comox Valley. We respectfully acknowledge that we operate on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of this land.
Founded in 1988 by Mike Butler, Dale Burgess, Carol Coulson, and Hans Petersen, through the years RYT has cultivated a warm and welcoming creative community. Families and individuals of all ages build self-confidence, valuable social skills, and are encouraged and supported in seeking lifelong learning through the joy of live theatre.
As a non-profit, Rainbow relies on committed volunteers in order to offer memorable, affordable and accessible experiences for our members. We offer numerous opportunities in all areas of theatre including directing, producing, acting, singing, dancing, technical production, design, construction, and more! RYT makes every effort to find a suitable part for every individual who auditions for one of its productions.
From 1991 to 2000, Rainbow produced one to four theatre productions each year and to accommodate increased demand, seven incredible shows were mounted in 2001. For many years RYT produced one or two youth focused productions each summer and one full scale family musical in October. In 2020, COVID affected the performing arts sector profoundly and two Rainbow seasons had to be cancelled. In this time of transition, Joy of the Jungle was produced in 2022 before RYT began to build a new team and set our sights on updating our look and producing a fabulous 2025 summer show!