Announcing our 2026 Musical!

Fort Salem Youth Theater

After several seasons of joyful, creative, and community-building youth productions - from the high-energy choreography of “Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.” to the magic of “The Wizard of Oz: School Edition,” the splashy storytelling of “The Little Mermaid Jr.” (which has gained over 164,000 YouTube views!), and our thrilling 2025 production of “Newsies Jr.” - we’re diving under the sea for our next big adventure!

Next summer, the Fort Salem Youth Theater sets sail for Bikini Bottom with The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition, a vibrant, hilarious, and heart-filled show featuring music by artists like Sara Bareilles, David Bowie, Steven Tyler, and Cyndi Lauper. Young performers will sing, dance, and save their seaside home from an erupting volcano, proving that optimism, teamwork, and imagination truly can change the world.

We are especially excited to welcome back Lauren Schirnhofer as director for this production. Her creativity, warmth, and collaborative spirit have made a lasting impact on our youth performers and our wider theater family, and we can’t wait to see the magic she brings to the stage once again.

Performances will take place August 7–9m 2026. (with rehearsals starting early July) Audition and participation details will be announced in March 2026.

Stay tuned, and get ready to soak up the sunshine under the sea!

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR: Lauren Schirnhofer is an actor, singer, and teaching artist who has performed and taught throughout the U.S. and internationally, from Europe to South America. She recently made her FST debut as Snow White in “Into the Woods,” and understudied 6 roles, before performing as Winifred Banks in “Mary Poppins” and directing Newsies Jr in 2023! She earned a Bachelor of Music from Boston Conservatory, and studied theater at L’Ecole de Comédie Musicale in Paris, France.

European credits include the French premieres of the musicals “Edges,” “Ordinary Days,” “Island Song,” and “Next Thing You Know.” Her US performances include “The Robber Bridegroom” (Rosamund), “You're a Good Man Charlie Brown” (Sally), “Rock of Ages” (Mother/Waitress #1), and “Into the Woods” (Baker's Wife, Cinderella), plus shows at Feinstein's 54 Below in NYC.

Now based in the Capital Region, she teaches at SPAC School of the Arts and from her home voice studio in Ballston Lake. She has had the joy of creating and collaborating with Curtain Call Theater (Ripcord), Saratoga Children's Theater (Disney's Descendants: The Musical), Adirondack Theater Festival (Pump Up the Volume), Homemade Theater (Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure), and is thrilled to be a part of this vibrant theater community!

To learn more about Lauren, visit www.laurentaylorberkman.com.