As the Yampa Valley Players step into a new chapter and location, their latest production is bringing a youth-driven story to the stage while redefining where and how community theater lives in the western reaches of the Yampa Valley.

Beginning the first week of May, the group will present “Descendants” at the Hayden Center in one of its largest youth productions. The performances also mark an important moment in the Yampa Valley Players’ transition as an independent nonprofit.

Performances are scheduled for May 1, May 2, May 3, May 8 and May 10.

For producer and director Abbey Iberg, the show represents both continuity and change.

“The easiest way to describe what I do is that I teach performing arts,” Iberg said. “Community theater is just another part of that. We always want to make sure we have at least one show a year that gets kids on stage.”

That commitment has long been central to the Players. As an organization that offers one of the only opportunities in the region for youth to participate in theater at no cost, it strives to cover everything from costumes to production needs.

This year’s show, however, arrives at a time of transition. The Yampa Valley Players recently separated from Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp and now operate independently. The amicable split also allowed the group to reimagine where it performs, how it engages the region and how to redefine the idea of community theater at its core.

That search for those pillars was part of what led them to Hayden.

“The Hayden Center has this massive auditorium with about 300 seats and a beautiful stage,” Iberg said. “We have more than 20 kids in this production, so we needed the space. But we also wanted to open the door to more Hayden and Craig participation.”

The decision reflects a broader goal embedded in the group’s name. Iberg explained that the Yampa Valley Players are not just a Steamboat Springs organization, as they aim to serve the entire valley.

That mission is visible in the composition of the cast, which includes students from both Steamboat Springs and Hayden. Younger performers take on the roles of the descendants while older students portray the iconic Disney parents.

Mikayla Lopes of Hayden plays Maleficent, while Naomi Pederson, also of Hayden, takes on the role of Mal, Maleficent’s daughter. Olivia Pighini plays Evie, Nyx Durand plays Carlos, and Phoebe Pederson, another Hayden performer, plays Jay. Addison Godley appears as Ben, with Wilder DeBoom as Audrey and Mylee Gabet of Hayden as Jane.

The story itself draws from Disney’s popular “Descendants” franchise, which imagines a world where the children of classic heroes and villains must navigate identity, expectation and choice while deciding whether to adopt or shed their parents’ expectations.

“It’s one of those shows where the kids are very invested,” Iberg said. “The premise is that the children of the villains are invited to go to school with the children of the heroes, and chaos ensues.”

According to Iberg, the musical also explores questions that resonate far beyond the stage.

“It’s really about how anybody is capable of good or evil, depending on the person they choose to become,” Iberg said.

That theme has shaped the rehearsal process in meaningful ways. While younger actors may initially lean into simple ideas of “good” or “bad,” Iberg encourages them to dig deeper and find the humanity in their characters.

“You can’t just play the stereotype,” she said. “You have to play the human. The audience needs to root for you.”

Iberg said those moments of growth are part of what makes youth theater so powerful. She often sees it click after a few repetitions, when a student moves beyond surface-level acting and begins to understand vulnerability on stage.

“They realize they don’t need to put on a mask,” she said. “They can just be a human being for a second.”

The production also serves as a bridge between age groups. High school performers, cast as the Disney parents, naturally take on leadership roles with younger cast members. That dynamic helps ease the transition for middle school students who may soon enter high school theater programs.

“I had heard from a lot of high schoolers that they were intimidated when they first joined theater,” Iberg said. “So part of this was about building those relationships early.”

That same philosophy extends to geography, as rehearsals were split between Hayden and Steamboat Springs, ensuring that participation did not hinge on location alone. The connection between the communities, Iberg said, created a new dynamic.

“Now they are very good friends,” Iberg said. “That’s always the goal. Build as much community as possible.”

That goal aligns closely with what is happening in Hayden itself, as the town has increasingly become a gathering place for regional events and organizations.

For the Players, the Hayden Center has proven to be more than just a venue.

“They’ve been so hospitable to us,” Iberg said. “It feels like a very symbiotic relationship. We want to be on stage, and they want people using that space.”

She sees that partnership as part of a larger shift.

“If we are going to have a home base, Hayden makes a lot of sense,” Iberg said. “It really is at the heart of the Yampa Valley, and it’s a community that is only going to keep growing.”

Flexibility remains key, however, as without a permanent home, the Players are embracing the opportunity to bring performances to multiple communities, including Craig and beyond.

“I would love to have a show that performs in Craig, Hayden, Steamboat and Oak Creek,” Iberg said. “We really want to live up to the name Yampa Valley Players.”

For the time being, that vision begins with “Descendants,” a high-energy production driven by young performers with a shared sense of purpose and a vision of community-based teamwork.

And for Iberg, that is the point.

“No matter what happens,” she said, “we’re going to continue to do the thing that we love, which is build community.”

For more information or to buy tickets visit YampaValleyPlayers.org/productions.