Scenes from Journey Theatric shows, 2025
For Griffin Yena, acting is more than a single-handed endeavor.
“Acting is a very community-driven, collaborative art form,” Yena said. “It takes a village to put everything together.”
Recently, Yena played Father Flynn in “Doubt,” a drama staged by the Journey Theatric Sanctuary (JTS), a new ensemble that performs at HACC’s Rose Lehrman Arts Center.
Yena, of Myerstown, became involved with JTS after meeting Troy Cooper, who founded the troupe in January 2025. Yena, a 10-year acting veteran, auditioned for “Doubt” at Cooper’s request.
Although the Rose Lehrman Arts Center is JTS’s home base, it operates as an entity separate from HACC’s Film and Theater Department. Instead, the troupe operates as “its own separate entity that utilizes” HACC’s theater, Cooper stated.
“The college is a gracious host, and this company relies upon the talent and generosity of Alyx Nornhold, the college’s technical director,” Cooper said.
Cooper, 46, said that he’s been doing live theater since age 15.
“It’s something that’s in my blood,” he noted.
He runs JTS with a premise of paying attention to “things that are often overlooked,” such as actors’ emotional wellbeing.
“Acting can be very emotionally taxing,” Cooper said. “Part of our growth is to have a mental health professional on full-time.”
The ensemble’s listed mission is “to create thought-provoking, emotionally resonant performances that inspire change both on and off the stage… Journey Theatric Sanctuary is built on the principles of equity, accessibility and the unwavering belief that theatre should be a space where all voices are heard and valued.”
Lead actor Yena has directed productions at Elizabethtown College’s Tempest Theatre and runs the Actor’s School in Reading and Lancaster with partner Adam Kinzinger. He said that he “jumped at the opportunity” to audition for JTS’s August production, “Doubt.”
“It is an award-winning show,” he said. “I saw the production a few years ago. Patrick Shanley is a phenomenal playwright.”
According to Cooper, a common theme underlies their shows.
“We get to see lead characters go on a journey, and audiences can relate to it,” Cooper said. “You don’t have to go to Philadelphia or Broadway to see a great show.”
JTS is conducting auditions for its 2025-26 season at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on Sept. 7, with callbacks on Sept. 13. A full list of available roles is available on the troupe’s website.
For the coming season, JTS plans to stage the Tennessee Williams classic, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” as well as “Bare: A Pop Opera,” a coming-of-age musical, among other shows.
“Wonderland,” a musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, “Through the Looking Glass,” is scheduled to close the 2025-26 season in May.
“We will be the first theater company in the state to be granted the performance rights to this show,” Cooper said.
He explained the show as a “reimagined ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ where we find Alice returning to Wonderland as an adult to find her younger self, the premise being that, as we become adults, we sometimes lose sight of our imagination and who we are.”
“The overarching theme is the importance of revisiting our youth and our roots,” he said.
Yena noted that the biggest challenges in running theater are “scheduling when you get (a production) with a lot of people and finding a space to gather an audience.” Cooper added that “building an audience” for the newfound troupe also remains a challenge but that they’re “gaining popularity.”
Finding donors is another challenge. The ensemble works on an entirely volunteer basis but must pay its production costs. Cooper said that he strives to “make sure we are a financially prudent production and to present shows that are somewhat popular.”
For its part, Rose Lehrman Arts Center hopes that JTS becomes a long-time tenant for its theater.
“HACC is proud to lease space to Journey Theatric Sanctuary, a budding theatre company,” according to the college. “(JTS) is a pleasure to work with, and it is exciting to see this new group emerge and join the region’s performing arts community.”
For more information or to donate to Journey Theatric Sanctuary, visit www.journeytheatricsanctuary.com or on Facebook.
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