Motor City Youth Theatre
Nancy Florkowski, Founder and Director
(313) 535-8962 or e-mail nancy@mcyt.org

SETTING THE STAGE: The show will go on in a former VFW hall

The once nomadic Motor City Youth Theatre gets its first home -- in Livonia

July 21, 2005

BY EMILY BARLAGE
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Roll out the welcome mat, or in this case, the red carpet.

The Motor City Youth Theatre finally has a place to call home.

Nancy Florkowski, a retired teacher from Redford Township, founded the Motor City Youth Theatre in 1990. The organization provides educational theater for young people and their families.

The theater group has moved from venue to venue, including the Scottish Rite Theatre in the Masonic Temple in Detroit. It recently bought a Livonia VFW hall. The building, at 27555 Grantland, just north of Plymouth Road, will serve as the MCYT's new home.

From the outside, people might think they were going to worship instead of be entertained. That's because the hall served as a church in 1949. The building has an all-white exterior and a stately pointed roof.

The two-floored hall is ideally suited for MCYT's purposes, Florkowski said Friday. She said the lower floor will be used for storage and classes, while the upper floor will be used for dance rehearsals and theater productions. The group is buying the $186,000 building on a land contract.

A lot of work is needed to get the building ready for performances, Florkowski said.

Among other changes, a stage must be constructed and an exterior wheelchair ramp installed.

One of the building's best outdoor features is a lovely grassy area.

"We're hoping to keep that green," Florkowski said. She wants the area to be a place where families can gather.

Though the MCYT has been welcomed by many organizations, it has never had a site to call its own. This has caused storage problems, as well as performance problems, Florkowski said.

"I can't do anything without thinking about the Youth Theatre," Florkowski said with a chuckle.

Her devotion to it has certainly paid off. The group has flourished, performing a number of productions, including school tours, Shakespeare in the Park, and -- Florkowski's personal favorite -- "Really Rosie."

She said she strives to make the organization one "where kids come first," adding that the MCYT is "training children to feel comfortable with themselves." The MCYT has an open policy -- it has never turned any youth away.

MCYT actress Madalyn Tenace, 10, of Wayne said she is looking forward to using the new building. "I think once the theater is done, it'll be really cool," she said.

Though kids come first with the MCYT, the group is planning to offer adult classes when the new building is completed. The group also has an adult company, and Florkowski said she hopes to present family productions in the future.

As far as upcoming productions, Florkowski is not officially planning anything until the building is completed, though she has many ideas. Her goal is to have the center ready by the fall. She acknowledges, however, that this will require serious work.

"It's what it takes -- blood, sweat and tears."

To join the Motor City Youth Theatre, volunteer to help clean up the new building or make donations toward the building, visit www.mcyt.org, or call Nancy Florkowski at 313-535-8962. Contact EMILY BARLAGE at or barlage@freepress.com