Our Story

Our Mission is…

to develop an appreciation of theater in our region through performances of plays and musicals for children by children, and to Educate youth and the general public in the theater arts through drama classes and training while building relationships with parents, teachers, schools, and the community.

Rick Nickerson, Director Emeritus, started New Mexico Young Actors as Nickerson’s Young Actors in 1979, achieving non-profit status for the company in 1999.  As a trained actor, musician, and acrobat, Mr. Nickerson led the company for 35 years, producing scores of musicals and plays, including many original works and regional premieres. His original play Let’s Stop Child Abuse toured regionally for seven years, and his original musical Country Dreaming brought attention to social acceptance of children with Down Syndrome.  He established NMYA as the resident children’s theater company at the historic KiMo Theatre and developed a comprehensive touring program to reach those seldom served by the arts in rural communities throughout the state. A visionary leader who held the highest expectations for his young actors, Rick Nickerson was the driving force behind the success of New Mexico Young Actors for its first three decades. 

Mr. Nickerson retired in 2014 and Paul Bower was named Executive Director after having served as resident music director for a decade.  As a professional singer with numerous appearances in national operas and in international recitals, Mr. Bower’s musical expertise allowed NMYA students to reach new heights during his tenure. Mr. Bower grew the company to over 100 students and shepherded the organization through the global pandemic of 2020-2021. After 18 years with NMYA, Mr. Bower resigned in 2022.

Rachel Ribeiro was named Executive Director in December of 2022, after 7 years with the company as the Drama I Coordinator and the Touring Play Director. Growth in staff, student enrollment, and annual programming, as well as our partnership with Menaul School, have been the major hallmarks of her leadership.

Since 1979 we have seen thousands of students come through our program.  We have produced over 150 shows and performed for over an estimated 500,000 audience members in the Albuquerque region.  We accept individuals, ages 5–19, into our program and all of our productions feature only children and youth on stage.

Rick Nickerson, Director Emeritus, started New Mexico Young Actors as Nickerson’s Young Actors in 1979, achieving non-profit status for the company in 1999.  As a trained actor, musician, and acrobat, Mr. Nickerson led the company for 35 years, producing scores of musicals and plays, including many original works and regional premieres. His original play Let’s Stop Child Abuse toured regionally for seven years, and his original musical Country Dreaming brought attention to social acceptance of children with Down Syndrome.  He established NMYA as the resident children’s theater company at the historic KiMo Theatre and developed a comprehensive touring program to reach those seldom served by the arts in rural communities throughout the state. A visionary leader who held the highest expectations for his young actors, Rick Nickerson was the driving force behind the success of New Mexico Young Actors for its first three decades. 

Mr. Nickerson retired in 2014 and Paul Bower was named Executive Director after having served as resident music director for a decade.  As a professional singer with numerous appearances in national operas and in international recitals, Mr. Bower’s musical expertise allowed NMYA students to reach new heights during his tenure. Mr. Bower grew the company to over 100 students and shepherded the organization through the global pandemic of 2020-2021. After 18 years with NMYA, Mr. Bower resigned in 2022.

Rachel Ribeiro was named Executive Director in December of 2022, after 7 years with the company as the Drama I Coordinator and the Touring Play Director. Growth in staff, student enrollment, and annual programming, as well as our partnership with Menaul School, have been the major hallmarks of her leadership.

Since 1979 we have seen thousands of students come through our program.  We have produced over 150 shows and performed for over an estimated 500,000 audience members in the Albuquerque region.  We accept individuals, ages 5–19, into our program and all of our productions feature only children and youth on stage.

%
Students Attending from
Title I Schools
Student Audience
Members Annually
Students Enrolled
in NMYA

Members of the
Albuquerque Theatre Guild

GALLERY