Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble

Original productions written and performed by youth artists.

Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble (CLYTE) is a collaboration between Creative Action and Expect Respect, a program of The SAFE alliance. Since 2003, CLYTE has offered original theatrical productions devised, written, and performed by youth artists and activists. Each year, the ensemble is paid to write, rehearse, and tour a brand new show around the themes of healthy relationships, social justice, and violence prevention, reaching up to 3,000 audience members across Austin.

14

Teen artists wrote, designed, and performed an original play.

1,647

Middle School students across Austin saw the play and met the artists.

Data from the 2025-26 school year.

Two young women are sitting on a fabric-covered platform in a theater setting, with a colorful geometric backdrop behind them. One woman has long braids, brown top, and a pink cardigan, with her arms crossed, looking down. The other woman has dreadlocks, glasses, and wears a green shirt with a yellow patterned jacket, looking up or away. There are personal items on the stage including a white bag, a water bottle, and clothing on the floor.

Two young women taking a selfie together backstage at a performance or event. They are smiling and leaning toward each other, one holding the phone for the selfie. The woman on the left has curly hair, and the woman on the right has long dreadlocks with purple hair accessories. They are sitting on a wooden box, with dark curtains and stage lighting in the background.

A man wearing a black coat and black hat is standing behind a table with various items, holding a white mug. The background is painted with black and white geometric patterns.

A girl with glasses, red hair, and wearing a striped shirt and paint-splattered overalls sitting on the stage floor, holding a notebook and looking upward with a worried or thoughtful expression.

Two people on stage, one is looking at the other in a mirror. Both are wearing microphones. The person in the mirror has glasses, pink hair, a beige shirt, and black pants. The person outside the mirror has curly hair, a pink shirt, and blue jeans. The background is a colorful set with a blue and green backdrop.

Two young women on stage, one with arms crossed in a blue hoodie and gray pants, the other with a smile, waving, in a tie-dye shirt and denim overalls, against a black curtain background.

Four young people stand on stage with a black background, wearing casual clothes and headsets, possibly rehearsing for a performance.

Teens, want to get paid to perform?

Auditions for this paid opportunity are open to all Austin area high school students! You don’t need to be a theatre expert. We are looking for team players who are excited to work with others on collaborative artistic projects. We offer spring and fall auditions.

apply here

Past Productions

Weathering the Storm
Scope of Us
Our Alien Nation
Showmance
Seed of Doubt
A Safe Place to Fall Apart

A young woman with long, wavy brown hair smiling in front of a beige textured wall, wearing a navy blue short-sleeved shirt with a colorful umbrella pattern.

Claire K. Redfield: Expect Respect

Claire is a director, educator, and community-engaged artist. She has taught undergraduate courses in Acting: Viewpoints and Composition and Advanced Viewpoints at Arizona State University and as a teaching artist for six years at the Tony Award winning Lookingglass Theatre. Claire has also worked as a director and dramaturg at numerous Chicago theatres, including her own theatre company focused on gender, identity, and representation: Eleusis Collective. Claire is also a proud co-founder of community-based theatre company Sleeveless Acts. Learn more at clairekredfield.com

Want to bring Changing Lives to your school or event?

CLYTE tours from March to early May each year. We have performed at over 25 different middle schools in the greater Austin area, as well as conferences for AATE and Healthy Futures of TX, the AISD Pride Festival, The Cohen New Works Festival, Austin Central Library, and Foundation Communities.

Our performances are approximately 1 hour long, including a pre-show activity, a 35-40 minute runtime, and a post-show talkback. Each year, we write a new play, but previous themes have included: navigating jealousy, setting healthy boundaries, giving and getting consent, identifying emotional abuse, using nonviolent communication, and grappling with unrealistic expectations set by social media.

Performances are $300 for a half day of up to two performances, or $500 for a full day of up to four performances. However, we never turn schools away for financial reasons and have many scholarships available.

Interested schools or community partners can contact credfield@safeaustin.org to learn more about the booking process.