YPTMTC Founder

Diane Price was quite literally a born performer. She made her first appearance onstage before she was two years old. She took dance lessons from Betty May in her early years but moved on to study with Stanley Kahn in her early teens to focus on Tap Dance. She began appearing on local TV while she was in high school. A San Francisco native, Diane studied theater arts and received her bachelors degree from the University of California in Berkeley. Diane performed professionally onstage for more than 20 years especially at the Opera Ring in San Francisco. She also performed at the legendary nightclub the Hungry I in San Francisco. In the early 1980’s Diane began teaching Tap for the Drama and Dance division of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. After becoming familiar with the programs offered by the department, she put together a plan for a musical theatre program for children and teens. Shortly thereafter Young People’s Musical Theatre Co was born. (“teen” was added later). And so it has continued- hundreds of shows, and hundreds of teenagers – many of whom credit the Company with playing a formative role in their development. With the development of Friends of the Company, ( a non-profit that produces all the Company’s shows), Diane retired in 2005.