A Tribute to our Beloved Co-Founder, Ms. Erica Ascher

Erica Ascher co-founded Professional Youth Theatre in 2014 along with Brooke Robyn Dairman, and together they co-directed the program from 2014 through 2021. After a courageous two-year battle with breast cancer, Ms. Erica tragically passed away at the age of 47 in April of 2021. Her passion for theater lives on through the hundreds of students she educated throughout the years. During her tenure as Co-Director, PYT never denied admission to a student who could not pay for a theatrical education. The Erica Ascher Scholarship Fund for Young Actors will ensure that even more students who do not have the means to pursue an extracurricular education in musical theater will be able to do so. All funds are independently managed and 100% of all proceeds will go to scholarships for tuition to PYT for the underserved. If you’d like to make a donation, please do so here.

About Ms. Erica

Ms. Erica received her bachelors degrees in Musical Theatre and Communications from Syracuse University.  She was heavily influenced by professors Elizabeth Ingram and Victor Lazarow during her time in Syracuse's prestigious musical theatre program. Erica also studied voice for many years with Columbia University professor Helen Grossman.  Erica was a classically trained vocalist but also specialized in musical theater and pop vocals.  After graduating from Syracuse, Erica continued on to a successful career in television.  In addition to acting, she discovered that she had an interest in producing. After working on the Ricki Lake Show, Erica continued on to work as a producer at The Maury Povich Show. During her time there, Erica wrote scripts, booked and briefed guests, edited segments, and supervised members of her production staff.  She also took her production skills to the film world and contributed to several independent films.  Erica's years in production gave her great insight into the components of a successful performance.  This, mixed with her education from one of the finest musical theater programs in the country, inspired her to want to pass on her knowledge to young students at PYT.

“Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.” - No Day But Today (Rent)