It was imagination and creativity that helped Bobb Cooper survive a very rough childhood—as well as led him to the place he is today, as producing artistic director at Valley Youth Theatre.
“I spent a lot of time sequestered and alone, so I had to be creative to entertain myself,” he explains. “I would take my blanket and make characters out of them. So, I began creating and directing at a very young age, and it kept me out of trouble and entertained.”
In fifth grade, Cooper wrote his first play and began acting in school productions.
In junior high school, he convinced his English teacher to bring drama into the classroom.
And, he had a stroke of luck at his high school in Detroit, where not only was his school the top in the state for theatre, but his drama teacher was challenging and inspiring, teaching the same curriculum he taught at the local college.
“Theatre saved my life,” Cooper says. “It gave me something to get up for; it gave me something to look forward to. It was something where when everything else in my life was taken away from me or was a pretty tragic situation, it was something that made me feel like I was worthy and had purpose, and the reward was greater than my contribution. That was really wonderful.
“In a way, it was just an extension of being creative as a little guy to then being a teenager doing it. I just loved it. I was so inspired by it,” he says. “My interest in theatre really came from my struggles as a child.”
While in high school, Cooper was doing high school theatre, college theatre, and professional theatre all at the same time.
Once he graduated, Cooper headed to New York.
“I had worked all summer to save money,” he shares. “I moved on Tuesday, auditioned on Wednesday, and was cast in an off-Broadway show on Friday.”
Cooper’s career would then take him on national tours, and then eventually to Hollywood, where he would establish himself as an actor, writer, producer, and entertainer—including with the characters he and his wife, Karol, created of Bobbo and Kookee The Clowns.
“A huge part of me was always wanting to help children; to give to children,” he shares. “So [we created these characters], and wrote and produced shows for young people that were positive in messaging. All of the songs were about believing in yourself and liking yourself.”
The couple performed at hundreds of events as the characters, from backyard birthday parties to 6,000-person shows, to a private performance for the Sultan of Brunei.
Then the 1994 earthquake hit.
“I was trapped and I couldn’t get to our daughter, who was 3 at the time,” he remembers.
The earthquake crippled Los Angeles’ economy and greatly impacted Cooper’s business, so when an opportunity arose in Phoenix, the family picked up and moved.
The connections he would make in the Valley, as well as his love for children, would eventually lead Cooper to Valley Youth Theatre.
He was hired as its producing artistic director in 1996, when VYT was still located in the basement of Tower Plaza Mall.
His mission when hired, he says, was “to give children a safe place where they could be challenged, in an environment of positivity, creativity, love, inspiration, and to dare to be themselves.”
His talent, business sense and vision would propel VYT from its mall location to a brand new 202-seat theatre in Downtown Phoenix just over two years later.
“What we’ve done at Valley Youth Theatre is taken it to the nth degree with regards to how the arts can impact people’s lives,” he explains. “We created programs where we’ve now had orchestras of youth for just about every musical that we’ve done since 1996; we created a backstage program for kids to learn about all the technical aspects of theatre; we have community outreach programs; and more.
“So now, fast-forward all these years, and we have the big, high-profile and Academy Award-winner Emma Stone, and Jordin Sparks, and Broadway performers, but we also have journalists, teachers, attorneys, and business people—you name it. And, they all attribute a portion of their success and who they are to their time at VYT because it was that environment that was challenging and supportive, and they learned to not settle for mediocrity but to always be the best.”
Over the years, VYT has produced extraordinary shows, and introduced both its youth participants as well as its audiences to unique experiences. Using his relationships in the industry, Cooper has been able to do things such as negotiate the use of the Broadway set of Peter Pan so that the cast performed on an actual Broadway set; have Broadway actors attend performances; brought out professional composers and lyricists; hired equity actors such as Kelli James; and much more.
“A number of the kids who have actually gone on to Broadway said that their shows with us at the Herberger Theatre were just as impressive, if not more, than some of the theatres they worked in on Broadway,” he says proudly.
To make its shows accessible for the casts, VYT (VYT.com) also doesn’t charge its youth any fees to be in its productions. Instead, VYT believes it is there to give and help, and that it’s the responsibility of the theatre to raise the funds for the shows.
For Cooper, it always just comes down to giving youth the best experiences possible.
“I just find so much joy in working with young people, watching them rise, and watching them telling the stories,” he says, sharing that he loves what he does, “because I love children; because I want to make the world a better place; and because I believe the children are our future and we have to do everything in our power to lift them up, to hear them, to inspire them, to give them opportunities, and to guide them along the way. And I feel that, in certain ways, one child at a time, I’m making a difference. And, because I was inspired, I survived. My drama teacher in high school was a lot like me—had a lot of expectations. I was challenged, and I continue to do that because the results show. There’s a lot of injustice in the world, and I just want it to be a better place.
“VTY is a very magical place, a very special place. It really is. The byproduct is the beautiful theater we produce, but what we’re doing there is really about the young person. We are so thankful for all those who contribute to VYT so we can provide the programs fee-free. If you see a show that’s listed for VYT, I’d go see it.”