WYO Theater

The WYO opened its doors in 1923 as a vaudeville house and also showed movies, including the first "talkie" in Wyoming. It's been a performing arts theater since 1989.

Mackenzie Kern, an entrepreneur and social media manager from Casper, and Katelyn Reckard, a senior at Sheridan High School were crowned with Miss Wyoming and Miss Wyoming Teen respectively on June 24 at the WYO Theater in Sheridan.

Joy Harjo, a Ucross alumna and the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate and Larry Mitchell, a Grammy Award-winning musician and Harjo's longtime musical collaborator, will perform at the WYO Theater on Feb. 25. This is the first time Ucross has hosted a U.S. Poet Laureate as they celebrate their 40th anniversary with events throughout 2023.

Tellabration!, an event offered by the National Storytelling Network, is being presented for the first time in Sheridan County on Nov. 19. Eight storytellers from the county and beyond will join those in 40 states and countries in the initiative that promotes and encourages local voices to share their stories through the art of storytelling.

"Celebrate the Arts" was launched about 20 years ago as a sculpture-based event but has since branched out to include the literary, visual, and performing arts. They've attracted hundreds of people each year and are hosted at sites throughout the county. The festivities begin Thursday, Aug. 25 and run through Sunday, Aug. 28.

The event comes as the fighting in Ukraine nears it's fifth month. Several million people have fled the country, with some areas heavily damaged or destroyed by the fighting. The benefit concert through its partnership with the Sheridan County YMCA has already raised tens of thousands of dollars for humanitarian efforts in and outside of Ukraine.

This year's event marked crowned the state's first Jewish Miss Wyoming and first Chinese American Miss Wyoming Outstanding Teen. The Miss America competition has been held since 1922 with Wyoming sending its first participant in 1932. The Miss Wyoming Teen competition has been held since Miss America launched it in 2005.

Creative Aging courses are being offered free of charge to those in the community over the age of 55. The first 8-week long session began last month and will culminate in a performance at the Hub on Smith on March 24 at 1:00 p.m. that showcases participants' storytelling and dance skills honed during this time.

A hearing loop featuring T-coil technology has allowed hearing-impaired patrons to better enjoy the WYO's offerings. This technology is the first of its kind installed in a theater in Wyoming.

Sheridan Arts nonprofit SAGE is hosting a new exhibit featuring the work of six artists from tribes across the region.