Playbill was on hand in Atlanta, GA for the annual Junior Theater Festival held Jan. 18-20. Co-presented by iTheatrics and Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, this annual event brought together some 4,000 school-age theatre enthusiasts from 23 states across the U.S. Here, Tony-winning composer Alan Menken, Tony-winning lighting designer Ken Billington and Freddie Gershon (CEO and Chairman of Music Theatre International, and a 2012 Tony Honoree for Excellence in the Theatre for his work with the Broadway Junior program) talk about their experiences at this year's festival and the impact that theatre arts have on young people. For a photo gallery of the festival, click here.
