When Aimee Miron was in second grade, she gathered her cousins on her grandmother’s porch and staged an entire production – written, directed, and performed by her. The audience (a captive group of adults after dinner) applauded politely, unaware they were witnessing the early steps of a lifelong director.
“I think I was always going to be a director,” Aimee laughs. “Even back then, I loved bringing people together to tell a story.”
That love of storytelling carried her to the University of Minnesota, where she earned a degree in Theatre Arts. Her studies gave her a wide-ranging foundation: critical analysis and dramaturgy, but also practical skills like sewing in the costume shop, organizing props, and building sets.“Theater degrees are so diverse,” Aimee says. “Yes, I can analyze Shakespeare, but I can also sew a costume or use a screw gun. Those skills are what keep productions alive.”
After graduation, she worked with a theater company in Portland, Oregon, before life eventually brought her back home to Central Minnesota. It didn’t take long for Aimee to reconnect with her roots. Cast in Les Misérables at GREAT Theatre in 2013, she quickly realized she wanted to do more.
“I told them, ‘I want to direct for you. In fact, I am going to direct for you.’ And one thing led to another.”
Since then, Aimee has directed nearly 20 productions for GREAT, each one deepening her commitment to community, collaboration, and the transformative power of live theatre.
The Joy of Mentorship
At the heart of her work is the Youth Artist Project, an innovative mentorship program at GREAT Theatre. High school students step into leadership roles—directing, choreographing, designing while being guided by Aimee and other professional mentors.
“It’s not about me handing down wisdom,” Aimee says. “Every time I work with our youth, I grow too. They bring questions and challenges that push me to see things in new ways.”
What excites her most is watching young artists realize their own agency.
“The moment I say to a student, ‘You get to decide,’ and they look at me in shock. ‘Me?’ That moment fills my heart. Because they make a choice, and then they see the ripple effects of that choice. That’s real leadership.”
She describes rehearsals as “100% chaos”…full of energy, silliness, and constant learning. But in that chaos lies transformation. “It’s not just about learning blocking or music. It’s about learning how to lead a room. How to make mistakes and see them not as failures, but as the path to your next great idea.”
Aimee returns again and again to one word: collaboration.
“To me, collaboration is The Human Condition. We live together, eat together, work together; we have to collaborate to be human. Theatre is the perfect reflection of that. We disagree, we compromise, we find creative solutions together. That’s the magic of it.”
She recalls one rehearsal where things were spiraling into noisy chaos. Instead of stepping in, she told the youth directors to lead. “They looked at each other, then ran back in. Five minutes later, I hear three-part harmony coming from the room. That’s the heart of this project. Give young people space, and they’ll rise to the occasion.”
A Friend of Youth
This year, Aimee was honored with the Friend of Youth Award from the St. Cloud Morning Optimist Club, recognizing her extraordinary commitment to mentoring young people. “The award is meaningful, but it’s not the end of the journey,” she reflects. “It reminds me that people are noticing and that makes me want to do more.”
For Aimee, being a “friend of youth” is about more than encouragement.
“Mentors aren’t always your friend. Sometimes it’s my job to critique, to push, to hold people to their commitments. That’s what real support looks like.”
So why does she continue to pour her energy into the Youth Artist Project year after year? Because she believes it shapes not just artists, but people. “Some kids walk away saying, ‘I had no idea how much work it takes to put on a show.’ But really, what they’re learning is that they can lead. They can collaborate. They can step into a room and guide others. And that will serve them whether they stay in theatre or move into any other part of life.”
Her advice to young people considering the program? Come with an open mind. Have opinions. Be ready to listen. And her advice to adults thinking about becoming mentors? “Do it. Mentoring is some of the richest work you can do as a human. It’s not just about investing in the next generation; it’s about investing in the kind of world we all want to live in. A world where art, creativity, and collaboration matter.” For Aimee Miron, theatre isn’t just about telling stories on stage. It’s about shaping leaders, building community, and showing the next generation that whether on Grandma’s porch, in a black box theatre, or on the Paramount stage the show is always worth putting on.
This year’s Youth Artist Project “Elephant & Piggie’s We are in a Play, Jr.” opened to a sold out run! Tickets are still available for the added performance on Sunday, September 28th at 4pm.