Together, we can create theatre that inspires!

Arlington Children’s Theatre is dedicated to creating quality theatrical events, workshops, and experiences that educate, inspire, and enrich the lives of children ages 7-18, their families, and the community. We produce a variety of plays and musicals each season and offer exciting workshops and vacation day programs that center on the educational process and the theatrical and interpersonal development of each individual participant.

ACT’s Mission Statement:

  • ACT embraces by opening its doors to all who wish to participate regardless of background, experience, or acting, dancing or singing ability.

  • ACT enriches by providing a safe, welcoming space where children can be exposed to new experiences, different points of view, and challenged beyond their current selves.

  • ACT educates formally through its workshops, programs and high-quality productions led by staff with years of experience and dedication to theatre. ACT also educates informally by helping give children the freedom to express themselves, and develop the communication, teamwork, and conflict resolution skills necessary to see a complex production with many personalities come to life.

  • ACT entertains by creating excellent, professional-looking and -sounding productions that everyone can enjoy and be proud of: the ACTors, their parents, the artistic staff, and the local community.

  • ACT encourages by supporting everyone in the ACT community and teaching them to be resilient, humble, and to persevere.

About Us

ACT Co-Founder and long-time Board Member Deb Butler used to call ACT the “soccer team for kids who don’t play soccer.” That spirit of teamwork has always been at the very center of ACT. It is also that sense of ACT being a refuge and a community that continues to this day, even for soccer players.

ACT began as a place where parents and other adults volunteered to help children create live theater. The organization has used a variety of spaces in Arlington over the years—the First Baptist Church, the Regent Theater, the Masonic Temple, Town Hall, the Church of Our Savior, and Rocky DiRicco’s Karate Studio—finally settling into a home-base in 2008 at Arlington Center for the Arts. In 2016, ACT moved to Trinity Baptist Church, while continuing to use performing spaces at Minuteman High School and Lexington Christian Academy.

Through the years, ACT has evolved from doing one show a year in 2001 to 5 to 6 shows a year, plus vacation camps, a fully-enrolled summer day program, and multiple workshops. ACT was a parent-driven volunteer organization from its inception until ACT hired former ACTor Colleen Rua as its first Artistic Director in 2006, followed by Matt Lundeen in 2012, Joseph C. Walsh in 2018, and Anthony Bruno in 2020.

Anthony Bruno: Artistic Director (he/him)

Anthony is an award-winning theatre director and educator specializing in ensemble-driven theatre and new work development. His work on the world premiere of Southern Hospitality by Lilia Rubin earned him the NSPF Award for Best Director. In 2018, Anthony co-produced and directed Theater for the New City’s 15th annual gala featuring André De Shields, Vinie Burrows, and Charles Busch. Under Anthony’s leadership and vision, ACT pioneered the first in-person performances in the Great Boston Area after the March 2020 COVID-19 shutdown and has expanded their professional staff for the first time in their history.

Anthony founded The Sandbox @ Redhouse, a program in partnership with Red House Arts Center (Syracuse, NY) designed to train and foster collaboration between local playwrights and directors in the development of new works. Anthony was selected from a global pool of applicants by the International Performing Arts Institute to direct and train early-career musical theatre and opera professionals in Kiefersfelden, Germany. This year, The Great American Songbook Foundation (founded by Michael Feinstein) scouted Anthony to sit on the screening and admittance panel for their prestigious Songbook Academy, a program that trains pre-professional high school performers from around the country.

Select New York credits include What Do Critics Know? (Signature Theatre), The 40th Annual Halloween Costume Ball (Theater for the New City), and Me Prometheus (Hudson Guild Theatre). Regional credits include White Plains PAC, Red House Arts Center, Summer Theatre of New Canaan, Riverside Theatre, Sheboygan Theatre Company, Phoenix Productions, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and as a visiting member of the Music Theatre faculty at Elon University. Anthony holds a BFA in Music Theatre from Elon University and is an SDC Associate Member. For more information, visit www.anthonybruno.nyc

Bonnie Gold: Director of Development (they/them)

Bonnie Gold is a skilled communications and institutional advancement professional, adept fundraiser, and lifelong artist with a rich blend of experience and passion for the arts. Their various roles have included teaching and leadership positions at Camp Wigwam and The Chestnut Hill School, shaping their knack for community building and youth engagement.

While at The Chestnut Hill School, Bonnie oversaw impressive fundraising campaigns that consistently surpassed goals. Notably, they rallied the community during the pandemic to raise over $615,000, significantly exceeding the initial target goal. Bonnie’s multifaceted approach to fundraising, including personalized outreach, phone-a-thons, and creative video appeals, consistently resonates with donors, sparking generous support even in challenging times.

As the Director of Media and Communications at Temple Emunah, Bonnie implemented a comprehensive online member portal and revitalized the synagogue’s website, enhancing the organization’s digital presence and community accessibility.

Beyond their “9-5” roles, Bonnie’s commitment to arts and theatre is personal. As a professional actor and comedian, they’ve lived a life immersed in creativity and performance, further fueling their dedication to arts organizations. They carry their BA in Theatre Arts from Goucher College into every aspect of their work, allowing their love of the arts to inform their innovative development strategies.

Bradford Robinson: Theatre Administrator (he/him)

Bradford is a director, choreographer, educator, performer, and administrator based in the Greater Boston Area. Former ACT credits include The Music Man (Dir.), The Laramie Project (Dir.), Seussical (Dir.), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Choreo./Stage Manager), The Addams Family (Associate Dir./Choreo.), and The R&J Project and The Little Prince (Light Board Op.). Local productions include 9 to 5: The Musical (Choreo.) with Arlington Friends of the Drama and 35mm.: a Musical Exhibition (Music Dir.) at Salem State University. Bradford received an EMACT Dash award for Best Stage Management for Disney’s  My  Son, Pinocchio at Wakefield Repertory Youth Theatre. He holds a BA in Music from Salem State University and a Master of Education in Higher Education from Suffolk University. Bradford is an active singer and dancer with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus.

Michelle Pothier: Technical Director (she/her)

Michelle is super excited to be part of ACT! She is a recent graduate of Salem State University, with a BFA in Directing. She has close to a decade of theatre experience under her belt, having performed both onstage and backstage in various capacities.

Roisin Dowling: State Manager (she/her)

Roisin Dowling has worked with Arlington Children’s Theater since 2021 as a stage manager, director, and educator.  She has also worked with Moonbox Productions and the Cambridge Chamber Ensemble as an Assistant Stage Manager and Deck Stage Manager.  Roisin will continue to work with Arlington Children’s Theater in their upcoming production of Radium Girls as the Stage Manager.

Mary Kray: Visiting Musical Director (she/her)

Mary is an operatic mezzo-soprano and private voice teacher based in Boston, MA. She is currently attending Boston Conservatory at Berklee to pursue a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance under the tutelage of Dr. Rebecca Folsom. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Northern Arizona University in 2020. Mary has performed the roles of Margaret in Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza, Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, as well as Sesto in Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito. In addition to Mary’s experience in opera, she has performed as the alto soloist in oratorios such as Bach’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Over the past five years, Mary has received various awards at the district and regional levels of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Mary began her own teaching practice in 2020 in which she guides her students to healthy singing techniques and a better understanding of music theory. She has been involved with Arlington Children’s Theater as their lead music instructor where she specialized in building musicianship in an engaging classroom setting. Mary has been a member of The Choir of the New Jerusalem since 2021.

David Flowers: Visiting Musical Director (he/him)

David is an assistant professor of conducting at the Berklee College of Music, where he also teaches music history, and is in demand as a music director in the Greater Boston Area. In addition to being a regular collaborator with the Arlington Children’s Theatre, he has served as MD for the Priscilla Beach Theatre, the Marblehead Little Theatre (where he also did orchestrations for a world premiere), the Stonehill College Theatre Company, the Solomon-Schechter Day School of Greater Boston, and as pit-conductor for the Weston Friendly Society. He has also served as a guest-teaching artist with the Cantata Singers and the New School of Music, writing original songs and musicals with kids. In the past, he has served MD posts on the education departments of the Ogunquit Playhouse and Chicago Opera Theatre. He holds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting studies from Penn State University and a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from Illinois Wesleyan University.

David Atkins, President

Sarah Williams, Treasurer

Maya Bazar, Secretary

Linda Adams

Jennifer Dilts

Marion Goodwin

Angela Gunn-O’Neil

Rua Kelly

Alyssa O’Rourke

Sarah Teeven

Arlington Children’s Theatre
115 Massachusetts Avenue
Arlington, MA 02474

Office Hours: 5pm – 8pm (Mon – Thu)


General Inquiries, Lost & Found: info@arlingtonchildrenstheatre.org(781) 316-8090

Artistic Director: Anthony Bruno

ACT Board: David Atkins, ACT President

Scholarships: info@arlingtonchildrenstheatre.org

Sponsorship & Advertising: Sponsorship