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 spaces like the Masonic Temple and Lexington Christian Academy.
Through the years, ACT has evolved from doing one show a year in 2001 to 7 to 8 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, and Joe Walsh in 2018.
Anthony Bruno: Interim Artistic Director
Anthony is an award-winning theatre director based in New York City. His work has been seen at Signature Theatre, American Theatre of Actors, Theater for the New City, The Gallery Players, Hudson Guild Theatre, Feinstein’s/54 Below, the New York Musical Festival, and the New York Theater Festival. Regional credits include Paper Mill Playhouse, White Plains PAC, Red House Arts Center, Summer Theatre of New Canaan, Riverside Theatre, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and as a visiting member of the Music Theatre faculty at Elon University. Anthony is founder and Co-Artistic Director of The Human Theatre Project.
Sarah Smith: Instructor
Sarah Smith has been with the ACT community since 2001. Over the years, she has occupied what seems like every possible role at ACT – starting out as a young actor, and in more recent years transitioning into an enthusiastic member of the creative team. As ACT’s Summer Day Program director, she loved guiding actors through the entire creative process of putting on a musical, including choreography, character development, and set and costume design. When she is not at ACT, Sarah teaches second grade at The Park School in Brookline, MA. She is constantly looking for new and creative ways to incorporate the arts into her teaching and enjoys using aspects of theater to enrich her students’ learning. Sarah credits ACT with igniting her passion for education and imagination, and she is forever grateful to be a part of such a wonderful organization.
Kaylah Dixon: Instructor
Kaylah holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and Communication Arts and currently works in the box office at American Repertory Theater and Huntington Theatre Company. Some of her favorite theatre experiences include playing Penelope Pennywise in Urinetown and performing in a new play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. When she isn’t doing theatre, she spends her time writing and acting for film.
David Atkins, President
Tara Smith, Treasurer
Maya Bazar, Secretary
Linda Adams
Chris Felknor
Marion Goodwin
Angela Gunn-O’Neil
Ann Horgan
Nancy Morrison
Sarah Teeven
Arlington Children’s Theatre
115 Massachusetts Avenue
Arlington, MA 02474
General Inquiries, Lost & Found: info@act.arlington.ma.us , (781) 316-8090
Interim Artistic Director: Anthony Bruno
ACT Board: Ann Horgan, ACT President
Scholarships: ACT Treasurer
Sponsorship & Advertising: Sponsorship