Performance Groups & Teacher Bios

Check out the Performance groups we have to offer!

TROUPE, TROUPERS and SUPER TROUPERS:

ACT’s Troupe and Troupers are auditioned repertory groups of outstanding high school (Troupe) and middle school (Troupers) students from throughout the Tri-Cities area.

Troupe strives to provide the highest quality in professionalism and performance, and bring a public awareness to sensitive subjects. Past projects include festivals, competitions, educational productions and projects, dinner and dessert theatre. Troupers focus on literature-based works to expand the mind and stretch the imagination, thus allowing for optimal growth and immersion in theatre knowledge, skills, and confidence. Super Troupers is an advanced group of ensemble actors. It is NOT an auditioned group but advances directly from Troupers. Super Troupers work on more advanced projects that often reflect challenges faced by their peers. The age range is 7th -9th grade. At the end of the season, students in 8th or 9th grade are eligible to advance to Troupers at the discretion of the Director.

SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION & SPARKS:

Spontaneous Combustion (SPC) and Sparks are audition-based improv groups for youth grades 6-12; Sparks is for middle school students / SPC is for high school students. These quick and witty groups perform throughout the community, as well as at ACT's Winter Showcase & Art Alive Weekend. As a group, each strive to entertain and inform our audiences with quality fun and funny shows. The members are skilled at quick, creative and analytically thinking, character development, storytelling, and teamwork.

SPONTANEOUS-COMBUSTION meets Saturdays from 3p-5p,

SPARKS meets Saturdays from 1p-3p

ENCORE & STARDUST:

If you love to sing, dance and act, this is the group for you. Members are "triple threats" who wish to improve their performing skills while working with other actors who are just as talented as they are. We push ourselves to be better performers while having a lot of fun in the process. Encore! is our high school group.

ENCORE is our middle school/ High school group (Grades 3-7). Meets Wednesday's from 4p-6p ( Grades 7-12)

Stardust is our elementary/middle school group (Grades 3-7).
STARDUST meets Tuesday's from 4p-6p

The Stardust & Encore choir performs a wide variety of musical styles, from musical theater to classical, all while building excellent vocal technique. Stardust & Encore enjoys a variety of performance opportunities throughout the year both at ACT and in the community.

PLEASE CONTACT ADRIENNE FLETCHER AT Adrienne@actstaff.org before signing up.

ENSEMBLE:

ACT’s newest performance group is designed to be the perfect start to an actor's education.

Ensemble is an after school drama club for 3rd-5th graders is designed to share our love of theatre with your actor. The group will meet twice a week (Mon & Wed) for three weeks every month during the school year (starting in October), with one week off between sessions.

The group will work on a different focus each session; session focuses can include Harry Potter, Charlie Brown, Dr. Seuss, Chronicles of Narnia and more. The end of each session will include a sharing day for family and friends.

This program will have rolling enrollment. If you register month by month the group is $90 a month, HOWEVER if you sign up for the entire year you receive a 50% discount making each month only $45!

Introducing ACT’s newest performance group in partnership with the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers: MY CHOIR!

In this traditional choir performance group students will work on building and strengthening their vocal techniques and learn new vocal skills and tools.

This group is also an excellent way for students to build their confidence in their performance abilities by performing at various venues throughout the community and ACT!

Please inquire for information at Info@actstaff.org

Meet our teachers!

Josh Darby

Josh is a graduate from CWU with a BA in Theatre Arts: Youth Drama (2008) and SCT’s Teaching Artist Apprentice Program (2013). He has worked in children’s theatre as a director, teaching artist, actor, writer in Seattle, Los Angles and the Tri-Cities since 2005. Josh has directed many shows over the years including, Holes, Little Women: The Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Hobbit, Beauty and the Beast, Keeping Mr. Lincoln and Tom Sawyer.

Julie Schreoder

Julie Schroeder has been involved with different aspects of theatre for over 40 years. She has acted, directed, designed hair, makeup and costumed over 100 shows. She has been a teaching artist with the Academy of Children’s Theatre since 1999, directed ACT’s award winning Troupe and Troupers, and has been a part of the staff as the Education Director since 2007. Currently, she also teaches drama with the Richland School District HomeLink program. In addition, Julie is the creator and director of Spectrum on Stage, a drama program for students on the Autism Spectrum.

Adrienne Shields

Bio Coming soon!

Alexis Williams

Alexis is a recent ACT Alumni who has interned at ACT since 2018. During her high school years she got the opportunity to study Early Childhood Education at Tri Tech Skills Center, and will be continuing her education at CBC in the fall to pursue a career in teaching. Alexis is excited to teach and has a passion for serving others.

Taylor Riley