April 13, 2015 Josh Darby

2023-2024 Season

Upcoming Productions! 

ACT’s 28th Season (’23-’24)

Here you will find a brief plot summary of the show as well as the dates, times, forms, and other audition and production information. If you want more information on Tickets (click here). We hope to see you at the theatre! For more information on the 23-24 season just scroll down!

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

  • Info Meeting: June 1
  • Age Requirement: 4th Grade through Adult
  • Auditions: June 5 & 6
  • PJTLTAudition Form
  • Performances: Oct 6, 13 @7pm & Oct 7,8,14,15 @3pm
  • Rehearsal’s Start: June 12th, with our Mandatory Parent and Student Meeting at 6p. Then we take a break until Aug 14th, where we’ll have daytime rehearsal through the Aug 18th. Regular evening (6p-8p) rehearsals start on Aug 21st
  • Plot Summary for The Lightning Thief: As the half-blood son of a Greek god, Percy Jackson has newly-discovered powers he can’t control, a destiny he doesn’t want, and a mythology textbook’s worth of monsters on his trail. When Zeus’s master lightning bolt is stolen and Percy becomes the prime suspect, he has to find and return the bolt to prove his innocence and prevent a war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the thief. He must travel to the Underworld and back; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and come to terms with the father who abandoned him. Adapted from the best-selling book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and featuring a thrilling original rock score, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed mythical adventure “worthy of the gods” (Time Out New York).
  • Details to know sheet
  • Skeleton Calendar

Winnie-The-Pooh: A Christmas Tail 

 

  • Info Meeting: Oct 11th
  • Age Requirement: 4th Grade through Adult
  • Auditions: Oct 16 & 17
  • Audition Form: Winnie the Pooh A Christmas Tail Audition Form
  • Performances: Dec 8,15,16 @7pm & Dec 9,10,16,17 @3pm
  • Rehearsal’s Start: Oct 23rd, with our Mandatory Parent and Student Meeting at 6pm.
  • Plot Summary for Winnie-The-Pooh: A Christmas Tail: A very special Friend-and-Relation tells Christopher Robin a story of a Christmas Eve very long ago (about last year) when Eeyore, the old gray donkey who lives by himself in the thistle corner of Hundred-Acre Wood, was absolutely miserable. It seems that he lost his tail and Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet got all of their friends and a search was organized. There is a great deal of fun and excitement, plus delightful songs, in the adventure that follows. Its theme, which concerns caring, sharing and the importance of cultivating friends, makes this a very special and enchanting musical suitable for any occasion
  • Informational Sheet Winnie The Pooh Details To Know
  • Skeleton Calendar Winnie The Pooh A Christmas Tail Skeleton Calendar

The Magic Treehouse: Pirates Past Noon & Dinosaurs Before Dark

  • Info Meeting: Dec 13th
    • Link Coming Soon
  • Age Requirement: 4th Grade through 12th Grade
  • Auditions: Dec 18 & 19
    • Audition Sign Up Link Coming Soon
  • Audition Form: Coming Soon
  • Performances: Feb 16,23 @7pm & Feb 17,18,24,25 @3pm
  • Rehearsal’s Start: Jan 8th, with our Mandatory Parent and Student Meeting 6pm
  • Plot Summary for The Magic Treehouse: Dinosaurs Before Dark: Siblings, Jack and Annie, discover a tree house full of books while exploring one afternoon. Jack looks through a book about dinosaurs and wishes he could see a real one. Suddenly, the wind begins to blow and the tree house starts to spin wildly. When it finally stops, Jack and Annie open their eyes to find they have been transported back to the time of the dinosaurs.  Jack and Annie have a harrowing adventure, befriending some dinosaurs along the way as they try to make their way back home.
  • Plot Summary for The Magic Treehouse: Pirates after Noon: The two siblings return to visit the magic tree house on a dreary, rainy day. They find a book where the sun is shining and the waves are crashing, so they wish to travel to this tropical place. They realize that they are in the eighteenth-century Caribbean, the time of pirates! The siblings meet Captain Bones, a mean old pirate who captures the two and forces them to help him find buried treasure. It’s up to Jack and Annie to find their way back to the tree house and make their way home. 
  • Shows are presented as ACT 1 and ACT 2 of the same production. 
  • Informational Sheet Coming Soon
  • Skeleton Calendar Coming Soon.

Charlotte’s Web

  • Info Meeting: Dec 13th
    • Link Coming Soon
  • Age Requirement: 4th Grade through Adult
  • Auditions: Dec 18 & 19
    • Audition Sign Up Link Coming Soon
  • Audition Form: Coming Soon
  • Performances: March 22,23, 29,30 @7pm & March 23,30 @3pm
  • Rehearsal’s Start: Jan 29th, with our Mandatory Parent and Student Meeting at 6pm
  • Plot Summary for Charlotte’s Web: The Children’s Literature Association named this “the best American children’s book of the past two hundred years,” and Joseph Robinette, working with the advice of E.B. White, has created a play that captures this work in a thrilling and utterly practical theatrical presentation. The costumes and unit set may be simple or as colorful and elaborate as you wish; it’s the story and relationships that make the show. All the enchanting characters are here: Wilbur, the irresistible young pig who desperately wants to avoid the butcher; Fern, a girl who understands what animals say to each other; Templeton, the gluttonous rat who can occasionally be talked into a good deed; the Zuckerman family; the Arables; and, most of all, the extraordinary spider, Charlotte, who proves to be “a true friend and a good writer.” Determined to save Wilbur, Charlotte begins her campaign with the “miracle” of her web in which she writes, “Some pig.” It’s the beginning of a victorious campaign which ultimately ends with the now-safe Wilbur doing what is most important to Charlotte. This is a beautiful, knowing play about friendship that will give your actors a great opportunity and your audience an evening of enchantment. 
  • Informational Sheet Coming Soon
  • Skeleton Calendar Coming Soon.

The Little Mermaid Jr.

  • Info Meeting: Feb 28th
    • Link Coming Soon
  • Age Requirement: 4th Grade through Adult
  • Auditions: March 4 & 5
    • Audition Sign Up Link Coming Soon
  • Audition Form: Coming Soon
  • Performances: May 10,17 @7pm & May 11,12,18,19 @3pm
  • Rehearsal’s Start: March 11th, with our Mandatory Parent and Student Meeting at 6pm.
  • Plot Summary for The Little Mermaid Jr: In a magical underwater kingdom, the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home — and her fins — behind and live in the world above. But first, she’ll have to defy her father, King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she’s the girl whose enchanting voice he’s been seeking.
  • Informational Sheet Coming Soon
  • Skeleton Calendar Coming Soon.

Past Virtual Shows: 

If you are interested in viewing our past virtual productions of Shakespeare Stories OR ACT’s Holiday Revue. Please Inquire at info@actstaff.org and we’ll let you know how to make it happen!

38 thoughts on “2023-2024 Season”

  • We moved here from Oregon last month. My daughter has done a couple theatre performances (a classic and a musical). Does the class for Charlie Brown’s Christmas consist of children being placed in roles and than learning the play and acting/performing it at the end? Where is it performed? Is it one time as a show for parents? Are all the classes learning a play, or practicing acting by using snippets of the theme (theme being Charlie Brown, or minions, ect. …)? Also, the performances that require auditions- are those professional plays done for the public, and where (I’ve driven by Wellsian Rd.- ACT, and also saw downtown Richland had a theatre that looked like the place public would pay to see shows). Is there any an 8 year old could audition for? (School House Rock maybe? Christmas Carol must not have many roles for children, or does it?). Does it cost to audition or act in a play? Please let me know, if we can fit it in schedule and finance it, I know my daughter would love acting out CB Christmas.

    • Hi Jill!

      Welcome to the Tri-Cities!! Here’s the answers to your questions:
      1) The Charlie Brown acting series does place kids into roles and they learn what it’s like to be in a play, we have a sharing day at the end of all of classes where we show off the things we learned. The Charlie Brown Series is designed to introduce kids to the skills they need to be in a play, but is also great for kids who need a chance to put their skills to good use. These classes are open to all students in 1st-3rd grade.
      2) All of our Sharing Days are performed in the students classroom here at our building, 213 Wellsian Way in Richland.
      3) Yes, these are one time sharing for friends and family. Sharing Days start during the final half an hour of the final day of class.
      4) We have a couple of different types of classes, our After School Programs are more about learning what it takes to be in a play, casting, line memorizing, blocking and such. Our Saturday classes are more skilled based, teaching things like character building, improv, objectives and more. Each of class styles use their theme to help teach the skills, either by focusing a script around it or using the characters, story or themes to use as a jumping off point.

      5) Our Main Stage performances (this seasons Disney’s Cinderella & Sleeping Beauty, A Christmas Carol, Holes, The Diary of Anne Frank, Schoolhouse Rock Live!) are open community auditions, where we cast kids and adults alike, our audition are open to anyone 4th grade and above. On rare occasions (about once a season) we will ask for students as young as second grade. Our auditions are all a little different, for musical we ask that they prep a 30-60 second song selection from a musical, for shows designed for our older kids (this season Holes and Anne Frank) we ask for a monologue to be memorized and other shows there is just a cold read (reading from the script).
      6) For this upcoming season it looks like the rest of the shows will be 4th grade and up, so your daughter is almost old enough, she’ll be there next season for sure. Classes are a great place to gain experience in prep for next season auditions. Things can change so be sure to check our website for audition announcements.
      7) Our auditions themselves do not have a cost to them, you do have to call and register for an appointment. Kids audition in groups of 12-15 in half an hour time slots. If cast in a show there is a $45 participation fee and $75 Ad Sale fee (where you can sell an ad for our program) but these are the only fees to being in a show.

      I think that should answer it all, if you have more questions please feel free to ask me at josh@actstaff.org

      Thanks!
      Josh

  • Can you tell me when the rehearsals are for these performances? Are they every day after school or when are they?

    • Hi Susan!

      Rehearsals for each show are from 6p-8p Mon-Thurs, A Christmas Carol will rehearse between Mid-Oct & Early-Dec and Schoolhouse Rock Live! will rehearse from Early-March to Early-May. If you have any further questions please let us know.

      Josh

    • Hi Susan!

      Rehearsals for each show are from 6p-8p Mon-Thurs, A Christmas Carol will rehearse between Mid-Oct & Early-Dec and Schoolhouse Rock Live! will rehearse from Early-March to Early-May. If you have any further questions please let us know.

      Josh

  • Hi,

    My daughter would like to tryout for the Christmas Carol. I see that we need to schedule an audition, how do we do that? Also, as far as the informational meeting goes, do we need to be present or can we get the information in an alternative way? I have a scheduling conflict on that day.

    Thank you!

    • Hi April!

      Our auditions are open to all community members, kids and adults alike, who are 4th grade above. To schedule an audition just give our office a call, during office hours, at 943-6027. Our info meetings are optional, they are full of helpful information about the audition as well as our process if you get cast. Most of the information is available at the auditions as well, the info meeting is just a less busy environment to get all your questions answered. If you have any further questions please let us know.

      Josh

    • Hi Malia!

      For auditions for Schoolhouse Rock we will have all our auditionees prepare a 45-60 song from a musical, and then sing it at the auditions. There will also be small dance section. You would need to set up an audition appointment on either March 7 or 8 and we’ll have slot at 6p, 6:30p, & 7p. For more information you can give us a call 943-6027 OR attend our Schoolhouse Rock Info Meeting on March 2nd at 6pm.

      Thanks!

        • They should bring an track to accompany them. It can either be on cd, iPod or a music player of some kind. As long as they can hear the music that’s important. No headphones but you can use speakers

  • Hi Josh, Not sure if you remember my daughter Tiffany from Little Mermaid a couple years back, she was one of the ‘gulls’. She is REALLY wanting to get back into ACT, now that you are back there 🙂 She is hoping to land a spot in the auditions of Junie B Jones. Is there anything I need to know ahead of time?

    Thanks Josh, Shelley

    • Hi Shelley!

      Of course I remember Tiffany! Glad that she is excited to come back! Junie B Jones will be a wonderful show. To audition she’ll need to have an audition time slot, which we will start taking around the first of May. She’ll need to prepare a song from a musical about 45-60 seconds in length.

      Let me know if you have any further questions you can always reach me at josh@actstaff.org

      Thanks!
      Josh

  • We are so excited about the 2016/2017 season! Nice picks! We’ve got the important dates on our calendar. We’ll see you soon!

  • Pingback: The Academy of Children's Theatre Presents "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" - A Musical Production Inspired by the Emmy Award-Winning Saturday Cartoon Series in Richland, WA

    • Thank you Joelane!

      This is an amazing article!! We very much appreciate it!

    • Hi Nichole!

      We will audition in May but our rehearsals will start in August for our shows in October! Thanks!

    • Tonight’s show is at The ACT studio at 213 Wellsian Way in Richland. See you there!

  • My daughter would love to audition and be a part of a play at the Academy of Children’s Theater, however it looks like there are Sunday performances for every play. Is there a way for her to still be a part of the production? Possibly sharing a role with another actress? Or in another aspect?

    • Hi Eric,

      Auditions are next Monday and Tuesday (Oct 17,18). You’ll need to call for an audition spot, our office will be open again on Monday. Or you can stop by our meeting tonight at 6pm. For more information please email me directly at josh@actstaff.org.

      Thanks!

  • Hello,

    Our grade level is interested in bringing our classes to watch your 101 Dalmations play in the spring. Are you planning any special performances during the school day for school groups?

    • Hi Jennifer!

      Thanks so much for reaching out to us! YES we are having schools for 101 Dalmatians and The Aristocats! They will be held on May 11th. For more information or sign up please contact julie@actstaff.org!

      Thanks!

  • I’m interested in trying out for Peter and the Starcatchers. I’ve had plenty of experience in theatre arts (I’ve been in at least two plays, a musical, have been in choir for several years, and am in the chamber choir at my school, as well as Broadway choir, have had at least six solos altogether in all the years I’ve been singing, and I am currently playing Ichabod in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at my school), though I have not yet performed with ACT. I have been told that kids who have not performed with ACT before cannot try out for or will absolutely NOT get any lead roles. Is this true?

    -Your obedient servant, C. Cotton

    • Hi C. Cotton!

      Thanks for witting in. We encourage ANYONE to audition for our show, we are a community children’s theatre with parts, in most shows, for grades 4th and up. Sounds like you have a great resume! Please take a look at our audition page for more information on that or if you have specific question please email me at josh@actstaff.org. As for your question about about people not performing with us before getting parts. We look at each individual person who auditions and give the same opportunity to all. Our productions are always mixed with first timers and returning cast members (even our Beast & Gaston in our most recent production of Beauty and the Beast were first timers for us). We hope to see you at auditions!
      Thanks
      Josh

    • I can speak for experience that this isn’t true… my son had ABSOLUTELY no experience with ACT or with theater at all, and tried out for Let’s Make an Opera and got a main part. Good luck!

  • I was just looking through what’s available in the Tri-Cities and one of the sites give the list of the cast for the upcoming show. I wonder if that wouldn’t be a good idea for ACT to do since it allows people who know actors to find out if they’re in the show. Just a thought

    • Hi Jane!

      Thanks for you idea! If you head to the blog section of our website (here’s the link https://www.academyofchildrenstheatre.org/blog/ ) you can find all of our previous cast lists. You can also filter it by clicking on the “productions” button under categories (on our blog page) and find them that way too! For the more recent ones you can scroll down our main page to the news and announcements sections, they are featured their too! We also feature all our cast members on our Facebook too! If you need any further help finding the lists please let us know!

      Thanks!

  • My daughter is interested in trying out for either Peter and the star catcher or curious George. I see that the info mtg is on Jan 31, but could you please tell me what time and location?

    • Hi Audra,

      We will be excited to have you! Our informational meeting for those auditions is at 6pm at ACT, which is located at 213 Wellsian Way in Richland, WA

      Thanks!
      Josh

  • I can speak for experience that this isn’t true… my son had ABSOLUTELY no experience with ACT or with theater at all, and tried out for Let’s Make an Opera and got a main part. Good luck!

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