Act Now!

ACT NOW offers improvisational movie-making programs for teen and pre-teen girls and playwriting programs for children.  We also offer programs for co-educational groups of children and adolescents with behavioral challenges. 

 

ACT NOW’s improvisational curriculum, MOVIExperience, was invented by David Shepherd, the forefather of professional improvisation and lifetime advocate of theater as a social resource. David’s partner, Nancy Fletcher founded ACT NOW in 2000 believing that the MOVIExerience would build confidence and character in adolescent girls. Since then, more than 700 youth have participated in ACT NOW programs. Research conducted through Mt. Holyoke College illustrates that participating in ACT NOW significantly increases self-esteem and leadership qualities in adolescent girls.

 

One parent of a participant shared, “(My daughter) went home with a positive attitude saying, ‘I can do this.’  She went home and even at school she kept saying ‘I can do this. I can do this for myself.'”

Our work with youth has covered a wide array of topics, exploring health, wellness, relationships, behavior and more. Our focus within the process is to help participants find their creative voices and nurture their abilities to be teachers, leaders, team-members and visionaries. 

In 2013, ACT NOW connected with Cutchins Programs for Children & Families, a leading, nationally recognized agency that treats children and families experiencing challenges brought on by abuse, neglect, and trauma. By joining with Cutchins Programs, ACT NOW has broadened its reach geographically and increased the program’s ability to empower a greater number of children.  Cutchins has the like-minded mission of nurturing children’s well-being and resilience while developing instruments through which children’s voices can be heard.