Actors Charitable Theatre

The ACT strives to fulfill its mission of unity for the Tuscaloosa area using a new approach to community theater. The Actor's Charitable Theatre was founded in 2008 with the mission to use theater not only to entertain, but as a means of fundraising for other community groups. The ACT partners each of it's shows with a different locally based charity; these groups are invited to speak before each performance and set up displays in the theatre lobby. With these partnerships, the arts community is exposed to organizations that they might not know about and the recipient organizations are able to gain arts involvement while furthering their mission.  Another unique aspect of The ACT is the continuous effort to find new and creative ways to promote this growing organization. Every summer, The ACT hosts a week-long kids camp, where attendees audition, rehearse, and perform a full theater production in one week. Through our camp, these kids are able to truly experience every facet of a theatrical production, from costumes to choreography, and everything in between. These campers also get the opportunity to gain great audition and performance experience, as each child is given the opportunity to be featured in the show.  Other uniquely ACT events include Singing Valentines, themed fundraisers, and dinner theaters. One of our most memorable and enjoyable fundraisers was "Almost Paradise: A 1980's Prom", which was held to promote the production of "Footloose" and Eagles Wings, Inc., the partnered charitable organization for that show.  Our dinner theaters are always the crowd pleasers, with lots of laughter and plenty of food. Past themes for dinner theaters include "Caught in The ACT: A Broadway Whodunnit", featuring an array of musical characters, and "Couples Therapy", where our own Oprah and Dr. Phil addressed some romantic dilemmas.  The ACT has accomplished so much in its three and a half years since inception. We were the first amateur company to produce "Hairspray" in Alabama in 2010. This racially diverse production set in the 1960's addressed segregation and prejudice head-on, paving the way for our most recent undertaking, "The Color Purple".  The cast of 36 remarkably talented  African-Americans is bringing the emotional story to life right here in Tuscaloosa, and truly showcases the talent we have in this area. This production of "The Color Purple" will be the first amateur production of this show in the southeast United States, and only the fifth in the nation. The ACT will persist on these new paths as we continue to bring new and exciting productions to Tuscaloosa in an effort to further unite this diverse community