Act Out Theatre Group Booster Club

What is the Act Out Theatre Group Booster Club?

The Act Out Theatre Group Booster Club was established in 2022 as a means to help Act Out Theatre Group create affordable and diverse  opportunities for local youth and teens to become involved in the performing arts and related fields. The Act Out Theatre Group Booster Club, in conjunction with Act Out Theatre Group, it also offers diversity scholarships to make the arts more affordable to everyone.

The Act Out Out Theatre Group Booster Club is comprised of parents, Act Out Theatre Group Alumni, and Community Members with an interest in supporting performing arts and the area youth. The executive board includes community members, as well as theatre, student and parent representatives.

What is the Act Out Theatre Group Story?

In 2017, Dan Pittman became the owner and artistic director of Act Out Theatre Group after the theatre's original owners decided to pursue other opportunities. In 2018, the theatre's original home was unexpectedly put up for sale and sold. A massive Act Out Family effort allowed the theatre to close its final production and relocate to Dunmore, Pa. in one week. Nineteen days later, Heathers: The Musical, School Edition, opened on the Dunmore stage.

Since that first production, the theatre went through numerous changes and battled a number of challenges. However, the family spirit has remained. Theatre offerings have evolved to include adult-cast productions, educational classes, theatre camps and a variety of family fun nights and community involvement opportunities.

Like so many people and small businesses, Act Out Theatre Group struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, thanks again to the Act Out Family effort, the theatre survived. 

In December 2022, Dan Pittman and some very dedicated theatre family members helped move the theatre back to Taylor, Pa. and into its current home at 802 South Main Street, Ste. 804D. The children and teens participating in the winter workshops were remarkable in their ability to adapt from one theatre space to another, with little more than week's worth of time. A Fairy Christmas Carol was the inaugural production at Act Out's new home...followed quickly by The Land of Forgotten Toys.

So, What's Next?

The Act Out Theatre Group Booster Club and Act Out Theatre Group continue to explore ways of bringing the performing arts and arts-related activities to NEPA youth and teens. Both are committed to fostering a creative, safe, and inclusive environment where all children and teens are encouraged to be themselves while exploring the arts. The Booster Club works with the theatre to offer a free summer workshop to area youth and teens.

In 2022, the Booster Club, in conjunction with Act Out Theatre Group, established the Diversity Initiative Scholarship, in an effort to make the arts more-accessible to under-represented groups. In 2024, the Act Out Theatre Group Booster Club added an additional scholarship to better serve the community: the Lorcan Baden Legacy Scholarship. The scholarship is a competitive, general scholarship that is open to anyone, but specifically to those with a definitive need, strong character, and a love of the arts.

This season, the Booster Club awarded an amount equivalent to 15 full scholarships to workshop participants. In addition, it was able to support a revitalization to the theatre's house (coming summer 2026), contribute to an Act Out Family Outing to Roba Farms, and sponsor the theatre's free summer workshop, as well as an additional musical production.

To earmark your NEPA Gives donation to one of these specific scholarships, please include the name of the scholarship in the memo of your donation.