• photo by John Bentham

    “As an English teacher, my greatest joy is seeing how these skills translate into success in the classroom. In a school with a 44% graduation rate, there has only been one Opening Act participant who did not graduate on time. Opening Act has improved the lives of my students, the culture of my school, and my practice as a teacher.”

    -Dan Thompson, Gompers.

    Read More

What We Do

Opening Act’s voluntary, weekly, after-school theater programs span a full year

and use improvisation, acting games and writing exercises to help students unleash their creativity, foster collaboration, and develop professional acting technique. Through their artistic achievements, Opening Act students develop leadership and problem solving skills and strengthen their abilities in writing and self-expression. The culmination of each program is an original production, created and performed by the students in professional theaters. Read more.