DR. WRENN GOODRUM

 

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In 1987 I founded 'All Children's Theatre Ensemble' (for ages 8-18) in Providence, Rhode Island. My mission was to create a safe environment for ALL youth to grow their confidence and skills in a non-competitive community. I founded a youth repertory theatre where many children remained in the theatre  from age 5 to 18. We produced 10 to12 plays a year including socially relevant, audience participation, new plays, musicals, teen drama and children's theatre. Youth in the company did not audition for plays (except the musicals). We cast youth by seniority - who was up for a principal role after they had been ensemble and supporting actors. Youth grew their talents as their confidence grew stronger. Through grants we toured socially relevant plays throughout the state of Rhode Island and performed four times for 5,000 middle school students at the Providence Performing Arts Center. We produced a Kids Cabaret of Improvisational theatre where the younger members of the company waited on the audience who sat at tables watching the audience participation performance. We gave senior youth the opportunity to direct their peers with our 'ACT Directors' program. We produced a 'Rhode Island Teen Playwriting Festival' for twelve years, funded by grants. We participated in the' RI Walk for Life' (An AIDS fund-raising group). Professionals from Trinity Rep and Brown University mentored our youth as well as Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright, Paula Vogel, who spoke to our ensemble about playwriting. We provided acting classes year round, including  summer theatre camps for ages 4-16. We worked with schools to provide mentorship programs for their youth to intern at our theatre.

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Our community outreach programs  introduced theatre into the lives of youth severely and emotionally disabled. I remember seeing a child speak for the first time during her class presentation and another time, a child clapped her hands, without assistance for the first time, as she spoke. Michael, a youth with Down Syndrome started at age five in our 'Bag and Box Players' and stayed with us until he graduated at age 19. He was many times an actor and ambassador for our company. All children were included in our programs regardless of their abilities, economic challenges or demographics.   

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'Theatre Can Make A Difference In The Lives Of All Children.

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In 2009 I moved to North Carolina to be closer to my ailing mother and family and started another company Activate Community Through Theatre (ACT). This company is an S-corporation and I produce, direct and teach all the productions and classes.

 

I started teaching at the Davidson Community Theatre (DCP) with one class. By the time I left I was teaching summer camps and four classes a week and a 'Shakespeare Unplugged' workshop that ended with performances for the community. The participating youth designed and made the sets, costumes and props. It was a ' Total Theatre Experience'. I also designed, taught and directed several  theatre classes for seniors age 55+. I directed mainstage children's plays and one main stage play while employed at Davidson Community Players.

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Matthews Playhouse (MP) wooed me and I accepted. I taught and directed for them for nine years until Covid changed everything.  More on this journey on my Education page.

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In 2012 I produced, directed and designed ACT's first community youth production, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  We toured it to four communities. I continued to produce and direct two to four audience participation productions a year using school spaces. In 2014 we found a permanent home at the Warehouse Performing Arts Center (WPAC). I produced, directed and designed four productions a year until March 2020. Unfortunately WPAC closed and we lost a great performing space. With a SVOG grant from the Federal Government I was able to produce The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at a much larger venue in Mooresville in 2021. After this production I was unable to locate an affordable performing space so I chose to write, produce and direct an immersive production of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. This production had four Alices, five Cheshire Cats, 35 youth actors, 11 scenes on eight acres of land including a pond. Four groups of sixteen audience members followed each Alice on her adventures including playing croquet with the Royals, having tea at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and attending the Trial.  It was quite an EVENT! 

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I have worn many hats as an Artistic Director/Founder. I  have learned graphic, marketing, fundraising, communications, computer, photography, dramaturgy, and development skills during my many years in the business. Through professional development classes I learned to write and have received many grants.  The most successful was the Federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) which helped my company during the Pandemic.

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