Phone: (888) 343-4228

About ACT Inc.

ACT Inc. is a 501(c)(3) educational charity that connects the arts and the curriculum in the classroom.

Truly awesome! Students keep coming up to me to tell me how much they enjoyed the performance. You offer an entertaining and educational service with your high quality programs.

~E.M., Librarian

How we do it.
Why it works.

Decades of data has shown that integrating the arts in classrooms has proven benefits such as better attendance records, improved student achievement levels, and higher graduation rates.

How you can help.

We rely on donations from individuals like you to keep our services low-cost to Arizona schools, and free of charge to communities with the most need. Click here to donate right now.

Our Artists

James David Porter

Co-Founder, Artistic Director

James was a company member of Looking Glass Theatre in Providence, RI. He attended Trinity Rep Conservatory, where his mentors included film and television actor Peter Gerety, as well as the Best Actor nominated Richard Jenkins. James also studied interactive theater under Jeff Wirth, today the founder of the Interactive PlayLab in New York City.

Jim Coates, PhD

Co-Founder, Teaching Artist

Jim Coates holds a BA in Speech and Theatre from Slippery Rock University, PA, and both an MA and a PhD in Theatre from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Acting coach, theater consultant, and a lecturer on the arts and humanities, Jim is a retired professor and has four decades of teaching experience.

Danette Porter

Co-Founder, Teaching Artist

Danette Porter graduated from American Musical and Dramatic Academy as a Musical Theater performer. She has appeared in Shakespeare productions both in California and Arizona, most notably with Southwest Shakespeare Company. Danette was also a company member of the nationally-acclaimed Childsplay Theatre in Tempe, Arizona.

Laurelann Porter, PhD

Teaching Artist

Laurelann Porter received her BFA in Independent Theatre Studies from Boston University, and a Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting and her PhD in Theatre and Performance of the Americas at Arizona State University. She has performed in Boston, Phoenix, Brazil, and Denmark, and has developed a body of work which encompasses solo performance, film, recorded music, screenplays and plays.

413 Arizona schools visited
There are more than 3,000 schools in Arizona. Please help us reach more. Help us
7250 Classroom hours
Our workshops and performances can be customized for entire assemblies, or just one classroom. Help us
220000 Arizona schoolchildren reached
Every student in Arizona deserves a well-rounded education that includes the arts. Help us

Add drama to your classroom!

"Masterful . . . Chilling . . . Intense"

Our specialty is bringing the drama of classical literature alive for your students. We can bring a new appreciation for authors such as Shakespeare and Poe, and reach students who do not generally excel in a traditional school setting. Our approach to arts integration makes the curriculum come alive.

Reviews

  • If you have any say in who gets hired as visiting artists at a school, I urge you to try to include these guys in the mix: top-notch professional actors who take control with the sheer attracting force of their compelling talent.

  • Truly awesome! Students keep coming up to me to tell me how much they enjoyed the performance. You offer an entertaining and educational service with your high quality programs.

Select a workshop or performance from our existing catalog, or have us customize a topic for your classroom.

Past Partners

Please consider making a donation today
and help us bring the arts to more Arizona students.

Donate Now

Contact Us

1-888-343-4228
info@curriculumtheater.com
Surprise, Arizona,
United States
Contact Us
Top