Positive Action Community Theatre Improv Theatre Workshops

Positive Action Community Theatre Improv Theatre Workshops offers in-person and online improvisational theatre workshops, including improv theatre, Virtual Improv/Theatre Workshops, and in-person Improvisational Theatre Workshops. Participants can take part in specific series such as Improv to a Job and Social Skills Workshops, an Improv and Acting six-week workshop series, and The Enchanted Forest musical. The program also includes the PACTHOUSE PLAYERS Theatre Troupe, which creates and performs theatre events, and offers workshops and teacher trainings at local community centers and schools.

• Ages: 13–18 years old
• Schedule: Ongoing in-person and virtual improvisational theatre workshops, with options including 6-week and 16-week series
• Price: In-person Improvisational Theatre Workshops are offered at no cost; sliding scale tuition and scholarships are available if needed

Improv to a Job and Social Skills Workshops run as a 16-week series, and the Improv and Acting workshop is a six-week series. The Enchanted Forest musical is a 16-session series directed by Wil Fisher, M.A., Applied Theatre. In-person Improvisational Theatre Workshops meet in 8-week cycles, and the Virtual Improvisational Theatre Workshop meets weekly via Zoom on an ongoing basis.

Positive Action Community Theatre (PACT) opened its doors in May 2008 as a community theatre serving the general public. PACT is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its mission is “PACT’s mission is to empower individuals and create community through the performing arts.” The collective experience of co-founders Kathryn Campion and William Simonson includes professional backgrounds in theatre and music and experience in non-profit management and program development.

The program offers in-person and online theatre workshops and performance opportunities for people with autism and other developmental disabilities, and programs are designed to serve people with autism, but everyone is welcome to attend. Workshops use improvisational theatre to practice job interviews and learn to thrive in a work setting, and experts give presentations on how to find a job and how to start a business. Participants master social and communication skills that will help them in all areas of their lives. The summer Improv and Acting workshop series is led by talented young adults with autism who have been benefitting from on-the-job training as actors and as teachers, and a virtual theatre/social skills workshop is held by a workshop leader who is a young adult with autism currently holding the workshops from Dublin, where he is completing his Master’s degree.

Workshops include individuals with disabilities as well as volunteers who act as peer mentors, and they encourage a feeling of equality by not pointing out volunteers or discussing anyone’s differences. The environment is described as fun, low-stress, and upbeat, giving those with unique needs an opportunity to express their creativity, reconnect with peers, and learn social skills through observation and interaction. PACT recently started using improvisational theatre to help people with autism find jobs and develop careers, and studying and expressing the performing arts brings those who have been isolated into a shared world.

PACTHOUSE PLAYERS Theatre Troupe has created and performed theatre events at local schools and community centers and is currently performing online. PACT has provided workshops and teacher trainings at local community centers and schools. Spanish translation of website information is available by emailing the office, and a Spanish speaker will respond. Virtual workshops are held via Zoom, and the organization can be found on Facebook and Instagram. If closed captioning, sign language interpretation, additional supports, or information about the accessibility of programs is needed, families can contact PACT by phone or email.

Last updated March 25, 2026.