Artists’ Collaborative Theatre Of New England (ACT ONE) is a New Hampshire nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)3 arts and education organization established in 1997 to present, promote, and produce the fine arts, with special emphasis on professional theatre production.
MISSION STATEMENT
Artists’ Collaborative Theatre is committed to developing programs that build community. Today more than ever, it is essential to draw friends and neighbors out of insular living rooms, away from televisions and electronic devices, to join together in a shared experience of the arts and humanities.
The exploration of ideas and emotions that live theatre makes possible is vital to the health of society, prompting dialogue and discovery at many levels. By producing quality theatre and educational outreach programming, ACT ONE seeks to enliven hearts, minds, and spirits and strengthen the bonds of community.
ACT ONE’s FESTIVAL
Since 2007 Artists’ Collaborative Theatre has presented an annual Festival of theatre and concerts running from August through October at the West End Studio Theatre (WEST) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. ACT ONE’s Festivals include Mainstage theatre productions, original works by area performance artists and writers, and concerts by regional musicians.
2019 marks ACT ONE’s 13th year of Festivals at WEST. Festival 2019 will take place from August 15 through September 15 and feature four theatre productions and a concert by Grammy Award-winning acoustic guitarist Ed Gerhard
SPECIAL JUNE EVENTS
In 2010 Artists’ Collaborative Theatre began presenting special theatre events in June at the WEST. These June performances have provided ACT ONE the opportunity to reconnect with our loyal patrons after our winter hiatus and to generate interest in the upcoming Festival productions. June Events have included a celebration of our region’s rich cultural history with Celia Thaxter & the Isles of Shoals, performances of A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters and Ancestral Voices, and the world premiere of Caroline Wood’s beautiful play, The Immigrant Garden.
The June Events have also allowed us to focus on critical social issues. In June 2012 we presented Joanna Rush’s stunning one-woman production, Asking For It, which deals with the healing and reclaiming of one’s sense of self after sexual assault. And in June 2013 ACT ONE mounted the first fully staged production of Kate Wenner’s Make Sure It’s Me, a powerful play about traumatic brain injury in American service members.
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMMING
Since 1997 Artists’ Collaborative Theatre has offered programming that focuses on the rich cultural history of the Isles of Shoals and the remarkable life of Celia Laighton Thaxter. If your group, school, library, church or other organization is interested in learning more about these programs, please contact Stephanie Nugent at 603.300.2986.
