Raleigh Area Children's Theatre Will Merge With Theatre Raleig

 Raleigh Area Children's Theatre will merge with Theatre Raleigh, the region's professional, nonprofit theatre company renown for showcasing Broadway talent in the Triangle.  

The merger marks a significant milestone by creating Raleigh’s only youth training program directly affiliated with a professional theater. Founded in 2012 by director Blaire Thompson, Raleigh ACT will gain a permanent home through this partnership and provide its students with access to Theatre Raleigh’s resources, expertise and opportunities to collaborate with industry professionals.

"Over the last 12 years, Blaire Thompson has built the premier youth theater program in the Triangle," said Lauren Kennedy Brady, executive director of Theatre Raleigh. "This merger is a celebration of her success and a way to amplify it. We’re thrilled to welcome Raleigh ACT into the Theatre Raleigh family."

Raleigh ACT offers both performance and technique classes as well as summer and track-out camps for children aged 4 to 18, with programs for both beginners and experienced young performers. The school also provides inclusive classes for students with developmental disabilities and stages as many as 24 shows each year. In January 2024, Raleigh ACT earned top honors at the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, triumphing over 123 other youth theater troupes.

Theatre Raleigh, acclaimed for bringing Broadway stars to its North Raleigh stage, will extend its professional expertise to Raleigh ACT. Recent notable performances at Theatre Raleigh include appearances by award-winning performers like Julie Benko, Beth Leavel, Rachel Bay Jones, Norm Lewis and Norbert Leo Butz. The theater also made waves in September with a two-week run of "Bull Durham: A New Musical" at Duke University, with plans to take the production to Broadway.

"This partnership ensures Blaire and her team can continue their incredible work while benefiting from our sound, lighting, scenic design and connections to Broadway talent,” added Kennedy Brady. “It also builds a direct pipeline for young talent to join Theatre Raleigh productions.”

Both Kennedy Brady and Theatre Raleigh's artistic director Eric Woodall credit their own early experiences in local youth theater programs for shaping their successful Broadway careers. They hope this merger will offer similar pathways for the next generation of aspiring performers.

"Raleigh ACT is thrilled to establish a permanent home with Theatre Raleigh," said Thompson, Raleigh ACT's founder. "This partnership will not only elevate the caliber of our performances but also inspire our students by exposing them to a higher level of professional work. Our students will have more opportunities to learn from seasoned professionals, participate in workshops and ultimately succeed in their theatrical endeavors.  By joining forces, we are poised to nurture the next generation of artists." 

The previously itinerant youth theatre company will now operate on the Theatre Raleigh Arts Center campus, which encompasses the De Ann S. Jones mainstage theatre at 6638 Old Wake Forest Road and its studio, rehearsal and performance spaces across the street on Barrow Drive. 

For more information or to register for Raleigh ACT classes and camps, visit raleighact.com or theatreraleigh.com. Camp registration opens on Jan. 1, 2025. 

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