EASTCONN’s Arts at the Capitol Theater (ACT) magnet high school has a limited number of seats remaining for academically motivated, grade 9-12 students seeking intensive study in the performing arts.
ACT, housed in Willimantic’s historic Capitol Theater, enrolls approximately 120 students from 24 towns in its NEASC-accredited, interdisciplinary and arts-infused academic program with a 96% graduation rate. Each grade is limited to approximately 30 students, making ACT a highly focused learning environment.
Once enrolled, ACT students select a major focus area from among five arts disciplines that include acting, dance, theater production (lighting/set design/set construction/costuming), audio/video and creative writing.
Students have daily creative experiences in ACT’s state-of-the-art facility that features two fully equipped theaters, a black box theater, a set shop, audio/video editing suites, dance studios, a costume shop, CAD (computer-aided drafting) lab, a café and an art gallery.
Partnerships with Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) and Quinebaug Valley Community College (QVCC) allow qualified ACT upperclassmen to enroll in college classes and earn free college credits through the state university system, while still attending ACT.
Students in all grade levels have the opportunity to participate in numerous professional-quality performances and showcase their artistic talents in competitions throughout the year.
Among student awards and recognitions in 2017-2018: 17 students won 26 regional awards, including 7 Gold Keys, in the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards contest; 19 students received awards for writing and poetry from UCONN’s 2018 Connecticut Writing Project; video production students placed in the top 6, and received an award for best use of humor, in the DMV-Travelers Teen Safe Driving Video Contest; and an ACT junior got an Honorable Mention in the national 2017 Future of Technology Essay Competition.
ACT’s new 2018-19 school hours are also a plus for many students, with its later start time (8:30 a.m.) and its extended-day schedule (ending at 3:35 p.m., Mon.-Thurs.). On Fridays, classes run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Students who are interested in enrolling in ACT for the upcoming school year may call 860-465-5636 or visit www.eastconn.org/act to download an application.
EASTCONN, which administers ACT, is a public, non-profit Regional Educational Service Center that has been serving the education needs of northeastern Connecticut’s schools and communities since 1980. Learn more at www.eastconn.org.