What Act Up! is all about:
Act Up! was created by licensed psychotherapist and Drama Therapist Sarah Carter with the understanding that the dramatic arts can help people learn, grow, and thrive as much off the stage as on.
Act Up! provides a valuable alternative to screens that capture so much of our youths’ attention today.
Act Up! allows youth to develop valuable social and emotional skills in person and in real time!
What is improv exactly…
Improv, short for improvisational theatre, is a type of acting where players create stories and acting scenes on the spot (i.e. without a script).
Improv encourages communication and collaboration between scene partners to use spontaneity, wit, and creativity in the moment to bring original scenes to life.
For young children this is what play is all about! For older kids, it offers an outlet for creative expression and the chance to rehearse new ways of acting and being in the world.
What youth can expect:
- Have fun playing improv games and creating scenes
- Be creative
- Act and make choices on the spot
- Strengthen friendships/social skills
- Feel seen and heard
- Discover an outlet for self expression
Are these classes or therapy?
Although Sarah is a licensed therapist, no, Act Up! classes are not therapy, but through careful curriculum development anchored in social emotional learning they are intended to have a therapeutic benefit.
By taking an Act Up! class your child may gain:
- Mental flexibility
- Increased executive functioning
- Social skills
- Communication skills
- Increased confidence/self esteem
- Assertiveness/self advocacy skills
- Identity building
- Self control
- Sense of belonging/inclusion
- Sense of accomplishment and purpose
Can’t my kid just join the school drama club?
Yes… They should do that too!
What makes Act Up! different?
…And: What makes Act Up! different than other youth drama programs is Sarah’s clinical expertise and tailored activities and curriculum to support youth not just to grow as actors and improvisors, but as well rounded individuals with a sense of self and purpose, all while having fun!
Mondays 3 - 4:00 pm
1/05/26 - 3/23/25 (No class 1/19, 2/16)
Youth will engage in cooperative circle games and classic drama games with an introduction to improvised scene work and the improv golden rule, “yes, and!”