Welcome to ACT where we ACTivate communities through theatre classes, workshops and performances for youth, senior and intergenerational communities. We bring our programs to schools, libraries, colleges, retirement communities, nursing homes — anywhere you wish to ACTivate your community through theatre.
Youth Programs: ACT provides in-school, after-school and summer programs for youth aged 5 – 18. Programs include ongoing classes, one-time workshops and production consultation, including directing, design and production as well as fundraising strategies. ACT comes to your school, college, club, library or community – anywhere you want to ACTivate your community of youth through theatre.
CURICULUM VITAE (Resume)
EDUCATION
B.F.A. University of North Carolina School of the Performing Arts (UNCSA), Acting 1975
UNCSA Study Abroad, London, 1974 – 1975
Studied with professional teachers and directors from the Rose Bruford School, RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts), the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
TIMESLIPS ‘Creative Storytelling’ – Received a certificate on completion of online course in working with seniors with Dementia and Alzheimer’s. 2013
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Theatre Arts educator for the Arts & Science Council Education Provider Directory.
Project Lift Residency – 2014
Five day residency at Bruns Academy, Walter G. Byers School. Integrated theatre arts into a literacy program. Middle school students produced over 200 poems, narrative and raps/songs.
Project Lift Residency – 2013
Five day residency at Walter G. Byers School, Bruns Academy, Thomasboro Academy and Druid Academy. Integrated theatre arts into Space: The Final Frontier. Designed and taught a theatre arts program integrating science and acting. Poems, raps and skits were written and performed by the middle school students.
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE (Funded by the Arts & Science Council)
South Charlotte Middle School – Shakespeare Unplugged – Three day residency for three classes.
Olde Providence Elementary School – IMPROVe Literacy – Three day residency for five classes.
The Shands School – We Are: Children of the Environment. Sixteen week residency for six children of ‘all abilities’.
Mint Hill Middle School – We Are: Children of the Holocaust. Six day residency for 66 eighth grade students.
Countryside Montesorri School – We Are: Children of Ancient Greece. Five day residency for 60 sixth graders
Barnette Elementary School – From Farm to Factory. Three day residency for 100 fourth graders.
Quail Hollow Middle School – We Are: Children of Ancient Greece. Three day residency for 100 sixth graders.
MATTHEWS PLAYHOUSE – February 2011 – Present
Director/Teacher
2018 – 2019 Teacher/Director of six acting companies of youth aged 7 – 18. Director of ‘Anne Frank and Me’ for end of School of Theatre Productions.
2017 – 2018 – Teacher/Director of six acting companies of youth aged 7 – 18. Director of ‘Twelfth Night’ for end of School of Theatre Productions.
2017 Summer Camp Workshops/Productions Included: Improvisation, Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan and Acting Intensive
2016-2017 – Teacher/Director of six acting companies of youth aged 7-18. Director of The Princess and the Pea and MILL GIRLS in 2017. Increased company enrollment from 12 in 2011 to 95 in 2016
2016 Summer Camp Production Workshops Included:
James and the Giant Peach, Nancy Drew Writing/Acting, Much Ado About Shakespeare, Charlie Brown, ACT Intensive, Improvisation, The Jungle Book, Snow White and the Seven Minions.
2012 – 2019 Plays Directed for School of Theatre and Summer Theatre Camps
Anne Frank and Me – (ages 12 – 18) Director
Twelfth Night – (ages 8 – 18) Director
Mill Girls – (ages 8 – 18) Director
The Wizard of Oz – (ages 7 – 14) Director
The Princess and the Pea – (ages 7 – 16) Director
The Tempest – (ages 8 – 18) Director
Alice in Wonderland – (ages 7 – 15) Director
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – (ages 8 – 12) Director
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! – (ages 8 – 18) Director
Les Miserables – (ages 12 – 18) Director
The Crucible (ages 12 – 18) Director
Oliver (ages 8 – 13) Director/Costume designer
A Christmas Carol (ages 12 – 18) Director
The End of the World Café (ages 12 – 18) Director
Wind in the Willows (ages 8 – 12) Director
Macbeth (ages 10 – 18) Director
Dress Rehearsal for Murder (ages 13 – 18) Director
Much Ado About Shakespeare – Taught/directed 16 youth aged 11 – 16 in summer workshop
The Lion, the Witch, the Wardrobe – Taught/directed 18 youth aged 8 – 15 in summer workshop.
The Lorax – Taught/directed 26 youth aged 5 – 12 in summer workshop.
Anne of Green Gables – Taught/directed 18 youth aged 8 – 14 in summer workshop.
How to Train Your Dragon – Taught/directed 22 youth aged 7 – 12 in summer workshop.
Puss in Boots – Taught/directed 15 youth aged 6 – 11 in summer workshop.
Sisters Grimm – Adapted, designed and directed a one-act script of ‘The Fairy Tale Detectives’ for youth aged 8 – 13 years old. June 2012
Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles – Directed and designed a one-act version of the play for youth aged 8 – 11 years old. June 2012
Love Letters – Seniors 55+ May 2012
Tis the Season – Directed and took a company of ten senior citizens on tour with a holiday production to retirement and nursing communities.
The Forever Young Players – Created the first senior theatre company in the area under the umbrella of ‘Matthews Playhouse’.
Life Stories – Writing/Performance twelve week workshop ending with a performance for the Matthews and Charlotte communities. Ensemble of actors aged 59 – 82 performed for over 250 people who rose to their feet at the end of the performance. The ensemble performed a One-Act ‘Life Stories’ for the Willow Grove Senior community in Matthews in May 2012.
The Phantom of the Soap Opera – Directed Acting Company (aged 11 – 16) in New Years Eve production.
Charlotte’s Web – Directed musical production with 26 youth aged 8 – 18
A Midsummer Night’s Dream UnPlugged (ages 11 – 16) Director
Dracula: The Twilight Years (ages 11 – 14) – Director
ACTIVATE COMMUNITY THROUGH THEATRE – January 2010 – Present
Artistic Director/President/Founder
PRODUCED / DIRECTED / DESIGNED
Hamilton Camp 2019
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2019
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – November audience participation production 2018
Charlotte’s Web – Full scale production with 24 youth aged 6 – 16
Rosie and the Force, A Reindeer Tale – December audience participation production 2017
Alice in Wonderland – May audience participation production 2017
A Charlie Brown Christmas – December production 2016
Peter Pan and Wendy – November audience participation production 2016
Taste of Shakespeare’s MACBETH and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM June 2016
Snow White and the Seven Minions – May audience participation production 2016
The Jungle Book – November audience participation production 2015
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! December 2015
Cinderella – May audience participation production 2015
Rosie the Red Nosed Reindeer and Sven Save Christmas and the Snow Queen – December audience participation production 2014
The Wee Pirates of Treasure Island – November audience participation production 2014
Alice in Wonderland – May audience participation production 2014
Rosie the Red-Nosed Reindeer – December audience participation production 2013
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Fall audience participation production 2013
Peter Pan and Wendy – Spring audience participation production. 2013
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – December audience participation production with performances in Mooresville, Charlotte and Concord. 2012
MOORESVILLE CHILDREN’S COMMUNITY THEATRE
Magic Treehouse – Knight at Dawn (ages 6 – 18) Director
The Princess and the Magic Pea (ages 7 – 18) Director
Oliver Twist (ages 7 – 20) Director
DAVIDSON COMMUNITY PLAYERS (DCP) * September 2009 – 2015
Director/Teacher
A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the Green – Director
Hamlet UnPlugged – Director/Teacher
Peter Pan and Wendy – Director/Teacher
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Director/Teacher
This Property is Condemned (Mainstage ‘Tennessee Williams’ One-Acts) – Director
Twelfth Night UnPlugged (ages 13 – 18) Director/Designer
King Lear UnPlugged (ages 13 – 18) – Director/Designer
Puss and Boots (ages 8 – 12) – Director/Designer
The Hobbit (ages 8 – 13) – Director/Designer
The Tempest UnPlugged (ages 13 – 18) – Director/Designer
The Adventures of Paddington Bear (ages 10 – 18)– Director/Designer
Telling Wilde Tales (ages 11 – 15) – Director/Designer
Alice in Wonderland (ages 8 – 11)– Director/Designer
Sadako: One Thousand Cranes (ages 11 – 17)– Director/Designer
Wind in the Willows (ages 8 – 11) – Director/Designer
Love Letters – (Mainstage) Directed three casts of seniors 55+ for the Mainstage Season
Macbeth – An all-female cast of twenty two teens in a bewitching conceptualized production.
Stuart Little – Cast of 34 youth aged 8 – 18 conceptualized in a 1945 world.
Young at Heart – A Laugh-In Experience – Senior Workshop production with 12 seniors 55+.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Shakespeare Unplugged – Conceptualized the production as a group of teens making a YouTube video of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Charlotte’s Web – directed 25 youth aged 7 – 17.
DCP Connie Company – Taught classes for children aged 4 – 18. Pre-K class (Little Mermaid themed class), Elementary (Improvisation class), Middle/High School (Scenes/Monologues class) & Improv/Play class for elementary students.
Ada Jenkins Center – Taught outreach program for inner city youth aged 7-10. Taught improvisations, storytelling and directed the ensemble in an African folktale The Man Who Loved to Laugh in 2010. Directed The Junk Food King, a play on nutrition in 2011.
YMCA – Taught outreach program for youth aged 7 years old. Creative dramatics program using improvisation and storytelling culminating with a narrative play adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.
SENIOR THEATRE for 55+
Acting/Life Stories/ Timeslips Workshops – April 2012 – Present
Brookdale Weddington Park Assisted Living Community – 2012 – Present
Ongoing workshops once a month for seniors aged 80 – 101. Improvisation, songs, movement and storytelling techniques are used to engage, inspire and enlighten the community.
FOREVER YOUNG PLAYERS – Founded a theatre company of seniors aged 55+ through Matthews Playhouse. The company toured a holiday play ‘Tis the Season’ to retirement and assisted living communities. ‘Love Letters’ was produced in May
ACT & SEE Acting Workshop for Seniors – Ninety minute acting workshop for community participants to participate or observe acting games, improvisations, laughter yoga, readers theatre and song. Held at:
Young at Heart * A Laugh In Experience – Ten week improvisation class held in Matthews culminating with two performances at the Levine Senior Center and the Shepherds Group in February 2011.
Short Attention Span Theatre – Ten week senior 55+ acting class held in Matthews culminating with performances of monologues and ten minute plays in August 2011.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE – Rhode Island
All Children’s Theatre (ACT) * 1987 – 2009
Artistic/Executive Director/Founder and Producer
Founded in 1987, All Children’s Theatre was a non-profit theatre company dedicated to the education and enrichment of children ages 4-18. ACT enabled children to use their imagination and creativity to explore all aspects of theatre production. All Children’s Theatre was an all-inclusive organization for all children regardless of their abilities or disabilities. In 2010, less than twelve months after Dr. Goodrum left the company, it was taken over by the renowned St. Andrews School in Barrington, Rhode Island.
PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND AWARDS
2009 – Dr. Wrenn Goodrum was awarded the ‘Key to the City of Providence’ by Mayor David
2007 – Dr.Wrenn Goodrum received a Doctorate of Pedagogy – an Honorary Degree from Rhode Island College.
2006 – Director/Producer. All Children’s Theatre was selected by the Providence Performing Arts Center to perform We are the Dream; the Legacy of Martin Luther King as part of the BankAmerica Arts Series. This play was performed for an audience of 2500+ middle school students.
2004 – Awarded a Fellowship for Leadership and Professional Development from the Rhode Island Foundation. Travelled to Detroit, Minneapolis and Seattle to meet with Artistic Directors of youth theatres with missions similar with All Children’s Theatre.
2004 –Producer. All Children’s Theatre was selected by the Providence Performing Arts Center to perform Zink the Zebra, the Myth, the Legend as part of the BankAmerica Arts Series. This play was performed for an audience of 2500+ middle school students.
2003 – Rhode Island Parents’ Paper: Voted “Best Children’s Theatre in Rhode Island.”
2003 – Best of RI: Voted Best Children’s Theatre in Rhode Island by Rhode Island Monthly magazine.
2002 – Director/Producer. All Children’s Theatre was selected by the Providence Performing Arts Center to perform Anne Frank and Me as part of the BankAmerica Arts Series. This play was performed for an audience of 2500+ middle school students.
2001 – Producer. The All Children’s Theatre was selected to perform FIREWATER at Providence’s renowned Water Fire Festival.
2001 – Voted 2001 Family Favorite by the Rhode Island Parents’ Paper.
2000 – All Children’s Theatre was awarded the Jabez Gorham Award from the Arts & Business Council of Rhode Island. This annual award recognizes an outstanding arts/cultural/educational institution in Rhode Island for unwavering commitment to excellence, their significant impact on the community, and their success in organizational development.
2000 – Director/Producer. All Children’s Theatre was selected by the Providence Performing Arts Center to perform Mill Girls as part of the BankAmerica Arts Series. This play was performed for an audience of 2500+ middle school students.
1999 – Wrenn Goodrum received the Citizens’ Bank & Providence College “VERITAS Good Citizen” Medal for being an unsung hero and citizen in the community.
1999 – ACT received Two Moss Hart Winged Trophy Awards (presented by Kitty Carlisle) for ACT’s original production Mill Girls (Best Overall Production in competition with New England’s professional, university, youth and community theatres as well as Best Production in youth/children’s theatre division) from the New England Theatre Conference.
1998 – Producer. All Children’s Theatre was selected by the Providence Performing Arts Center to perform I Never Saw Another Butterfly as part of the BankAmerica Arts Series. This play was performed for an audience of 2500+ middle school students.
1996 – Recipient of “Achievement for Regional Youth Theatre” award from the New England Theatre Conference.
1994 – Voted “Best Children’s Theatre in Rhode Island” in Readers’ Poll, Rhode Island Parents’ Paper.
1993 – Chosen by the Mayor’s Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse to perform at the “Kickoff Ceremonies for Substance Abuse Prevention” at City Hall in Providence, RI.
1992 – Received “Family Entertainer of the Year Award” from the Rhode Island Parents’ Paper.
1991 – Chosen to perform at the Honors Colloquium, University of Rhode Island; Director: A Girl in the Mirror, a play about teenage suicide.
First Night Providence: ACT was chosen to perform for 9 years.
Invited to perform at Hasbro Children’s Hospital three times
ALL CHILDREN’S THEATRE PRODUCTION HISTORY
Produced all plays and programs as well as direction of selected productions.
2008 – 2009
2007 – 2008
2006 – 2007
2005 – 2006
2004 – 2005
2003 – 2004
2002 – 2003
2001 – 2002
2000 – 2001
1999 – 2000
1998 – 1999
1997 – 1998
1996 – 1997
1995 – 1996
1994 – 1995
1993 – 1994
1992 – 1993
1991 – 1992
1990 – 1991
1989 – 1990
1988 – 1989
1987
ADAPTATIONS OF PLAYS OR BOOKS FOR PRODUCTION BY ALL CHILDREN’S THEATRE
FREELANCE THEATRE DIRECTOR/TEACHER
1985 – 1987
1985 – 1987 Trinity Rep Conservatory Extension Program
1985 – 1986 Looking Glass Theatre
1986 Broad Street School
LA PETITE SOIREE 1983 – 1988
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE – New York
1978 – 1985 Bank Street College of Education
REFERENCES
Will be provided upon request
actartisticdir1@gmail.com
1119 Forrest Ridge Drive NW, Concord, NC 28027
Cabarrus
(704) 707-6757