PACTHOUSE PLAYERS THEATRE TROUPE - Positive Action Communty Theatre

PACT’s Theatre Troupe, left: Jovyn Anderson, Jacob Redmon, Wil Fisher, Ian Stewart and Ian Chartier.

PACTHOUSE PLAYERS theatre troupe was formed in 2017 and is composed of members of the PACT community. It’s purpose is to give troupe members an opportunity to expand their skills by creating and performing in theatre productions designed to raise awareness, and to inform and entertain the community at large. The troupe’s most recent projects have also involved members of the autism community and together they are known as the Troupe and Friends. Wil Fisher serves as PACT’s theatre troupe director and has directed PACT’s most recent projects.

Below are some of the troupe’s current and previous projects and performances.

Improv to a Job — Achieving self-determination through theatre

The Troupe and Friends’ newest project is Improv to a Job, an innovative program designed to help people with autism achieve meaningful employment, develop careers, and create micro businesses. Through improvisation and sharing, participants will learn valuable communication and listening skills to help them achieve their work or career goals. The program will be offered in four 8-week workshop cycles throughout the year on Sundays starting September 22. Wil Fisher will direct the program with his team of assistant workshop directors.

See more information on the Improv to a Job page.

Musical Theatre —The Enchanted Forest

Theatre troupe rehearsing Musical

Wil Fisher
Troupe Director

The Troupe and Friends’ previous project was to produce a musical called “The Enchanted Forest – and the search for the magic soda!” which was created through improvisational theatre and original music. Wil Fisher directed the musical, and PACT’s four theatre troupe members were assistant directors. About 10 members of our autism community also joined the cast.

Everyone met weekly for more than a year to develop and rehearse the musical, which they performed on Sunday, August 11, 2024, at Dance North County! Needless to say, the performance was a huge success with its audience of family and friends who cheered the cast on. You can view the performance on YouTube here.

See more information on The Enchanted Forest Musical page.

“Our Stories” Streaming TV Series

Under Wil Fisher’s direction, troupe members recorded six episodes of “Our Stories,” where they asked people to come on the program and tell a story about their lives. The troupe then brought their stories to life through Playback Theatre, a form of improvisational storytelling.

Here is a link to their final episode. https://youtu.be/NdeyWa0vWV0

To learn more about Playback Theatre, see this helpful article.

Beyond Bullying Theatre Events

The theatre troupe’s first project was to create “Beyond Bullying”, which they performed for teens at local schools and community centers under the leadership of PACT Artistic Director Sandy Redmon. These live theatre events were designed to help prevent bullying and were met with positive reviews by their young audiences.

Everyday News Online Comedy Series

Over the Covid shutdown, the troupe created and videotaped two comedy performances: “Everyday News, Episode 1” and “Everyday News, Episode 2 “ with troupe member Jovyn Anderson as the newscaster, sharing his humorous take on the everyday ‘news’ going on within his household.