Altoona Community Theatre needs you!
ACT enhances and enriches our community with
- Quality live theatre that entertains audiences through our Mainstage Season
- Creative opportunities for children and teens through our Summer Drama Camps
- Tens of thousands of dollars in college scholarships through the Isaac Awards
- Empowering children with special needs through our Penguin Project
- Giving adult volunteers a creative outlet for their artistic and technical skills
- Creating a space where all of these people can contribute and belong
And we need your support to continue!
The Penguin Project®
The Penguin Project is a national organization that empowers children with special needs through theatre demonstrating that the special challenges of a disability should not hinder a child’s ability to participate in life’s experiences.
These young people are the stars of the show playing every single role. They work so hard, and they are so supportive of each other. The energy at rehearsals and performances is just amazing!
“She finally feels like she has a place where she belongs.” – Penguin Project mom
ACT partnered with the Penguin Project for our inaugural production with a cast of 20 for Annie, Jr., and in year 3, we had a cast of 50 for The Lion King, Jr. All productions were presented at Altoona Area High School’s new theatre.
The Isaacs – $500,000+ in college scholarships
The annual Isaac Awards are like the Oscars or the Tony Awards for area high school musicals. This year, we had 18 schools from 6 counties participating.
We are pleased and proud to announce that area students participating in the 2025 Isaac Awards received $55,000 in college scholarships this year alone. Over our 20+ year history, we have awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to area students.
We send our judges to attend each of the participating schools’ performances. The judges confer and select nominations for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Production, and more. The winners are announced at the awards show in late May when the Mishler Theatre is filled to the rafters with students, parents, and teachers.
Steven C Helsel Legacy Scholarship
ACT’s annual Steven C. Helsel Legacy Scholarship is open to any graduating high school senior who has been involved actively in some capacity with ACT. The student’s experience can be onstage, backstage, or as part of our Summer Drama Camps for Children and Teens. The scholarship is for any field of study at any accredited post-secondary institution.
Announcement of the $1,000 scholarship recipient will take place during ACT’s Isaac Awards in May (although candidates do not have to have been involved in an Isaacs production).
It costs how much?
$14,500 to rent the Mishler Theatre for 1 production.
$8,000-$12,000 in royalties just for permission to present a musical.
$5,400 for a professional pit orchestra and conductor for a musical.
But the combined set and costume budgets are only $2,000-$3,000 per show thanks to our many volunteers who do the work.
Honor a Shining Star
Make a donation to Altoona Community Theatre in a special person’s honor or memory.
Shining Stars are featured in our Production Playbills for one calendar year.
On our donation form, select “Shining Star” as your campaign, then check the box that says “My donation is a Shining Star in honor or in memory of someone” and a new box will appear asking for information about your tribute.
