The Actor's Charitable Theatre

08/24/2026

🎭 Fair Fortune has arrived… and Romeo & Juliet is almost here!

Our cast is hard at work bringing Shakespeare’s timeless tale of love, conflict, and fate to the stage—and tickets are available TODAY! 🎟️

Don’t wait until opening night to get your seats. Come experience the romance, drama, and tragedy of Romeo & Juliet, running September 11–20.

✨ Tickets are on sale now!

Grab yours and join us for a story that has captivated audiences for generations.

08/24/2026

MEET THE TEAM — ANDREW MAUGHAN | SET DESIGN / ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Meet Andrew Maughan, our Set Designer and Assistant Director for The Color Purple! 🎭💜

Andrew Maughan is a student at the University of Alabama pursuing a BFA in Technical Theatre and a Master’s in Business Administration. He is thrilled to be assistant directing The Color Purple with the ACT and grateful for the opportunity to help bring this powerful and moving story to the stage. Andrew thanks the ACT community for its continued support of live theatre, and his family and friends for their unwavering support of the arts.

🎟️ THE COLOR PURPLE AUDITIONS
August 28 & 29
Callbacks: August 30
Rehearsals Begin: September 5

Stay tuned as we continue introducing the incredible team bringing The Color Purple to life! 💜

08/24/2026

🎭 MEET THE TEAM — KATIE LAY | ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR

Katie Lay is an elementary art teacher and violinist here in Tuscaloosa. She has a B.A. in Art Education from the University of Florida (Go Gators!).

Combining her love and appreciation for all things art and music, Katie can oftentimes be found leading a rehearsal as a Music Director for the Actor’s Charitable Theatre, attending one as a pit musician, or helping behind the scenes to build and paint scenery and props.

In her clearly abundant free time, she loves to spend time with her family (shoutout to Joey and Ellie) and their three dogs.

🎶 We’re so excited to have Katie serving as Orchestra Conductor for The Color Purple!

Auditions: August 28 & 29
Callbacks: August 30
Performances: November 6–15

08/22/2026

MEET THE TEAM — DARIUS MARSHALL | CHOREOGRAPHER

Darius Marshall is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Alabama State University. Darius has been fortunate to perform in shows such as Memphis, Kinky Boots, Dreamgirls, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and his favorite, The Color Purple. He is grateful for this opportunity.

We’re thrilled to introduce Darius Marshall as one of our choreographers for The Color Purple! 💜

🎭 Auditions: August 28 & 29
📅 Callbacks: August 30
🎬 Performances: November 6–15

Stay tuned as we continue introducing the talented team bringing The Color Purple to life!

08/21/2026

🎭 MEET THE TEAM — JOEY LAY | DIRECTOR

We’re excited to introduce the director bringing The Color Purple to the ACT stage!

Joey Lay is an actor, director, and designer who has spent much of his life telling stories both onstage and on screen. As Artistic Director of The Actor’s Charitable Theatre, Joey has directed and designed numerous productions for ACT, with a particular love for big stories, bold visuals, and theatre that brings a community together.

As an actor, Joey’s work spans theatre, film, television, and commercials. His screen credits include appearances in feature films such as The Shift and Saturday Night, along with numerous commercial and film projects. Onstage, some of his favorite roles include Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, Mr. Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors, Dennis Dupree in Rock of Ages, and Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein.

The Color Purple holds an especially meaningful place in Joey’s heart—it is his favorite musical. More than a decade ago, he had the opportunity to direct ACT’s previous production of the show, making his return to this beautiful story particularly special.

Joey is incredibly excited to revisit The Color Purple with a new company of artists and once again help bring its story of love, resilience, faith, family, and finding your voice to the ACT stage.

🎭 AUDITIONS: August 28 & 29
📞 CALLBACKS: August 30
🎶 REHEARSALS BEGIN: September 5

08/20/2026

🎭 MEET THE TEAM: WILLIE E. WILLIAMS JR.

We’re continuing our Meet the Team series with the incredible Willie E. Williams Jr., Music Director for The Color Purple! 🎶✨

A Tuscaloosa native, Willie brings more than 15 years of experience in choral direction, music and theatre education, vocal performance, and acting. We’re thrilled to have his wealth of experience and passion for the arts helping bring this powerful story to life.

Willie E. Williams Jr., a Tuscaloosa native,has gained more than 15 years of experience as a choral director, music and theatre educator, vocalist, and actor. A proud alumnus of Stillman College, he most recently returned to his alma mater committed to student mentorship, artistic excellence, and the preservation of HBCU musical traditions.

Williams holds an MFA in Acting Pedagogy from the University of Alabama and a BA in Vocal Music Performance from Stillman College. His interdisciplinary background bridges choral conducting, vocal performance and acting. As a performer, he has appeared in numerous stage productions and has been recognized with regional awards and honors for his artistic work. He has previously served as a Civil Rights & Music Tour Manager for the Alabama Tourism Association. He has held the role of Assistant Professor of Speech & Theatre/ Director of Choral Activities at the University of West Alabama, and Choral Director / Instructor of Theatre at Bishop State Community College. At both institutions, Mr. Williams was able to re-establish non existing choral programs that quickly grew in size and community engagement. Mr. Williams currently serves as Theatre Instructor at Paul W. Bryant W. Bryant High School.

As a spirited educator, Williams has a gift of attracting students to various fine arts disciplines. By returning home, he looks forward to sharing his artistic vision even more with the West Alabama region, inspiring its next generation of singers and leaders.

Williams and his wife Angel live in Atlanta, GA and Tuscaloosa, AL with their dog Olivia.

💜 Audition sign-ups are OPEN!
🎭 August 28 & 29, Callbacks August 30

08/19/2026

💜 MEET THE TEAM: THE COLOR PURPLE 💜

We’re pulling back the curtain and introducing you to the incredible team bringing The Color Purple to life! ✨
First up, meet our Choreographer, Kynnedi Moryaè Porter! 💃

Kynnedi Moryaè Porter, graduate of The University of Alabama is thrilled to back making memories in Tuscaloosa where her career in Theatre all started. Recent tour credits: The Broadway National Tour of Hairspray the Musical (Dynamite/Cindy Watkins). Regional credits include: Once on this Island (Papa Ge U/S), Beauty and the Beast (Babette). She would like to thank The ACT for never giving up on her and always giving her opportunities to share her talents.

🎭 Auditions are coming up!
Auditions for The Color Purple are August 28 & 29, with callbacks on August 30.

👉 Sign up for your audition spot and come be part of this powerful story!

👀 Keep your eyes peeled for our next Meet the Team introduction!

08/18/2026

🎭 2026/2027 SEASON TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW! 🎭

Join us for an unforgettable season of theatre with one premier pass. $55 for three sensational shows!

✨ Romeo & Juliet — September 11–20, 2026�💜 The Color Purple — November 6–15, 2026�✈️ Come From Away — February 5–14, 2027

Experience the magic of live theatre all season long at the Actor’s Charitable Theatre!

🎟️ Season tickets are limited to available dates and times, so grab yours now!

https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/the-actors-charitable-theatre/6a6fcb015143f9a9d0bd2faf/subscriptions #/subscriptions

08/16/2026

💜 AUDITIONS ARE OFFICIALLY OPEN FOR THE COLOR PURPLE! 💜

We’re thrilled to announce that auditions for The Color Purple are officially open!

This powerful, moving musical is coming to The ACT Theatre this November, and we’re looking for talented performers to help bring this incredible story to life.

🎭 AUDITION DATES
Friday, August 28 — 6:00 PM
Saturday, August 29 — 2:00 PM

📍 The ACT Theatre
3801 Alabama Ave NE
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405

Rehearsals begin September 5!

All audition and production details are available at theACT.online

💜 We can’t wait to see you!

08/14/2026

We’re looking for volunteers! 🏈💙🎭

The ACT has been given an exciting opportunity through Rolf’s German Restaurant to earn a significant financial gift by staffing concessions at several UA home football games this season—and we’re looking for our community members to help us make the most of it!

Volunteers must be 16+. No concessions experience is necessary—volunteers will receive ServSafe Food Handler Certification at no cost, along with additional ACT-related perks for participating, including credit toward the upcoming Junior Theatre Festival and waived cast fees.

Details are included on the signup form. We’d love to have you join us!

Every shift helps us turn this opportunity into meaningful support for ACT and the theatre experiences we’re able to bring to our community. ❤️

We have the opportunity to make much needed funds for THE ACT. BY SIGNING UP YOU ARE COMITTING TO A LONG DAY 8+ hours you will need to be at the stadium at least 2.5 to 3 hours before the game and stay to clean up. actual times will be announced the week before basically you are commiting most of yo...