Activate Community Through Theatre
Artistic Director and Founder Dr. Wrenn Goodrum
Dr. Wrenn Goodrum is the Artistic Director/Founder of Activate Community Through Theatre (ACT), a company committed to the enlightenment, education and entertainment of youth, intergenerational and senior communities. She received her BFA in Drama (Acting) from the University of the N.C School of the Arts including a one year intensive theatre course in London. Her dream was to be an actress and during her last performance in an Off-Broadway play in NYC she realized her life mission was ‘teaching and directing youth’. Dr. Goodrum was the founder and Artistic Director of the award-winning All Children’s Theatre in Providence, RI from 1987 to 2009. She received many awards including an honorary Doctorate of Pedagogy from RI College, a RI Foundation ‘Fellowship for Leadership Development’, Citizens’ Bank & Providence College “VERITAS Good Citizen” Medal for being an unsung hero and citizen in the community, the ‘Key to the City of Providence’ by Mayor David Cicilline and the ‘New England Moss Hart’ Award for ‘Best Production’ of all College, Community and Professional Theatres in the New England Theatre Conference. The production awarded was ‘Mill Girls’, an original play written by Eliza Anderson, conceived by Wrenn, about girls working in the New England mills. Dr. Goodrum has over forty years of experience working with youth, adults, seniors and communities. She has directed/produced over 300 plays, including four productions performed at the Providence Performing Arts Center for audiences of 5,000 middle school students. She grew the educational programs for the Bank Street Afterschool program in NYC, Trinity Rep Youth Afterschool program in Providence, RI and at the Davidson Community Players and Matthews Playhouse in North Carolina. She taught seniors aged 60-103 at the Brookdale Assisting Living Community and has created and designed many acting programs for seniors 55+ for the past fourteen years. She has always been ahead of the times in her visions of Immersive Theatre and 'Outside the Box' concepts of William Shakespeare's plays.
Dr. Goodrum has directed for four community theatres in the greater Charlotte area, including Davidson Community Players,
Mooresville Community Children's Theatre, The Piedmont Players and Old Courthouse Theatre.
Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Wrenn Goodrum
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Compilation of images of Dr. Goodrum
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Honorary Doctorate in Pedagogy
Mayor Cicilline presenting Dr. Goodrum with the Key.
Dr. Goodrum's mission was and is to include all children and adults in ACT's programs.
Honorary Doctorate in Pedagogy