Executive Artistic Director
Emily Garven is an accomplished theater educator, director, and arts administrator with over 15 years of experience creating inclusive, community-centered theater. She currently teaches theater and dance at Boston Green Academy, where she founded and grew a vibrant new theater program that has quickly become a hub of creativity and collaboration.
Beyond the classroom, Emily has 15+ years of experience as a theater director, producer, and consultant. She founded and led Inspiration Performing Arts from 2009 to 2021, a program dedicated to making theater accessible to underserved communities, and built it into an organization offering classes, national performance tours, large-scale productions, and community service through arts outreach. She is also the founder of Sharing the Spotlight, a theater program for individuals with special needs, and a proud board member for Uncommon Theater and the Young Professionals Board for Rodman for Kids.
Emily is passionate about creating inclusive programming for students with disabilities and opening new avenues for young people to engage with theater through playwriting, critique, and collaborative creation. She presented at the 2025 American Alliance For Theatre & Education (AATE), sharing practical strategies and a toolkit for launching inclusive, trauma-informed theater programs in under-resourced schools, with focus on sustainability, advocacy, and engagement.
She holds a Master’s in Arts Administration and certification in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for Theater from Inclusive Stages. Her vision for ACT centers on expanding programming that fosters artistic growth, diversity, and community engagement, with a strong emphasis on hands-on training for young artists in performance, design, technical theater, and leadership.
Education Manager
Max has worked as a director, performer, and teaching artist for more than ten years, and has been part of the ACT family as a director and instructor since 2024. A graduate of St. Ambrose University, Max has directed and taught at theaters and schools across the Midwest and Northeast, including Davenport Junior Theatre, Quad City Theatre Workshop, and Fayerweather Summer Arts. As Education Manager, Max shapes ACT's educational vision, creating experiences that help students grow not just as performers, but in confidence, empathy, leadership, and life skills. Offstage, Max enjoys improv comedy, tabletop games, and reading with his cats, Percy and Seymour.
Production Manager
With a passion for working with kids, Drew has been involved in several youth and touring theatre companies as a scenic carpenter, audio engineer, and technical director for over a decade. Drew’s love for theatre and dedication to the craft is evident in the quality of their work. He is excited to be a part of this organization and looks forward to bringing their expertise to the stage. Drew is the founding instructor of the Multimedia Engineering Program at Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School, where he helped to design and build their state-of-the-art, fully-configurable performance venue.
Mish Pothier
Director
Tommy Arundale
Assistant Teacher
Andres LaFrazia
Teacher
Teacher & Stage Manager
Briannah Letter
Miranda Slingluff
Teacher
Yunona Tabala
Music Director
Edwin Noncent
Teaching Assistant
Allyn McCourt
Music Director
Kelly Furman
Lighting Designer
Music Director
David Flowers
Connie Cifelli
Teacher & Director
Eimile Bowden
Director
Visiting Artists
From seasoned directors to designers and performers, our visiting artists bring real-world expertise to our students. Meet a few of the creative teammates who help bring ACT to life and, if you'd like to be one of them, check out our open open employment opportunities.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Members at Large
Nick Bentley
Jennifer Dilts
Joanna Lydgate