ACT Announces New Staff Roles

The Academy of Children’s Theatre is announcing staff changes naming Josh Darby as the Director of Education, and Julie Schroeder as the newly created Director of Outreach. Both are long time employees at ACT, with their new assignments capitalizing on the importance of their individual strengths in leading the organization.

Josh Darby is a graduate of Central Washington University with a degree in Theatre Arts. He has also worked at Seattle Children’s Theatre in the Teaching Artists Apprentice Program. He has been involved in children’s theatre as a director, teaching artist, actor, and writer in Seattle, Los Angeles, and the Tri Cities. He previously served as the ACT Artistic Director, and this transition to Education Director is a reflection of his passion for theatre as a critical component of education for youth.
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Employed as at teaching artist by ACT since 1999, Julie Schroeder has led ACT’s dedicated effort at community outreach, particularly in bringing full scale ACT productions during the day to local school children. She also has spearheaded the outreach programs for children on the autism spectrum, as well as developed creative theatre-based anti-bullying initiatives for schools. The new position will allow Julie to expand her efforts to promote the multi-faceted benefits of theatre education for children. Julie is certified as a teacher of Drama for Autism and has directed ACT’s award-winning performance groups Troupe and Troupers. Julie is currently a participant in the Leadership Tri Cities program.