Bring your students to the Edna Boykin Cultural Center in Wilson for live theater with ACT! for Youth!
Teachers, bring learning to life with an unforgettable live theater experience! ACT! for Youth invites school groups to attend student matinee performances during our upcoming season, giving students the opportunity to connect classroom lessons with the excitement of live performance.
From classic literature and fairy tales to Broadway favorites, each production offers engaging educational opportunities while inspiring creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
The ACT! for Youth program, which is funded through Wilson Arts, includes elementary, middle and high school students and has a reputation for being a top-notch program among youth theater programs in our region! Once the show begins, students perform on stage and handle many backstage and technical aspects of the show to bring high-quality, student-led theater to Wilson County.
All school performances begin at 10 AM and are held at the Edna Boykin Cultural Center (108 Nash St NE) in Historic Downtown Wilson.
Tickets are $5 per seat, including any staff/adults attending with students. The full amount will be due on or before the day of the event.
Payments can be made in advance:
- by mail (204 Nash St S, Wilson, NC 27893)
- by phone at 252-291-4329
- at the Wilson Arts Center reception desk during business hours (Tuesday-Saturday, 10 AM-5 PM)
Reservations and accessibility requests should be made at least two weeks in advance of the show date.
Interested or need more information? Please contact Stephanie Pridgen at 252-291-4329 x 107 or email stephanie@wilsonarts.com.
Use the button below to register your group.
2026-2027 ACT! for Youth School Group Field Trips
CHICAGO: TEEN EDITION
Tuesday, September 29 at 10 AM
Suggested: Middle & High School (Rated PG13)
Musical | Runtime: Approx. 90 minutes plus a 15-minute intermission
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW (Heimbuch/Ferguson)
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 10 AM
Suggested: Middle & High School
Stage Play | Runtime: Approx. 90 minutes, no intermission
SCHOOL OF ROCK: YOUNG ACTORS EDITION
Tuesday, January 26, 2027 at 10 AM
Suggested: All ages
Musical | Runtime: Approx. 60 minutes, no intermission
SNOW WHITE: THE QUEEN'S FAIR DAUGHTER
Tuesday, March 23, 2027 at 10 AM
Suggested: All ages
Stage play | Runtime: Approx. 75 minutes, no intermission
HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION
Tuesday, May 18, 2027 at 10 AM
Suggested: Middle & High School (Rated PG13)
Musical | Runtime: Approx. 120 minutes with intermission
2026-2027 ACT! for Youth Creative HeARTS Field Trips
Wilson Arts is proud to provide live theater experiences—presented by our ACT! for Youth students—to local care facilities and individuals with disabilities, ensuring the joy of storytelling is accessible to all.
These performances will feature "relaxed rules", meaning they are designed to create a more inclusive and comfortable environment for audience members who may benefit from a less restrictive theater experience. These performances are particularly welcoming to individuals with sensory sensitivities, autism, anxiety, or other conditions that may make a traditional theater setting challenging.
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW (Heimbuch/Ferguson)
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 10 AM
SNOW WHITE: THE QUEEN'S FAIR DAUGHTER
Tuesday, March 23, 2027 at 1 PM
Please Note: Groups are also welcome at any of our regular school show performances, but for those performances the environment will be a normal theater setting. If you are interested in bringing a group to one of the shows not listed here, please reach out directly to Stephanie Pridgen at stephanie@wilsonarts.com to make arrangements.