ACTS members volunteer to help children with physical challenges

Archbishop Carroll’s Theater Society Program partnered with Acting Without Boundaries Organization to support their show performed by children with disabilities. 

“AWB is a theater program for actors with physical disabilities,” said Ms. Maria Ceferatti, a Carroll strings teacher, and music director for AWB. “We have been a theater group for almost 18 years, and our artistic director, Neil Hartley, is a professional actor and director in the Philadelphia area. Our group meets once a month to rehearse, and every year we mount a Broadway musical.”

ACTS volunteers’ tasks at the shows included moving actors on stage, cueing lines for actors, distributing programs, putting mics on the cast before the show, arranging seats for the show, managing pre-registered tickets, or assisting wheelchair users on the stage.  

The play performed was “Meet Me in St. Louis” at The Haverford School for Boys in Centennial Hall. 

ACTS students enjoyed volunteering. 

“I think being a volunteer with AWB allowed me to see firsthand how people with physical and developmental disabilities navigate their lives and communicate with others,” said Eryn Dennis, a senior. “It was so much fun to see all the different personalities from the cast, as well as seeing them perform and how talented they truly are. AWB was such an eye-opening experience for me and one that I’ll definitely never forget.”

Senior Marissa Cappiello agreed. 

“I’ve always wanted to help out with AWB, so it was nice to be able to,” said Cappiello. “I really am just happy that I could help out. AWB is such an important organization and it deserves a lot more recognition, and maybe us helping out could help to give it that.” 

Students would love to participate in more service projects. 

“I definitely think ACTS should do more service projects like this! It’s so interesting to see other actors, and there’s so much you can learn from an opportunity like AWB,” said Dennis. “Theater-related service projects could also help ACTS members build connections with others in the theater world who might be able to help them later in life. You never know who you might come across in these kinds of environments!”

 Cappiello agreed.

“There were a lot of people from ACTS that “showed so there is an interest in these kinds of service projects,” said Cappiello. “ACTS has the ability to do pretty unique service projects if we want to do theater-related ones like AWB, and we can help bring attention to different causes as well. I do hope we can continue to help out with AWB as well.”