EASTCONN Capitol Theater Arts Academy

Founded in 2007, EASTCONN's Capitol Theater Arts Academy (CTAA) is a community arts education program for northeastern Connecticut children, ages 3 to 18. Created as part of EASTCONN's arts outreach initiative, CTAA offers classes in dance, theater, musical theater, creative writing, visual arts and private music lessons -- all taught by talented, local, professional artists.

CTAA is housed in EASTCONN's Capitol Theater, a beautifully renovated Art Deco-era facility in the heart of Willimantic's thriving downtown. Surrounded by boutique eateries and adjacent to the library and post office, the theater is also home to Arts at the Capitol Theater, or ACT, EASTCONN's regional arts magnet high school. Once ACT’s high school students head home for the day, CTAA comes to life, offering both evening and Saturday classes to the region’s youth. CTAA students have full access to the Capitol Theater's two fully equipped theaters, a black box theater, two dance studios, classrooms, audio/video editing suites, a full theater scene shop, a costume design space, a café and an art gallery.

CTAA is an enthusiastic part of the downtown Willimantic community, inviting area residents to attend four CTAA student shows each year: two in dance and two in musical theater. CTAA students regularly participate in Willimantic's "3rd Thursday Street Fest," its annual "Chocolate Festival" and "Trick or Treat on Main Street." Students also perform at the McSweeney Senior Center and Regency Rehabilitation. CTAA offers its young dancers an opportunity to join the highly selective Youth Dance Performance Ensemble, which also performs during special occasions and at outside venues.

To learn more about CTAA, contact CTAA Coordinator Jim Williams at 860-455-1601, or reach him at jwilliams@eastconn.org.

EASTCONN, which administers CTAA, is a public, non-profit, Regional Educational Service Center that has been serving the education needs of northeastern Connecticut’s schools and communities since 1980. For more information about EASTCONN and its programs and services, call the Marketing and Communications Department at 860-455-0707.