Amity Regional High School located in Woodbridge, Connecticut has had a long history of theater productions dating back to the school's founding in the early 1950's.  The school serves the three towns of Bethany, Orange and Woodbridge, Connecticut.  The school has twice been named by the US Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School of Distinction (1982, 2014) and in 2015 was named by Newsweek magazine number one in Connecticut and 112th nationally for college preparedness.  Past drama teachers include; Sy Schoenburger, Stan Czuba, Katherine Lightle, Gail Silverberg, Gary and Francesca Scarpa, John Mayer, Kara Mulqueen, Maggie Barkin and Julie Chevan.  Notable Alumni include actor William Atherton, Director and Northwestern University Professor David Bell, Playwright Betsy Kelso (Great American Trailer Park Musical), Actress Suzanne Tara, Musician (Matchbox 20) Brian Yale, Broadway Stage Manager Hilary Austin, former Chair of the American Theater Wing (The Tony Awards) author and theater pundit Howard Sherman and entertainment reporter and Awards Expert Scott Feinberg.   

In the late 1990's, a reported mold problem shuttered the auditorium for several years.  Under the guidance of then Superintendent Dr. John J. Brady, an entirely new 750 seat theater was built in 2007 and a 100 seat Black Box Theater added in 2013.  The main stage was renamed the John J Brady Center for the Performing Arts in 2012.  Currently the theater Department, aka Amity Creative Theater (ACT), is under the direction of theater teacher and Amity alumnus Rob Kennedy.  Amity prides itself in selecting works with current themes and strong social messages that appeal to the school's student population as well as the community at large. Rob along with his Co Director Andrea Kennedy have produced the following plays and musicals: The Laramie Project, Grease, Godspell, The Boys Next Door, Rent (CT High School Premiere), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, And Then They Came For Me, Les Miserables, Bang Bang You're Dead, Chicago, Almost Maine, Legally Blonde, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Sweeney Todd, 12 Angry Jurors, In the Heights, New York, Disney's Tarzan, The Wrestling Season, Into the Woods, Our Town, Fiddler on the Roof, The Laramie Project 10 Years Later , The Addams Family Musical, The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-time. Catch Me If You Can, Dancing at Lughnasa and the Drowsy Chaperone, It’s A Wonderful Life- A Radio Play, Anastasia, Puffs, Mamma Mia and The Play That Goes Wrong (High School Edition), Beauty and the Beast, Love/Sick and Mean Girls the Musical.        

The students' level of talent and dedication to the craft has garnered many accolades. The school was awarded two Moss Hart Awards from the New England Theater Conference for Best High School production in New England and 24 Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards including Best Actor in the State (John Jorge in 2010), Best Actress in the State (Ali Kramer in 2012) and Best Overall Production (Sweeney Todd in 2013).  In 2010, John Jorge was also a semi-finalist at the National High School Musical Theater Awards (The Jimmy's) on Broadway.  Amity has had the honor of being chosen from over 2500 applicants to appear at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland England in 2012 and 2016 as part of the American High School Theater Festival.    The student actors have also performed at the Walt Disney World Resort in 2013, 2015 and 2018.   In 2018 Amity was proud to win Best Musical in the first ever Stephen Sondheim Awards at the Shubert Theater in New Haven CT and followed that up with another Best Musical Sondheim award in 2021 for Anastasia. 2023 saw Grace Lupoli (Belle in Beauty and the Beast) win best actress at the Sondheim Awards and be a featured soloist in the 2023 Jimmy Awards on Broadway.

Graduates of Amity High have gone on to pursue higher education at prestigious performing arts institutions including New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, CAP 21, The University of the Arts, The Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Muhlenberg College, Point Park University, Pace University, Marymount Manhattan, Pace University, Boston University, NorthWestern University, Bard College, University of North Carolina School for the Arts, University of Connecticut, Hofstra University, Western CT State University, Emerson College and Syracuse University.

Amity Staff

Theater Arts Teacher/ Director/ Producer Robert Kennedy

Director/ Choreographer   Andrea Kennedy

Assoc. Choreographer Clare Collins 

Costume Designer Julie Chevan

Costume Designer     Brenda Burt

Orchestra Conductor/ Music Teacher Phil Dolan

Musical Director/ Choral Director Marcia Rizzotti

Lighting Designer   Dan Hassenmayer

Scenic Designer Ryan M. Howell

Set Construction Carl Terravainen

Business Manager  Peter Downhour

Charge Artist Laura Adair

Box Office Manager Dom Reis