Acme Theatre

At Acme Theatre Company, we are a youth-run, non-profit theatre company dedicated to providing opportunities for young artists to learn and grow in the world of theatre. Our members and leaders are all high school students, and we are proud to be led by a team of youth who are elected by their peers each year to run the company and manage all theatrical operations.

Our Mission

Our mission is to present plays of high literary quality while providing opportunities for young people to learn various acting and technical skills in an organization run entirely by young people themselves under the direction of a small cadre of adult mentors. We strive to create an educational opportunity for young people to learn various acting and technical skills, and we are committed to presenting plays of high literary quality worthy of any community theatre group, youth or adult.

Our History

Acme Theatre Company was founded in 1980 by Davis High School English teacher, Dave Burmester, and a group of eager teenagers. Our first production was a simple performance of a series of one-acts on a bare stage. Two years later, we put on the first Free Comedy in the Park, which has since become an annual tradition. We have since grown to produce three main-stage shows each year, including a small dramatic piece in January, a free Comedy-in-the-Park over Memorial Day Weekend in May, and a large-cast summer production in which everyone gets cast.

Our Services

We offer a range of services to our members and the community, including:

• Auditions for our main-stage productions
• Parent information and support for our members
• Summer camps and drama classes for elementary and junior high school students
• Technical training and mentorship in areas such as set design, costumes, props, sound, lights, and publicity
• Opportunities for leadership and growth through our Acme Council of Executives (ACE)

Our Values

At Acme Theatre Company, we value the importance of youth leadership, creativity, and community. We believe that theatre has the power to bring people together and promote universal understanding and basic human rights. We are committed to being a self-sustaining organization that is free from membership fees, activity fees, and materials fees, and we maintain a positive relationship with the City of Davis, the Davis Joint Unified School District, and local theatrical companies and arts organizations.