ABCT Play Compilation.
Don't miss the ABCT/NORD Performing Arts Summer Camp experience for your talented youth! Click here for information on registering online and scheduling an audition appointment to secure your child's spot today!
Anthony Bean, originally from New Orleans' Seventh Ward, has been an enthusiastic advocate for theater and the performing arts since co-founding the Ethiopian Theater in 1973. After relocating to Los Angeles in 1985, he returned to New Orleans to establish the Anthony Bean Community Theater and Acting School.
With over 50 years of contributions to Black theater, Bean has received numerous accolades. These include the New Orleans City Council's proclamation of "Anthony Bean's Day" in 2010 and the Trailblazer Award at the Southern Black Theatre Festival in 2012. Under his artistic direction, his company has won several Ambie and Big Easy Awards. Additionally, he was honored with the New Orleans Arts Council's Community Arts Award in 2010, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Big Easy Entertainment Awards in 2017, In 2021, the Center for African and African American Studies at Southern University at New Orleans honored Anthony Bean with the prestigious Living Legends Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions and dedication to the community.
Trailblazer Award in 2022.
In 2023, he received a proclamation from the Ashe Center for his community service and was recognized by the City of New Orleans for his contributions to Black theater. In 2024, he was awarded the WYES-TV 2024 Celeste Seymour Judell Arts Award.
Welcome
It's been 25 years and counting.
The Anthony Bean Community Theater and Acting School (ABCT), founded in spring 2000 by Anthony Bean, serves as a vital cultural hub in the New Orleans area. It provides a platform for diverse performing arts and education in acting, set design, and theater management, fostering connections to the local film industry.
ABCT is a prominent theater production company and a year-round acting school offering open enrollment for adults and children. Its mission is to inspire those it serves through the magic of the arts while maintaining a strong commitment to diversity. This commitment is reflected in its diverse theater schedule, which features works by notable playwrights such as Tennessee Williams, August Wilson, and Lorraine Hansberry. The lineup includes popular dramas like "Reflections," "Misery," and "A Raisin in the Sun," as well as comedies such as "Jar the Floor" and "Steal Away." Furthermore, ABCT highlights musicals, including "The Color Purple," "Simply Irma," "The Phyllis Hyman Story," and "The Bodyguard: The Musical."
ABCT features original plays, including "I’d Rather Be Rich," "Say Amen," and "Irma Meets Etta at the Dew Drop Inn." It also proudly showcases its youth theater program, which presents beloved productions such as "CATS," "THE WIZ," "The Lion King," and "High School Musical."
THE AUGUST WILSON CENTURY CYCLE AWARD
In November 2018, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The August Wilson House/Daisy Wilson Artist Community presented ABCT with the distinguished "August Wilson American Century Cycle Award" for completing Wilson's ten-play cycle.
ACTING SCHOOL
The ABCT Acting School is committed to providing intensive, high-quality learning and performance experiences in an environment that encourages young people to set goals, take risks, and view mistakes as opportunities for growth. ABCT seeks to inspire students to achieve greatness while fostering an understanding that the arts are a powerful means of self-expression.
In addition to acting classes for children and adults, ABCT offers youth theater programs and after-school activities. ABCT collaborates with the New Orleans Recreational Department Commission during the summer months to operate a Performing Arts Summer Camp.
REALITY TEEN TALK TV
ABCT produces a teen talk TV show titled “WHAT’S GOING ON.” This reality show addresses teenagers' everyday issues and aims to present them positively and upliftingly while motivating its teen viewers. "WHAT’S GOING ON?" will air on WUPL My-54 TV in the coming months.
As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we invite you to support us by purchasing a PASS for the upcoming theater season or by donating to invest in our various youth programs and TV talk shows. Thank you for participating in our journey—“ABCT IS MORE THAN THEATER… IT’S CULTURE!”
Invest In ABCT!
Support the Anthony Bean Community Theater and Acting School! ABCT is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, meaning all contributions are tax-deductible. Please invest today to keep the theater alive and exciting in our community!
So the person who I want to give my flowers to is, someone who changed my whole trajectory, his name is Anthony Bean”
This Black History Month, we are exploring your favorite people’s, favorite people. Everybody deserves their flowers and with our new series “Water Your Roses”, we are making sure everyone gets them. 🌹
Episode 4 features @e.buckles and his childhood mentor & theater coach Anthony Bean. Hit the link in our bio to see how Anthony has impacted E. Buckles and why he deserves his roses