ABOUT US

The mission of Dirigo Theater Company is to create  and foster an environment that is  inclusive, diverse and accessible to the greater community. DTC is dedicated to “Leading The Way” to producing high quality productions that are thoughtful, engaging, challenging and  enriching for  the community through the process of mentorship and educational development for the individual performer, designer, and creative.

“Dirigo” is Latin for “I Lead” and the concept for this theatre company is to become leading theatre program for people of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. Growth can be found for the individual through theatre and our focus is based in the creative process! With an Education Department who’s focus is welcoming beginners, strengthening the skills and techniques of those who have been on stage before, and encouraging the community to embrace all aspects of theatre- we are so excited to be here and make Wisconsin our home!

About Our Artistic Director

Zachariah Stearn is a Maine native, and recently relocated to Wisconsin when he developed Dirigo Theatre Company. Zac has worked his whole life in show business as a professional comedian, actor and director. He has toured consistently since 2012 with his show Zac Stearn LIVE and has been involved in a number of theatrical productions in a variety of capacities.

Prior to relocating, Zac was the Artistic Director of Schoolhouse Arts Center on Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine where he spent five years developing and strengthening their program and offerings. He successfully navigated the 2020 Pandemic which severely threatened the survival of Schoolhouse Arts Center and increased audience attendance to their shows and expanded the theatre’s membership base.

In his professional career, Zac has developed arts and theatre program for a variety of organizations including IPPI (Institute of Professional Practice Inc.) which specialized in working with adults with developmental disabilities and teens in foster care. The program is still running today.

Aside from his work as an Artistic Director, Zac has also performed in a variety of productions such as Buddy the Elf in “Elf”, Lumiere in Disney’s “Beauty & The Beast”, and Don Lockwood in “Singin’ in the Rain”.

He has also directed over 70 productions in his career including a handful of new original plays and musicals. Most recently he directed Brian Daly’s Squeeze Me! At the Theater Project in Brunswick, Maine and countless other shows such as The Play That Goes Wrong, Stephen King’s MISERY, Wizard of Oz, Noises Off, Singin’ in the Rain, and many more.

Zac teaches at the University of Southern Maine each summer for a week long Theatre Academy which caters to young thespians across the country as they develop their skills and work on their craft in the performing arts.

  • While our Main Stage auditions are open to the public and are free of charge to audition, we do offer tuition based workshops, classes and other opportunities. Tuition rates vary from program to program. We invite you to visit our Education Department page to find more information on tuition based offerings.

  • Each production team has a different approach to auditions however, we encourage interested people to have a 1 minute monologue prepared for plays and a 32 bar cut of a musical theatre piece for musical auditions. More specific information on auditions can be found on our Auditions Page!

  • As a brand new non-profit theatre company, we welcome donations of any kind and size. If this is not feasible for you or your family, we encourage you to sign up for our mailing list to stay up to date on fundraisers, events, auditions, workshops and classes and other DTC sponsored events.