Take a breath-can you hear the echoes of a child giggling, or perhaps the faint “DUN DUN DUN” of dramatic music? You’re standing outside the InterAction School of Performing Arts, once called InterAction Children’s Theatre, where imagination has taken center stage in Saint John since 2001. Founded by the ever-creative Kate Wilcott, this landmark is the only school of its kind in Southern New Brunswick-almost like a unicorn, but with a flair for jazz hands.
If these walls could talk, they’d probably break into song! Every year, hundreds of aspiring actors pour in for classes, summer camps, and outreach that brings the magic of theater to local schools. Over the years, this place has been transformed into everything from the hills of Austria in The Sound of Music to the magical land of Oz, and from the deep forests of The Jungle Book to the mysterious alleyways of Saint John itself in The Saint John History Mystery. There’s even been a swashbuckling adventure with Treasure Island-yep, pirates probably outnumbered the neighborhood squirrels for weeks.
Whether kids were learning “How to Eat Like a Child” (spoiler: it’s messier than you’d think), or taking on classic tales like Peter Pan, Cinderella, or Robin Hood, the spirit here has always been playful, bold, and creative. You might even sense a bit of stage fright in the air-don’t worry, it’s just the ghosts of old pantomimes rehearsing their lines! If you listen closely, the next great performance is already warming up backstage.
