The Underground Performing Arts Collective (UPAC) exists to create brave, inclusive spaces for artists and students of the arts to cultivate their craft, change the narrative, and build community.

Through professional productions, arts education, and original creative programming, UPAC provides opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the performing arts as artists, audiences, and lifelong learners.

In partnership with the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts and Zeiders American Dream Theater, UPAC produces a diverse range of theatrical experiences, including Broadway musicals, classic and contemporary plays, and the development of new works by emerging playwrights. We are committed to creating meaningful artistic experiences that entertain, inspire, and amplify underrepresented voices.

Our educational programming includes the Saturday Arts Academy, hosted at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, where children, teens, and adults receive training in acting, musical theatre dance, and vocal performance. These classes help students develop artistic skills, confidence, creativity, and community through accessible arts education.

UPAC is also proud to create original works that celebrate culture, identity, and storytelling. Our signature production, Black Girl Magic, has toured New Jersey and was recently selected for presentation at the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival at the LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Samuel L. Jackson Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia, September 4-6, 2027. This recognition reflects our commitment to creating impactful new work that resonates with audiences beyond our local community.

This summer, UPAC will partner with the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd to offer a Performing Arts Camp for youth ages 11–17. Participants will explore giant puppet making, devised theatre and scriptwriting, and public-space performances that connect art directly with the community.

At UPAC, we believe the arts are a catalyst for connection, empowerment, and transformation. Every production, class, workshop, and community partnership is designed to nurture creativity, foster belonging, and provide artists with opportunities to tell stories that matter.

Your support helps us keep arts education accessible, develop new works, invest in local artists, and expand opportunities for creative expression throughout our community. Together, we are building a more vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape—one artist, one story, and one performance at a time.

Your gift helps UPAC:

Take our signature production to Atlanta, Georgia
Provide affordable arts education for children, teens, and adults
Pay artists, teaching artists, directors, and designers
Develop and produce new theatrical works
Expand community-based arts programming
Purchase costumes, sets, props, and production materials
Create opportunities for young people to experience the transformative power of the arts

Every donation, regardless of size, helps ensure that artistic excellence and creative opportunity remain accessible to our community.

UPAC New Play Development and Production