2001
AACT NATIONAL FESTIVAL
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
June 27 - 29
Entries
Schedule
Workshops
Photos
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What an incredible week of community theater! Eleven shows in four days! It was a thrill to be chosen to go to the National Festival in the first place, and then quite an honor to be in such a gathering of talented theater companies. Unfortunately, we didn't place in the top three, but Victoria Lutz (who played the Susie, the nurse) won an Outstanding Achievement in Acting award. On her web site, Vicki said she accepted the award ". . like a deer in the headlights that night! I was just overwhelmed to say the least... I really didn't expect it, and I can't wait to see how the pictures came out of me trembling as I accepted it! I am . . grateful to have worked with such a talented director/professional actor [Scott Fults]. He gave me notes after every performance, and without his observations, I don't think I would have ever understood how to act with a purpose!"
Dane did an incredible job of setting and focusing the lights and working with the house crew to program the lighting board in the 80 minutes we were given to setup beforehand. Nick Credgington from Department of Army Entertainment office coordinated our stay and provided all of us with embroidered polo shirts, as well as outstanding logistical support (hotels, transportation, on-site coordination, etc -- thanks Nick and Machelle for all the driving and schlepping!). Harriet Rice, Army MWR Public Affairs Office, was on hand to record official photos and interviews.
Steve Hocker of Hill-Rom medical equipment supplies delivered the promised hospital bed and gurney on time directly to the theater (brand new - still in the box!), and Kim Payne, Public Relations director of Pinnacle Health Systems and the Harrisburg Hospital rode in our van from clinic to clinic around town to pull the other items we needed (wheelchair, IV pole, stool, etc). Outstanding support and partnership. Thanks to everyone!
Throughout the week, we were approached by other festival-goers in the hallways and elevators with positive comments about our production, and saying that they were truly moved by it. We thank you all for making it a point to share that with us!.
The AACT Board also presented Jim Sohre with The Distinguished Merit Award for "recognition of contributions made to promote and develop the highests standards for community theatre." Jim is the Entertainment Director for US Forces music and theater programs throughout Europe, providing guidance, training, and assistance to programs from England to Italy and beyond. He has been a long-time volunteer director at Roadside, directing most of our musicals in the past few years, and most recently directing the American community theater premiere of "Les Miserables." Jim was quoted as saying "To paraphrase a prior Army slogan, we need every person's contribution to become 'all that we can be.' And when our friends and neighbors come to view our team effort, we have the privilege of transporting them on that journey, too. Community theatre has that ability, to bind people, to allow them to connect, to free their spirit from the constraints of everyday life."
We'll add more pictures, comments, and interviews soon!
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Festival
Entries
REGION 1
“Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris”
by Eric Blau & Mort Suhman
Concord Players
Marlene Mandel, President
P.O. Box 22
Concord, MA
01742-0022
978-369-2990
marleneman@aol.com
www.concordplayers.org
REGION
2
“Scooter Thomas Makes It to the Top of the World”
by Peter Parnell
Nikolette Adams, Director
nadams@elliman.com
Burlington County Footlighters
Robert Miller, Treasurer
808 Pomona Rd.
Cinnaminson, NJ
info@bcfootlighters.com
www.bcfootlighters.com
REGION
3
"Quilters"
by Molly Newman and Barbara Damashek
Clio Cast and Crew, Inc .
Clio, MI
REGION
4a
“Fool for Love”
by Sam Shepard
Venice Little Theatre
Murray Chase, Managing Director
140 Tampa Ave.
W. Venice, FL 34285-1796
vltamd@aol.com
www.venicestage.com
REGION
4b
“The Beauty Queen if Leenane”
by Martin McDonagh
Haywood Arts Repertory Theater
Steven Lloyd, Executive Director
P.O. Box 1024
Waynesville, NC 28786-1024
Hartthea@brinet.com
http://members.nbci.com/harttheatre/
REGION
5
"W;t"
by Margaret Edson
Salina Community Theater, Kansas
http://www.salinatheatre.com/
staff@salinatheatre.com
REGION
6
"Over The River and Through The Woods"
by Joe DiPietro
Carpenter Square Theatre
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
http://www.geocities.com/~cstweb/index.htm
REGION
7
“All in the Timing”
by David Ives
Evergreen Players
Molly Epstein, Administrator
P.O. Box 1271
Evergreen, CO 80437-1271
mbepstein@aol.com
REGION
8
“Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You”
by Christopher Durang
Patio Community Theatre
Susan Guffy, Director (Treasurer)
1770 Iris Way
Escondido, CA 92027
guffys@tiora.com
REGION
9
"Pinocchio"
adapted with lyrics by Jim Eiler, music by Jim Eiler and Jeanne Bargy
Spokane Children's Theater
Spokane, Washington
REGION
10
“W;t” by Margaret Edson
Roadside Theater
Dane Winters, Artistic Director
CMR 419, Box 1636
APO, AE 09102-9245
info@roadsidetheater.com
www.roadsidetheater.com
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Monday
6/25
|
Evening
- AACT Committee Meetings
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
Tuesday
6/26
|
8a.m.
Rehearsals
|
Sunoco
Hotel
|
9a.m.
Board Meetings
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
|
Noon
- early arrivals check-in
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
|
7p.m.
Early Bird Reception
|
Susquehanna
Art Museum
|
|
Wednesday
6/27
|
7a.m.
load in
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
9a.m.
Registration/Meetings
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
|
2p.m.
Exhibits Set-up
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
|
4p.m.
Adjudicator Orientation
|
Green
Hotel
|
|
5p.m.
Festival Opening Dinner
|
The
Capitol Gardens
|
|
7:30p.m.
Opening Ceremonies
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
|
Roadside--
|
8p.m.
Performance Session #1 Regions 10 and 9
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
11:30p.m.
Reception
|
Downtown
Location
|
|
Thursday
6/28
|
7a.m.
Load-in
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
7:30
Exhibits Open
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
|
9:00a.m.
Registration/Meetings/Workshops/
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
|
Rehearsals
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
|
1:00p.m.
Performance Session #2 Regions 6 and 4A
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
|
5:00p.m.
Break/Load-in
|
||
7:30p.m.
Performance Session #3 Regions 3 and 5
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
|
11:00p.m.
Pennsylvania Dutch Reception
|
Downtown
Location
|
|
Friday
6/29
|
7:00a.m.
Load-in
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
7:30a.m.
Exhibits Open
|
||
9:00a.m.
Registration/Meetings/Workshops/
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
|
Rehearsals
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
|
1:00p.m.
Performance Session #4 Regions 2 and 7
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
|
7:00p.m.
Endowment Dinner
|
TBA,
Hershey Park
|
|
7:30p.m.
Local sites & Various Locations (or out on your own)
|
||
Saturday
6/30
|
7:00a.m.
Load-in
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
8:30a.m. Tech Time
|
||
11:00a.m. Performance Session #5 Region1
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
|
1:00p.m.
Lunch
|
Amp
Grand Lobby
|
|
3:30p.m.
Performance Session #6 Regions 4b and 8
|
Sunoco
Theater
|
|
8:00p.m.
Awards Gala & Dance
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
|
Sunday
7/1
|
9a.m.
Anuual Meeting
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
10a.m.
Board Meeting
|
Hilton
Hotel
|
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Acting
Workshops
"Meisner and Mamet: Practical Acting Techniques"
"Don't Forget To Duck: Safe Stage Violence"
"Improvisation for the Actor"
"Movement for the Actor"
Artistic
Director Workshops
"Pulling out the Performance:
non-traditional audition/rehearsal techniques for the Director"
"How to Block a Script"
"Taking a Stab at Bill"
"Auditioning The Actor, Not the Role"
"No More Two Left Feet: Choreography for the Non-Dancer"
Technical
Workshops
"Killer Sets on a Budget"
"Costuming to Design"
Administrative
Workshops
"Governance of Non-Profits"
"To Compute or Not Compute - Online Ticketing Services"
"How To Get The Most Out of Your Website"
""In-Kind Money: The Theatre's Underground Economy"
"Milking Your Marketing Dollars So Hard They Moo"
"Co-Productions: How Community Theaters Can Prosper Through Strategic Collaborations"
"Friendraising: a Prologue to Fundraising"
"Resources for Musical Theatre"
Programming
"Theatre On The Road - theatre outreach programs for your community"
"Theatre Trips for Fun and Profit"
"Playwriting Demystified"
"New Trends in Senior Theatre - how to begin and maintain a senior theatre
program"
Adjutication Master Class
Fundraising Workshop
Sorties
Gettysburg Civil War Tour
Lancaster Amish Tour
Susquehana Riverboat Cruise
Pub Crawl
Hershey Tour
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