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Author: Cynthia Harper

ACTFest 2019-2020

Written by Cynthia Harper on . Posted in ACTFest.

November 1-2, 2019, Bean-Brown Theatre, Shelton State Community College, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Theatre Tuscaloosa enjoyed hosting the Alabama Community Theatre Festival (ACTFest) November 1-2, 2019. This was the third consecutive year they we’ve worked with the Alabama Conference of Theatre to bring ACTFest to Tuscaloosa. This statewide event featured performances from community theatres from across Alabama.

Participating Companies

The following companies presented the listed shows during ACTFest ’19 in the order listed.

  • Theatre Tuscaloosa: God of Carnage
  • Spark Theatre Company, Inc. (Dothan): The Theory of Relativity
  • The Actor’s Charitable Theatre (Tuscaloosa): Of Mice & Men
  • Auburn Area Community Theatre: Silent Sky
  • South City Theatre (Pelham): Love, Loss, and What I Wore
  • Wetumpka Depot Theatre: The Diviners
  • ACE Performing Arts Center (Loxley): Little Women
  • Prattville’s Way Off Broadway Theatre: Driving Miss Daisy

Participating companies represented seven Alabama cities: Tuscaloosa, Dothan, Auburn, Pelham, Wetumpka, Loxley, and Prattville.  Approximately 100 theatre artists participated in the production and presentation of these shows.

Adjudicator Responses

ACTFest ’19 was adjudicated by Kimberly Frick-Welker (actress, director, scenic designer with Cookville (Tennessee) Performing Arts Center); Gabe Smith (Chief Administrative Officer at Starkville (Mississippi) Community Theatre); and Mike Winkleman (Professor, Auburn University Montgomery). Bill Anderson, Jr. (Center Stage Theatre, Midland, Michigan) served as the AACT Festival Commissioner, and AACT Division IV was represented by Lynn Harper Nelson.

Overall, adjudicator responses were very positive, and it was mentioned more than once that Alabama’s festival demonstrated an unusually high standard of excellence in the shows that were presented.

Best of Show (Moving forward to SETC)

  • The Gulf, South City Theatre
  • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spark Theater Company

Alternate Show (May go to SETC if either Best of Show winner cannot)

Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Theatre Tuscaloosa

Best Actor in a Lead Performance

Josh Kauffman for “Macbeth”, Macbeth, Self Express Productions

Best Actress in a Lead Performance

Autumn Brown for “Betty”, The Gulf, South City Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in Directing

  • Lisa Ponder, The Gulf, South City Theatre
  • Caleb Brooks, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spark Theater Company

Outstanding Featured Ensemble

The Witches (Kendall Wakefield, Angela Proffitt, Kasey Kauffman), Macbeth, Self Express Productions

Outstanding Achievement in Acting

  • Harvey Lipscomb for “Dodge” in Buried Child, The Actor’s Charitable Theatre
  • Lauren Norris for “Shelley” in Buried Child, The Actor’s Charitable Theatre
  • Madison Richards for “She” in An Ongonig Examination of the True Meaning of Life, Auburn Area Community Theatre
  • Andrew Rasnake for “McDuff” in Macbeth, Self Express Productions
  • Rachael Pike for “Kendra” in The Gulf, South City Theatre
  • John Caleb Davis for “Chip” in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spark Theater Company
  • Cassidy Ryan as “Rona” in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spark Theater Company
  • Dawson “Pate” Spencer as “Mr. Panch” in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spark Theater Company
  • Riley Turberville as “Olive” in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spark Theater Company
  • Faith Bonitz in Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Theatre Tuscaloosa
  • Carol DeVelice in Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Theatre Tuscaloosa
  • NorQuina Rieves in Love, Loss, and What I Wore, Theatre Tuscaloosa

Outstanding Achievement in Design

  • The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spark Theater Company
  • The Gulf, South City Theatre

Spirit of the Road

An Ongoing Examination of the True Meaning of Life, Auburn Area Community Theatre

Theatre for Youth 2018

Written by Cynthia Harper on . Posted in TFY.

The ACT Theatre for Youth Division held a Middle/Elementary School festival on April 7, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. James School, Montgomery, AL.  Lonny Harrison of St. James hosted while Cheryl Pointer Jones served as Division Chair. ACT Board Members from the Community Theatre, Secondary, and College/University divisions came out to support the event.

Participating organizations included: Albertville City School, Brewbaker Middle School, CAST Kids, CharACTers Children’s Theatre, Cloverdale Playhouse, Florence Academy of Fine Arts, Holtville Middle School, Fort Payne Middle School, Lee-Scott Academy, Pell City School-Duran North, Pike Road Historic School, Pleasant Grove Middle School, Prattville Junior High School, Saint James School, Springwood School, The Westminster School at Oak Mountain, UMS-Wright Preparatory School, and the Virginia Samford Theatre. One hundred and forty students registered as either novice (4th – 5th grades) or varsity (6th – 8th grades) to compete in six events: solo acting-novice; solo-acting-varsity; duet acting-novice; duet acting-varsity; musical theatre-novice; musical theatre-varsity. Participation numbers doubled from last year’s festival.

Judges for the events included Cheryl Pointer, Brittany May and Declan Fitzpatrick (Solo Acting); Kecia McAlpine, Kayleigh Smith, and Matthew Klinger (Duet Acting); and Kristy Meanor, Emily Honey, and Josie Roseberg (Musical Theatre).

Dustin Helmer of ASFA conducted 3 workshops during the event.

Festival Host Lonny Harrison handled the logistics of finding judges, assigning rooms, and creating the schedule. Festival Director Sue Ellen Gerrells handled the event publicity, registration, fee collection, on-site sign in, name tag and other printed materials preparation, and catering for the event. Dawn Gerrells assisted with on-site activities.

The following awards were presented:

Solo Acting Novice Winners:

1st place – Jay Collins, Lee-Scott Academy

2nd place- Noah Henninger, Cloverdale Playhouse

3rd place – Campbell Thomas, Lee-Scott Academy

Honorable Mention- LeAnne Hall, CAST Kidz

Solo Acting-Varsity Winners:

1st place- Tristen Gressett, Pell City School

2nd Place – Landon Perdue, Cloverdale Playhouse

3rd place – Maliya Gregg, Albertville City School

Honorable Mention – Zoe Zink, Cloverdale Playhouse 

Duet Acting-Novice-Winners:

1st place — AvaRose Brown and Lisa Jones, Albertville City Schools

2nd place — Jay Collins and Reese Colley, Lee-Scott Academy

3rd place — Chloe Goggans and Kendall Binkley, Fort Payne Middle School

Honorable Mention — Emily Jo Matthews and Aubree Brown, Springwood School 

Duet Acting-Varsity-Winners

1st place — Kameryn Ballard and Rebecca Schannep, Prattville Junior High

2nd place — Tucker and Griffin Simmons, Albertville City Schools

3rd place — Zoe Zink and Landon Perdue, Cloverdale Playhouse

Honorable Mention — Cooper Townsend and Jesse Darnell, Florence Academy of Fine Arts

Musical Theatre-Novice- Winners

1st place — Lisa Jones, Albertville City Schools

2nd place — AvaRose Brown, Albertville City Schools

3rd place — LeAnne Hall, CAST Kidz

Honorable Mention — Grace Jacobs, Albertville City Schools 

Musical Theatre-Varsity-winners:

1st place: Jadon Davis, CharACTers Children’s Theatre

2nd place: Anna Colson, St. James School;

3rd place: Griffin Simmons, Albertville City Schools;

Honorable Mention: Tristen Grissett, Pell City Schools