AACT/Festival ARCHIVE

The festival cycle occurs every other year in the odd numbered years.

 A CTAM [MI] member group hosts the state festival [ Michigan AACT/Fest]
where any CTAM member group can enter the competition subject to the festival rules.

The winning production from this state festival then moves on to the regional festival.
[Region III AACT/Fest includes Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin].

 The winning production from the regional festival moves on to the national festival
[AACT/Fest] and competes against the regional winners from all nine regions of the US.

The January, 1964 CTAM newsletter discusses the pros/cons of a play festival as brought up
at the 1963 fall convention delegate’s meeting. Strong opinions for and against were expressed.

 The first archival record of a MI festival is in 1971

• January, 1971 CTAM Newsletter carries an article announcing the Michigan festival as part of the “American Community Theatre Association” [ACTA]. Betty Ann Smith was the chairman.
• March, 1971 CTAM Newsletter announces the details of the festival that was held at Players Guild of Dearborn and listed 5 entries including Players Guild of Dearborn [Dearborn], Wayne Civic Players [Wayne], Off-Broadway Playhouse [Three Rivers], Pit and Balcony [Saginaw] and Poor Sid [Detroit]
• Fortunately, the CTAM archive contains the actual program from this 1971 festival

AACTFestival Host Organizations

1971 IL Chicago
1973 NE Lincoln
1975 OK Oklahoma City
1977 WA Spokane
1979 TN Memphis
1981 MI Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
1983 AK Haines Alaska
1985 WI Racine
1987 OK Norman: Oklahoma Community Theatre Association/Oklahoma University
1989 NE Omaha Community Playhouse, Omaha
1991 KS Johnson County Community College/Olathe Community Theatre Association
1993 TN Knoxville: Bijou Theatre Center
1995 TX Midland Community Theatre, Midland
1997 MI Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, Grand Rapids
1999 TN Theatre Memphis, Memphis
2001 PA Whitaker Center & Theatre, Harrisburg
2003 CT Warner Theatre, Torrington
2005 MI Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, Kalamazoo
2007 NC Metrolina Theatre Association, Charlotte

 

REGION III Festival Host Organizations

1971 OH, Players Club, Columbus
1973 WI, Racine Theatre Guild, Racine
1975 MI, Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, Kalamazoo
1977 IL, Lake Forest, Barat College
1979 IN, Evansville
1981 OH,
1983 WI, Racine Theatre Guild, Racine
1985 MI, Holland Civic Theatre, Hope College, Holland
1987 IL, Peoria
1989 IN, Muncie
1991 OH, Lima
1993 WI, Oshgosh
1995 MI, Twin City Players, Benton Harbor/St. Joseph
1997 IL, Quincy
1999 IN, Muncie
2001 OH, Weathervane Community Playhouse, Akron
2003 WI, Ft. Atkinson
2005 MI, Grosse Pointe Theatre, Grosse Point
2007 IL, Prairie Ctr for the Arts & Cultural Arts Studio, Schaumburg

MICHIGAN [STATE] AACT/Fest Host Organizations

In 1971, Players Guild of Dearborn hosted the state festival. A program from this event in the
CTAM archive says that “…this is the first we have held a Michigan Festival Competition.”

1971 MI Players Guild of Dearborn, Dearborn
1973 MI Port City Playhouse, Muskegon
1975 MI Saginaw Valley College, Saginaw
1977 MI Midland Center for the Arts, Midland
1979 MI Port City Playhouse, Muskegon
1981 MI Grosse Pointe Theatre, Grosse Pointe
1983 MI Players Guild of Dearborn, Dearborn
1985 MI Pit & Balcony, Saginaw
1987 MI Avon Players, Rochester
1989 MI Grosse Pointe Theatre, Grosse Pointe
1991 MI Players DeNoc, Escanaba
1993 MI Holland Civic Theatre
1995 MI Bay City Players, Bay City
1997 MI Ann Arbor Civic Theatre, Ann Arbor
1999 MI Monroe Community Players
2001 MI Stagecrafters, Royal Oak & Grosse Pointe Theatre, Grosse Pointe
2003 MI Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, Grand Rapids
2005 MI Owosso Community Players, Owosso
2007 MI Ichabod's Little Theattre in the Hollow, S. Haven