Tacoma's Pantages Theater Welcomes 12 US Community Theaters In June For AACTFest

Twelve community theater companies from around the United States, including one representing U.S. military bases abroad, will be coming to Tacoma's Pantages Theater in June to participate in the American Association of Community Theater's (AACT) national biennial festival: "AACTFest." Many of these companies started the festival process by participating in local festivals, advanced to state festivals, and then finally to regional festivals where the twelve companies who would come to the national event were selected from among over sixty five other theater companies. The best of the best are coming to Tacoma to celebrate the power of live theater in our communities.

Tacoma Musical Playhouse (TMP) and The Washington State Community Theatre Association (WSCTA) have joined in partnership to bring over 600 enthusiasts, advocates and performers from around the country to Tacoma. They serve as the hosts for AACTFest '09 which will take place June 22 to the 27 at the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts and other venues in downtown Tacoma and nearby Freighthouse Square. AACTFest ‘09 will be the first time in over 25 years that a national community theater event has been on the West Coast. The last time Tacoma hosted a national theater event of this scope was in 1926.

The core events of the Festival are the performances of twelve theater companies representing the ten regions in AACT. These companies will arrive in Tacoma ready to present their productions as part of the Festival, be adjudicated, and vie for the honor of being declared the Outstanding Production of the Festival. Other honors in acting, directing, and production will also be awarded. Performances will be in the Pantages Theater at the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. Festival Registrants will also enjoy workshops, forums, and social events spanning five days at such Tacoma landmarks as the Union Station, the University of Puget Sound, the Rialto Theater, Tacoma's School of the Arts, Freighthouse Square, the Traver Gallery, and an exclusive cruise on Commencement Bay.

"I really feel privileged," said Albi Gorn, Playwright and Director of Gornisht, which was chosen at the Eastern States Theatre Conference to represent Region II at AACTFest '09. His sentiments were echoed by Eric Hurst, President and Artistic Director of the Region IV representative Theatre A La Carte from Tallahassee, FL. "We certainly didn't expect to find ourselves in this position." The company's production of the musical Nine, which includes an eleven piece orchestra and a cast of nearly twenty performers, will be among those traveling the farthest to bring their show to Tacoma.

"Longest Traveled" honors would surely go to SHAPE Entertainment representing AACT's Region X which includes U.S. military bases abroad. SHAPE stands for "Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe" located in a small town of the same name near Mons, Belgium. The company's production of Hold Me was the first to be chosen to advance to AACTFest '09 last autumn. Since then, the company has spent several months battling the economy and military program cut-backs in order to be able to bring their production over "the pond" and across a continent to perform in Tacoma. Their perseverance paid off, and this first chosen company will be presenting their production in the final performance at AACTFest '09 on Saturday, June 27.

Performance Session A - Wednesday, June 24 at 1:30pm
Region Vb : KS: A.R.T.S., Inc, Topeka, Lemonade
Region VIII: CA: Chino Community Theatre, Chino, Scooter Thomas Makes It to the Top of the World

Performance Session B - Wednesday, June 24 at 7:30pm
Region I: MA: Arlington Friends of the Drama, Arlington, How I Learned To Drive
Region II: NY: M&M Productions Acting Company,Iinc., Amawalk, Gornisht

Performance Session C - Thursday, June 25 at 1:30pm
Region VII: CO: Main Street Players, Littleton, Eleemosynary
Region Va: SD:Aberdeen Community Theatre, Aberdeen, How to Talk Minnesotan: The Musical

Performance Session D - Friday, June 26 at 1:30pm
Region IVb: FL: Theatre A La Carte, Tallahassee, Nine
Region IVa: MS: Starkville Community Theatre, Starkville, Catfish Moon

Performance Session E - Friday, June 26 at 7:30pm
Region IX: WA: Driftwood Players, Edmonds, Minnesota Moon
Region III: IN: South Bend Civic Theatre, South Bend, Intimate Apparel

Performance Session F - Saturday, June 27 at 7:30pm
Region VI: OK: Poteet Theatre - Arts @ St. Luke's, Oklahoma City, John and Jen
Region X: AE: SHAPE Performing Arts Centre, Belgium, Hold Me

All performances will be in the Pantages Theater at the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts and are open to the public. Tickets for individual sessions and festival passes will be available through the Broadway Center Box Office by the end of May. 253-591-5894 or online at www.broadwaycenter.org.

AACTFest ‘09 has received generous support from: The Boeing Company, Sequoia Foundation,
The Ruth Murphy Evans Unrestricted Fund of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, The Pierce County Arts Commission, Music Theatre International, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, Dramatists Play Service, and the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts.

Information about AACTFest '09, including festival registration, can be found at our website: http://www.aactfest09.org

AACTFest '09 also maintains a blog which is linked to the website, and may also be found at http://www.aactfest09.blogspot.com

For Podcast Interviews with companies coming to Tacoma to participate in AACTFest '09, visit:
http://www.aactfest09.org/podcast.php