Diamond Crown Organization Award
This award recognizes longevity and vitality of AACT-member theatres that have expanded programming and/or facilities in the past 10 years and have the administrative leadership to remain vital to their communities for the next 10 years. Recipients must have been in continuous operation for 75 years and organizational members of AACT for the past 10 years.
Diamond Crown Organization Award
The Diamond Crown Organization Award recognizes the longevity and vitality of AACT member theatres that have expanded programming and facilities in recent years while demonstrating the leadership and organizational strength to remain essential cultural resources in their communities for decades to come.
Recipients of this honor must have been in continuous operation for at least 75 years and maintained AACT membership for the past 10 years, representing a lasting commitment to artistic excellence, volunteerism, and community engagement.
Current Honoree
The Footlight Club (Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts) is being honored with the Diamond Crown Organization Award by the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT).
Founded in 1877, The Footlight Club is the oldest continuously operating community theatre in the United States and has long served as a cultural cornerstone of Jamaica Plain. Often described as the community’s “living room,” the theatre provides a welcoming space where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to create, perform, and engage with the arts.
From its earliest days performing in local gathering spaces to its current home in historic Eliot Hall, The Footlight Club has continually evolved while preserving its rich legacy. When Eliot Hall faced demolition, supporters intervened to preserve the building, transforming it into a fully functioning theatre with a proscenium stage, dressing rooms, and raked seating that remain in use today.
Today, The Footlight Club continues to expand its programming while honoring its history. In addition to mainstage productions, the theatre presents a Black Box Series that explores more experimental work and supports visual arts through the Joy Cochran art gallery.
At the heart of The Footlight Club is a strong culture of collaboration and volunteerism, with generations of artists, technicians, and community members contributing their time and talents to sustain an environment rooted in creativity, inclusion, and shared purpose.
Previous Recipients
2023 Grosse Pointe Theatre (Grosse Pointe, Michigan)
2021 Tacoma Little Theatre (Tacoma, Washington)
2020 Theatre Memphis (Memphis, Tennessee)
2019 Des Moines Community Playhouse (Des Moines, Iowa)
2018 Richmond Civic Theatre (Richmond, Indiana)
2017 Bay City Players, Inc. (Bay City, Michigan)
2016 Bellingham Theatre Guild (Bellingham, Washington)
2015 Grand Rapids Civic Theatre & School of Theatre Arts (Grand Rapids, Michigan)