Distinguished Merit Award | AACT

Distinguished Merit Award

Distinguished Merit
Presented to individuals and organizations in recognition of contributions made to promote and develop the highest standards for community theatre

2023 Honorees

Photo of Michael CochranMichael Cochran (Paducah, Kentucky) is in his 39th year with Market House Theatre. He has a Bachelor’s in Theatre from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, and an M.F.A. in theatre from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is a past board member of Arts KY and the Kentucky Theatre Association, and currently serves on the AACT Board of Directors. His original play Eternity was selected as one of the winners of AACT NewPlayFest 2018 and was published by Dramatic Publishing. He has worked in a variety of professional theatres and theme parks,as well as in dance, television, and film and has won awards for both design and acting. Michael and his wife April were awarded the City of Paducah Mayor’s Award of Merit and the Chamber of Commerce Summit Award for their 30-plus years of work at MHT.

Photo of Amoretta ShultzAmoretta Shultz (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania), currently serving the Chambersburg Community Theatre (CCT) as Vice President, has been instrumental in the creation of a traveling theatre program that takes live performances into area 13 elementary schools. She initiated this in partnership with a local non-profit music school, and together they met with the school district superintendent and elementary school principals to organize and institute the in-school program, which serves the district’s 3,323 elementary students. The program reaches almost 10,000 students of different backgrounds and nations of origin, providing live entertainment while also addressing important social issues. It also serves to draw students into CCT’s regular children’s programming, which is offered free to all. When she isn’t working as an advocate in the community, Amoretta is on stage, performing, or directing, stage managing, and even running lights. Her leadership encourages those who perform and volunteer to give their best effort 100% of the time.

Photo of US Army IMCOM Europe Entertainment Staff The US Army IMCOM Europe Entertainment Staff has served U.S. soldiers, civilians, and their family members for over 65 years. The staff’s mission, over those many years, has been to provide US Army military communities across Europe the opportunity to participate in and attend quality theatrical productions while they are stationed far from home and serving the nation. The program also serves military civilians and retirees and citizens from host nations. In providing soldiers and their families a home away from home, staff say it is gratifying to see the positive results of their work in their overseas military communities. Staff members honored include: Alan Buxkemper, Stuttgart Entertainment Director; Nate Records, Wiesbaden Entertainment Director; Jerry Brees, Vicenza Entertainment Director; Naythan Rinehart, KMC Onstage Operations Manager; Brett Harwood, SHAPE Entertainment Director; Bob Chung, Ansbach Technical Director; Victoria Hanrahan, Ansbach Entertainment Director; Dane Winters, IMCOM Europe Entertainment Director; Ryan Ragazzi, SHAPE Theatre Specialist.

Photo Back Row (l-r): Alan Buxkemper, Stuttgart Entertainment Director; Quiana Clark-Roland, AACT Executive Director; Nate Records, Wiesbaden Entertainment Director; Jerry Brees, Vicenza Entertainment Director; Naythan Rinehart, KMC Onstage Operations Manager; Brett Harwood, SHAPE Entertainment Director; Bob Chung, Ansbach Technical Director; Front Row (l-r): Victoria Hanrahan, Ansbach Entertainment Director; Dane Winters, IMCOM Europe Entertainment Director; Ryan Ragazzi, SHAPE Theatre Specialist
 

 

 


Previous Recipients

2022   Tim Higgins (Royal Oak, Michigan)
            Star Center Theatre (Gainesville, Florida)
2021   Joe Barton (Waterville, OH)
            Charles Corritore (Erie, PA)
2020   Kristi Gautsche (Hillsdale, MI)
            Steven Helsel (Altoona, PA)
            Pamela Livingstone (Hickory, NC)
2019   Debbie Litch (Memphis, TN)
           Volunteer Costume & Set Design Staff
              of US Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM)
              Europe Entertainment (Ansbach, Germany)
2018   Andrea Campfield (Sand Springs, OK)
           Gai Jones (Ojai, California)
           Dan LaMorte, U.S. Army IMCOM Europe
              Mons, Belgium
2017  Alan Buxkemper (Stuttgart, Germany)
          Dr. Alan D. Kaplan (Manchester, NH)
          André Bruce Ward (Moscow, TN)
          Tacoma Musical Playhouse (Tacoma, WA)
2016 Jim Chervenka (Grand Rapids, MI)
         Celia Couture (Tewksbury, MA)
         Loween Getter (Webster City, IA)
2015 Aubrey Dunne* (San Diego, CA)
          Oklahoma Community Theatre Association (OCTA)
2014 Melanie Cornelison (Ashland, KY)
         Lisa Garza (Houston, TX)
         SCERA Center for the Arts (Orem, UT)
2013 Anthony Del Rosso
        & Gwendolyn Whitney
        (SHAPE Perf. Arts Centre NATO Base)
        Carolyn Pitman (Whitefish, MT)
2012  Dennis Assaf & Jefferson Performing
         Arts Society (Metairie, LA)
         Linda McClane (Fernandina Beach, FL)
2011  April Cochran (Paducah, KY)
         Ginny Morrison (Seville, OH)
2010  Penelope Notter (Grand Rapids, MI)
2009  Bonnie Daniels (US Army)
          Andre Bruce Ward (Memphis, TN)
2008  Jim Buckley (Cambria, CA)
2007  Morrie Enders (Kalamazoo, MI)

2006  John Rich (Pullman, WA)
2005  Jerry Zimmerman (Ft Jennings, OH)
2004  Shirley Cockrell (Oneida, NY)
         Hap Ryder* (Fairbanks, AK)
         Pat White (Amherst, NH)
2003  Ohio Community Theatre Association
2002  Enid Holm* (Odessa, TX)
         Harv Thompson (Madison, WI)
2001  Jim Sohre (US Army, Europe)
2000  Charles Jeffers* (Hickory, NC)
1999  David Young (Gainesville, FL)
1998  Stage Directions Magazine
1997  William Talbot (New York, NY)
1996  Steve Spiegel & Music Theatre
         International (New York, NY)
1995  Sherwood Lohrey* &
         Theatre Memphis (TN)
1994  Theatre Midland (TX)
1993  Jon Kerkhoff (Omaha, NE)
1992  Paul Ebert (Oak Ridge, TN)
1991  Target Stores
1990  Hiroshi Koizumi (Toyama City, Japan)
1989  Charles Jones* (Omaha, NE)
1988  Kalamazoo Civic Players (MI)
1987  Twink Lynch (Topeka, KS)
1985  National Multicultural Theatre Association
         of Canada
1984  Alaska State Community Theatre
         Association
1983  Bea Miller* (Memphis, TN)
1982  David Gooder* (Downers Grove, IL)
1981  Henry Fonda* (Omaha, NE)
1980  Douglas Cook (University Park, PA)
1979  Norman Carver* (Kalamazoo, MI)

 

 

 

          * Deceased

   

 

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