2023 Honorees
Michael 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.
Amoretta 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.
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
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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)
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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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