Spotlight Award
Announced by AACT, and presented locally, AACT's Spotlight Award allows member theatres across the nation to recognize special local achievement. Any individual, organization or company is eligible. Nominations are accepted for persons of all ages. Awards may be presented anytime through the year that is appropriate. This is a fitting tribute to the hardworking volunteers, staff, and patrons of local community theatre groups--an AACT tradition and service since 2000.
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Click here for the online nomination form. Further details are available through the AACT office, below.
2020 Honorees
Arts for Life (St. Louis, Missouri) honored Diane Hanisch with the AACT Spotlight Award, at the Best Performance Awards Virtual Ceremony on June 14, 2020. Arts for Life President, Mary McCreight, presented the Award, and AACT Executive Director, Quiana Clark-Rowland, congratulated Diane by video. Diane is an accomplished musician who has served Arts for Life, as Musical Director, Arranger, and Conductor, for almost 20 years. The organization produces an annual theatrical event, the Best Performance Awards, showcasing some of the best community musical theatre in the Greater St. Louis area. Diane works with around 15 nominated theatres, individually, in preparation for their performance. She painstakingly arranges the musical scores, for a full orchestra. Diane encourages and inspires each group, offering suggestions on how to make their performance shine. Diane is essential in the production of Arts for Life musical revues, which help raise valuable funds for many local and national charities.
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Previous Honorees & Presenting Companies
2019
| Freddie Beth Bayne The Upstagers Del Rio, Texas |
Daniel Sheehan The Walpole Footlighters Walpole, Massachusetts |
| Sharon Burum Duncan Little Theatre Duncan, Oklahoma |
Chuck Tweed Jewell Box Theatre Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
2018
Sue McCollum
Highlands Little Theatre
Sebring, FL
2017
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Reverend William Dunn Shannon Egbert John Hanlon |
Sabrina Switzer-Wareing Nancy Wollenburg |
2016
| Bonnie Cahill Butler Little Theater (BLT) Butler, PA |
John Hanlon Lincoln Community Playhouse (LCP) Lincoln, NE |
2015
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Sue Keenan Glenn Fournier |
Margie Bankert |
2014
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Benjamin Keegan Arnold Sheila Bourque |
Herbert Hemming Beth Marshall |
2013
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Robert "Rob" Babione Jerry Davis |
Claudia Mathes Melinda Worthington |
2012
| Jim Buckingham Lincoln County Community Theater Damariscotta, ME . Kevin Frazier-Jones Sock & Buskin Community Theatre Sidney, OH . Vivian K. Humphrey Triboro Youth Theatre, South Attleboro, MA . Aleta Grillot Looker Cheshire (CT) Community Theatre |
Colleen McGonegle Theatrix Command Costume Support Center Army Europe Entertainment . Doug Mishler Reno Little Theater, Reno, NV . Joan Sammons Theatre Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids, IA . Sally Skelding North End Players, Portland, OR |
2011
| Russ's Market Lincoln, NE . Rita Ford Wellesley (MA) Players . Cindy Healy, Tim Blount & Wanda Blount Newton (IA) Community Theatre . Don Mansfield Center Stage Jackson, MI |
Eeva Stromski Theatre at the Mount, Gardiner, MA . Frank Milder and Joel Soukkala County Seat Theater Company, Cloquet, MN . Bill Thorne Greater Lewisville (TX) Community Theater |
2010
| Kay Addison Laurens County Community Theatre, SC . Fred Brockwell The Upstagers, Del Rio, TX |
Karen Reisenauer Racine Theatre Guild, Racine, WI . Lorraine Tetlus Manatee Players, Bradenton, FL |
2009
| Anthony Batchelder, Tulsa, OK Heller Theatre, Tulsa, OK . Richard Gannon, Downers Grove, IL Grove Players, Downers Grove, IL . Betty Goettsch, Cedar Falls, IA Waterloo Community Playhouse Black Hawk Children's Theatre, Waterloo, IA . Carl G. (Gil) Haase, Schuyler, NE Nebraska Assn of Community Theatres (NACT), Saint Paul, NE |
Manatee Players Guild, Bradenton, FL Manatee Players, Bradenton, FL . Sandi & Bill Taylor, Longview, TX Arts View Children's Theatre, Longview, TX . Arthur Volmrich, Lake Placid, NY Community Theatre Players, Ray Brook, NY |
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2008 |
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| Patricia Beetschen The Children's Theatre, Inc. Dover, DE . Jean Gold The Middleburg Players, Inc. Middleburg, VA . George Mangold Racine Theatre Guild, Inc. Racine, WI . Jess Mark Tupelo Community Theatre Tupelo, MS . Donald Mummert Boise Little Theater Boise, ID |
André Bruce Ward Theatre Memphis Memphis, TN . Pat Ward The Red River Theater Company Ivanhoe, TX . Emily Westbrook Theatre of Northeastern Connecticut, Inc. Putnam, CT . Jan H. Wolfe El Paso Playhouse El Paso, TX |
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2007 |
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| City of Willow Park Weatherford Stage Performers, Weatherford, TX . Jessica Deeb Community Theatre Players, Ray Brook, NY . Joshua Erichsen The Players Guild Theatre Canton, OH . Harold Goldman Des Moines Community Playhouse /Kate Goldman Children's Theatre Des Moines, IA |
Barbara & Jim Poythress Weatherford Stage Performers Weatherford, TX . Julia Woodward Quincy Music Theatre Quincy, FL . Jon & Angela Wright Arts View Children's Theatre Longview, TX
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2006 |
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| Jeffrey Brown Chattanooga Theatre Centre Chattanooga, TN . Trish Davis The Hudson Players Hudson, OH . Michael Galloway Cadillac Footliters Cadillac, MI . Pat & Kim Gilligan CYT San Diego El Cajon, CA |
Lyn Joslyn The Hudson Players Hudson, OH . Jean Nicholas Cadillac Footliters Cadillac, MI . Shirley Tuzinowski Algonac Community Theatre Algonac, MI |
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2005 |
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| Charles & Madeleine Dionne The Majestic Theatre Manchester, NH . Larry, Debbie, P.J., & Melissa Louie The Children's Theatre Dover, DE |
Harry & Terri Moore The Children's Theatre, Inc. Dover, DE . CCX Trucking Company Chanooka Center Stage Theatre Company, Channahon, IL |
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2004 |
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| George Anne Bedford Art Park Players Deer Park, TX . Daven Edmonds Muhlenberg Community Theatre, Inc. Greenville, KY . George W. Kinsley, III Neshaminy Valley Music Theatre, Inc. Langhorne, PA |
Garth Stubbolo The Children's Theatre, Inc. Dover, DE . Carl Tenuta Pontiac Theatre IV Novi, MI
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2003 |
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| City of Winfield, Kansas Winfield Community Theatre, Winfield, KS |
B. J. Scott Camino Real Playhouse, San Juan Capistrano, CA |
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2002 |
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| Parents Of Desert Stages Theatre Ensuring Tomorrow Productions, Scottsdale, AZ . Debra Dieckman Flat River Community Players, Greenville, MI . Sally McFadden Green Earth Players, Luverne, MN |
Stacey Storey |
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2001 |
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| Fred & Mary Blish The Little Theatre of Manchester, CT . Bill Brown Villa Playhouse Theatre, Springville, UT . Irv Clark Stage West Community Playhouse, Spring Hill, FL . Betty J. Coleman Butterfield Stage, Gainesville, TX . Walter Edwards Fredericksburg Theater Company, Fredericksburg, TX . Wesley College The Children's Theatre, Inc. Dover, DE . Yvonne Pinkerton Venice Theatre, Venice, FL |
Barbara Polka The Trinity Players Inc., Weaverville, CA . Chuck Ross River City Players, Cape Girardeau, MO . Jamie Sanders Shreveport Little Theatre, Shreveport, LA . Robert D. Sandmaier Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, Fort Wayne, IN . Patricia Schuman Fredericksburg Theater Company Fredericksburg, TX . Velvet Sponaugle The Children's Theatre, Dover, DE . Sig Stock Stage West Community Playhouse, Spring Hill, FL . Dr. Thomas Vaughan The Children's Theatre, Dover, DE |
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2000 |
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Aloha Airlines Margaret M. Cahill Robert "Bob" Child |
John Igo S.T.A.G.E., Inc., Bulverde, TX . PJ Searsy Waxahachie Community Theatre, Waxahachie, TX . Guy Thrift - Minuteman Press Tapestry Theatre Company Alexandria, VA . Lorraine Wagner Fort Lauderdale Players, Fort Lauderdale, FL . Jeffrey Williams Theatre at the Mount, Gardner, MA |
