Spotlight Awards
Presented for local service to community theatre
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.
Current Honoree
Joy Wood (Spokane, Washington)
Joy was honored with an AACT Spotlight Award as a reflection of her huge presence in the Spokane area since her arrival there in 2019. Stepping into the General Manager position at Stage Left Theater in February of 2020, she faced huge challenges as Covid-19 shuttered venues worldwide. Her tenacity and passion brought in grants that helped support the company through the shutdown. She then helped transform the theatre into an on-demand streamed production site, facilitated new ticketing systems, gathered small but talented groups of performers and directors, and steered the remodeling of the small venue. A proud member of AACT, Joy’s work at Stage Left Theater helped it earn the AACT 2022 Twink Lynch Organizational Achievement Award. Her colleagues say that Joy has been instrumental in keeping theatre alive in the Spokane area. In fact, she recently began a new company in Spokane, the Lilac City Dinner Theater. The buzz around this new venture is palpable, friends say, and Lilac City Dinner Theater is well on its way to becoming a 501(c)3 in Washington State.
2022
- Dr. Roseanna Whitlow Greenwood
The River City Players, Cape Girardeau, Missouri - U.S. Army IMCOM Europe Entertainment Staff
Sembach, Germany, - Mary Sue Weeks
Lincoln County Community Theater, Damariscotta, Maine
2021
- SGT. Martin Sinlao and Alphonso (Al) Ortiz
Soldiers' Theatre, Vicenza, Italy
2020
- Rebecca Donner
Halifax County Little Theatre, South Boston, Virginia - Diane Hanisch
Arts for Life, St. Louis, Missouri
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
- Reverend William Dunn
A Repertory Theatre (ART), Banning, CA - Shannon Egbert
SHAPE Performing Arts Centre, Mons, Belgium - John Hanlon
Lincoln Community Playhous, Lincoln, NE - Sabrina Switzer-Wareing
A Repertory Theatre (ART), Banning, CA - Nancy Wollenburg
Billings Studio Theatre, Billings, MT
2016
- Bonnie Cahill
Butler Little Theater (BLT), Butler, PA - John Hanlon
Lincoln Community Playhouse (LCP), Lincoln, NE
2015
- Sue Keenan
Village Theatre Guild, Glen Ellyn, IL - Glenn Fournier
Mansfield Music and Arts Society (MMAS) Black Box Theater, Mansfield, MA - Margie Bankert
Sue and Gary Collar
Ron Lockwood
Butler Little Theatre, Butler, PA
2014
- Benjamin Keegan Arnold
Lakeside Community Theatre, The Colony, TX - Sheila Bourque
Kirk Players, Mundelein, IL - Herbert Hemming
Ojai Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA - Beth Marshall
Theatre Arlington, Arlington, TX
2013
- Robert "Rob" Babione
Curtain Call Theatre, (CCT), Montgomery, MN - Jerry Davis
Crittenden Fine Arts Center, West Memphis, AR
ASAP & Carousel Theater Workshops for Seniors, Hot Springs, AR - Claudia Mathes
Albuquerque Theatre Guild, Albuquerque, NM - Melinda Worthington
Newton Community Theatre, Newton, IA
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
Arts View Children's Theatre, Longview, TX - Arthur Volmrich, Lake Placid, NY
Community Theatre Players, Ray Brook, NY
2008
- 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
2007
- 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
2006
- 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
2005
- 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
2004
- 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
2003
- City of Winfield, Kansas
Winfield Community Theatre, Winfield, KS - B. J. Scott
Camino Real Playhouse, San Juan Capistrano, CA
2002
- 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
River City Players Cape Girardeau, MO - Russ Williams
Waco Civic Theatre, Waco, TX
2001
- 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
2000
- Aloha Airlines
Hawaii State Theatre Council Kamuela, HI - Mary Ann Baures
La Crosse Community Theatre La Crosse, WI - Lillian Baxter
Runaway Stage Productions, Elk Grove, CA - Gordon Becker, Creative Financial Planning
Cabrillo Music Theatre, Agoura, CA - Margaret M. Cahill
The Butler Little Theatre, Butler, PA - Robert "Bob" Child
Stage West Community Playhouse, Spring Hill, FL - 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