Jack K Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation

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With heartfelt gratitude, we recognize the immense support the Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation provides to AACT. Their unwavering dedication has helped bring new, imaginative works to the stage and made meaningful educational initiatives possible. AACT is deeply thankful for their contributions, which allow us to grow and strengthen the theatre community across the nation.

The Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation’s partnership with AACT enables innovative programming and empowers new voices in theatre:

• AACT NewPlayFest: As a major supporter of AACT’s NewPlayFest, the foundation champions the creation and production of original plays. This festival provides playwrights with opportunities to see their works staged, expanding community theatre repertoires and enriching audiences nationwide.

• AACT YouthFest: The foundation also sponsors AACT YouthFest, a vibrant festival showcasing performances by youth theatre companies. With adjudicated performances, interactive workshops, and inspirational activities, YouthFest fosters a love for theatre among young participants and encourages the next generation of theatre artists.

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The foundation was established to honor the legacies of Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee, lifelong friends and cousins who shared a deep love for theatre and creative expression. The cousins’ bond was rooted in humor, a love of language, and a passion for the arts, even as they lived on opposite sides of the country. They kept in close contact through letters filled with wit, creativity, and an irreverent spirit.

Jack celebrated his 90th birthday shortly before his passing in 2011, singing alongside a barbershop quartet—a favorite pastime—while celebrating with Frank by his side. Throughout his life, Jack was involved in theatre, from his university days at Drew University in New Jersey to community theatre productions in Connecticut and California. Frank, too, shared a devotion to theatre, even adapting The Jungle Book for children’s theatre and penning a comedic piece, McSteg, which humorously teased his cousin Jack with a playful nod to Macbeth.

After Frank’s passing in 2012, his children created the Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation to honor both men’s contributions to the arts. As a lasting legacy, the foundation promotes new works for theatre through AACT NewPlayFest, bringing their shared dream of creative, community-driven theatre to life.