Callboard

www.tanys.org Callboard - Volume XX • Issue 2 • Fall 2023 Page 14 AACT REPORT Live in Louisville, AACT Fest 2023: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow was an incredible theatrical experience. Coming from me, a NYC "brat" (as a TANYS member affectionately called me), this is remarkable praise. One may think of a theatre Festival as just plays, but this was so much more. Greeting old friends and making new ones was just the beginning. Common interests were discussed in many of the workshops, ranging from management, technical and artistic to development of new theatre programs. Emphasis was also on networking with companies in other regions. An integral part of the Festival was the third national AACT YouthFest. Five youth theatre companies were invited to perform, serving as examples of the future of community theatre. This was made possible in part by a grant from the Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation. The AACT Board of Directors discussed the participation of these groups and their significance to the future of theatre and an introduction to the work and future of AACT. For additional information contact Chad-Alan Carr at Chad@GettysburgCommunityTheatre.org President Karen Quinn encouraged members to, “Go to everything, talk to everyone, visit some of Louisville---you can sleep when you go back to the real world. These are your people and you have been away from them for too long.” She is already looking ahead to AACTFest 2025 in Des Moines, Iowa. There’s so much available from AACT today. Just consider the opportunities for playwrights. Although many theatres have new play contests, few produce winning scripts and talk to other theatres about them. So how do playwrights get their work produced and published? One answer is AACT NewPlayFest, a national new play festival that takes place over a two-year period. Unlike AACTFest, productions don’t have to travel. Scripts that make it to the final round of consideration will be submitted to Producing Theatres, which will select the winning shows to produce in their local communities. AACT then spreads the work with nationwide promotion, and the winning plays are published in an anthology by Dramatic Publishing Company. You can see a list of the winning plays for NewPlayFest 2024 on the AACT website. Contact David A. VanCleave, NewPlayFest Dramaturg for additional information at David@aact.org. And more!! Check out AACT's workshops, seminars and updates about all areas of starting a theatre, producing, governance, networking and fundraising. Our Script Club offers, every other month, a collaborative conversation with peers about the selected script. You will learn more about titles trending with community theatres and network with other organizations producing the show. Also, check out the National Directors Conference this November in San Antonio. This biennial conference is held for individuals employed full-time in an administrative or artistic position in a community theatre organization. For details, email info@aact.org. If you are not a member of AACT, after all you have read, consider these member benefits: • 20% off MTI rental packages. If you do 5 MTI shows in a season, you get 20% off 4 shows and the 5th is free. • 30% off ASCAP license. If you are up for renewal, you can renew with AACT during the online renewal process. Renew by Sept.19th to avoid a $25 late fee. • AACT members save 5% off their BMI license. If you renew both BMI and ASCAP during the renewal process you save an additional 5%. • Access to networking. • Membership plans are flexible if you need to work out a payment plan. You do not need to be a member of a state or regional organization to join AACT. Check out additional benefits at AACT.org/ benefits-membership or contact Karen at karen@aact. org. Hope to see you at the TANYS Festival. Frances Ruoff AACT Region II Representative TANYS President Elect