AACT Fest 2025 region iii

What is AACTFest?

AACTFest is a festival sponsored by the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT).

AACTFest presents a forum for community theaters to enter productions for adjudication and advancement from the state level to the regional level and finally, to the national level.

This festival not only uplifts the theatres that participate, but it also provides a motivating space for our organizations to be challenged and create new ideas, ultimately aiding in the continuous success of the arts in our communities.

What are the rules?

Each competing team will have a 10×10 foot box on the stage. In each box is everything that can be used for a show – set, props and costumes. A signal is given, and the first show is off and running. Actors and production crew hustle to set up their show in exactly 10 minutes – because that’s when their show must begin. Each team’s show must be no longer than 60 minutes. They then have exactly 10 minutes to put it all back in their box and leave the stage.

What will the festival look like?

Competing teams will be the top winners from each of the state competitions in Region III. The region includes, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

After competition Friday night an informal gathering will take place at nearby with casual food and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages. Registrants will get the opportunity to chat with each other and celebrate the first round of performances.

Saturday will feature the big After Glow party in the studio theater, where we will celebrate the final day of performances and conclusion of AACTFest.

Sunday morning, before the festival finally ends, we will all meet back at the studio theater one last time for a casual breakfast and awards ceremony, where the professional adjudicators will present the winners of each category.

I’m Interested…What Form Do I fill Out?

If you are part of a group that is competing and representing your community theatre, the group’s leader must fill out Group Registration. Group registration covers the competition fees of 8 people. If your competing group has over 8 people, you must complete an Individual Registration for every person over 8.

If you are not competing but would like to attend AACTFest, or if your competing group has over 8 people, then you need to fill out the Individual Registration.

Both registrations grant you full festival attendance, admission to all performance sessions, Friday and Saturday festival receptions, and Sunday Awards Brunch.

ALL COMPETING TEAMS MUST READ THE 2025 AACTFEST Handbook TO ENSURE ALL RULES ARE FOLLOWED. Failure to comply with festival rules and requirements will be grounds for disqualification.

*The tentative schedule is below, however, it is subject to change if needed.

Group Registration Times:

Friday:  7am-4:30pm

Saturday:  7am-11am

Awards Brunch:  Sunday, 10am - Studio Theater

David R. Kilpatrick, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Des Moines Community Playhouse

David is the executive director of The Des Moines Community Playhouse. Prior he as the executive director of La Crosse Community Theatre and The Old Creamery Theatre. In addition to business, David is also very experienced on the show side of the industry.

His has directed musicals (All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914; Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Newsies, Catch Me If You Can and Titanic to name a few), and straight plays, (Murder on the Orient Express, Weekend Comedy and Boeing Boeing). David’s career has also included owner of a dinner theatre, lighting designer and production manager and stage manager. David has enjoyed working for theatres in such diverse communities as Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Virginia, Georgia, California, and Upstate New York. His education includes degrees from George Mason University, Missouri State and University of Missouri, where his dissertation was the exploration of the audience preparing for the show.

Annette G Procunier

Since 1984 Annette has adjudicated more than 200 festivals in the United States, Canada, Europe, Ireland, and Japan She is the only person to have adjudicated AACTFest four times. Annette's work as an adjudicator earned her the distinction of Fellow of AACT and she is the author of a book on adjudication “Do You See What I See?” Annette has also been presented with the Mort Clark International Achievement Award and is a TNT Spotlight Award recipient.

Besides her work as an adjudicator Annette is an award winning director having worked for 18 different theatre companies across Canada and in the United States. She provides workshops in directing, acting, play writing and stage management as well as adjudication.

Annette helped to found two professional theatres in Canada and has served on the boards of theatre and opera companies as well as Theatre Canada and NARA. She has represented Canada at the IATA congress in Monaco and is the only North American to have been invited to adjudicate the Mondial.

In the last 15 years Annette has worked extensively with new playwrights on script

development and has been a judge in several new play competitions. After 50 years working in community, educational and professional theatre it still remains her passion.

Ron Ziegler

Ron resides in North Port, FL and retired from his position as Festivals Coordinator for the American Association of Community Theatre after a 40+ year theatre career. Following the receipt of his Master’s degree from the University of South Dakota, he served on staff at Waukesha (WI) Civic Theatre, Sioux Falls (SD) Community Playhouse, Orlando (FL) Repertory Theatre and the Des Moines (IA) Playhouse as Associate Director where he was the first Artistic/Managing Director for the Kate Goldman Children's Theatre.

While in Des Moines, he founded and managed the Iowa Fringe Festival. He is a past Member-at-Large, Treasurer and President of the American Association of Community Theatre, was named an AACT Fellow, and joined the AACT Staff as Field Services Director in 2009. Ron has adjudicated state and regional theatre festivals across the US and abroad, including the 2007 AACTFest in Charlotte, NC. He has directed for theatres in Iowa, South Dakota, Kentucky, Florida and Germany. Ron and his spouse Kathy Pingel were awarded the 2015-16 Cloris Leachman Award for Outstanding Direction for their co-direction of Des Moines Young Artists Theatre's production of The Hobbit, and co-directed Peter and the Starcatcher and Girls' Weekend for Ansbach Terrace Playhouse in Germany. Ron’s Venice (FL) Theatre production of David Harrower’s Blackbird appeared at AACTWorldFest in June 2022. In 2023, Ron was awarded the Art Cole Lifetime of Leadership award from the American Association of Community Theatre.