Spring 2024
The State of Community Theatre Today; National Directors Conference; Virtual Community Theatre Management Conference (CTMC); The Penguin Project Celebrates 20 Years of Producing Magic; The AACT Advantage; ‘Telling Real Truths’— The Adjudicator’s Art; Member Hub - Ten Fifteen Productions; Advocacy Matters; AACT Milestone Anniversaries; AACT Century Club; The Resource Center.
The State of Community Theatre Today; National Directors Conference; Virtual Community Theatre Management Conference (CTMC); The Penguin Project Celebrates 20 Years of Producing Magic; The AACT Advantage; ‘Telling Real Truths’— The Adjudicator’s Art; Member Hub - Ten Fifteen Productions; Advocacy Matters; AACT Milestone Anniversaries; AACT Century Club; The Resource Center.
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United States Army Garrison (USAG) Ansbach soldiers, CW5 Mark Duplessie (left) as Smee, CPT Andrew Tehvand (right) as Captain Hook, and civilians in<br />
the cast rehearse Peter Pan JR at Terrace Playhouse in Ansbach, Germany<br />
For many, the idea of the US Army not only founding, but<br />
continuing to support and fund a community theatre program<br />
seems incongruous. However, the word “community” is the vital<br />
concept at the heart of our program. I’d only worked in few<br />
community theatres in my career, but after working with Army<br />
Entertainment, I have come to understand what “community”<br />
theatre means and why it’s of vital importance.<br />
and ground-breaking programming. Army Entertainment’s history<br />
is full of world and European premieres, Tony Award-winners,<br />
and launching professional performing careers.. However,<br />
it is the “community” the Army Europe Entertainment creates<br />
that is the most meaningful to me and my colleagues. It is what<br />
we are most proud of and where we have the greatest impact.<br />
The US Army actually has a long history of theatre, music,<br />
and entertainment. “Soldiers entertaining soldiers” is an idea<br />
dating back to the Revolutionary War and campfire songs. Even<br />
then the Army was aware of the importance of community—<br />
especially to those serving their nation far from home. Army<br />
Entertainment provides soldiers, civilians, and their families the<br />
chance to enjoy and be part of a show. More importantly, it offers<br />
them the much-needed sense of community.<br />
As we know, being part of a show, whether onstage or backstage,<br />
creates an instant family of friends, and this has greatly<br />
benefitted soldiers and their families. They tell us that the Army<br />
Entertainment program not only gave them a sense of family<br />
and home, but was often vital in their recovery from mental<br />
stress, physical injury, PTSD, and other impacts of being a fighting<br />
soldier.<br />
Over the years, the Army Entertainment professionals have<br />
not only brought community theatre to foreign lands, but also<br />
maintained a high-level of professionalism, innovative theatre,<br />
<strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2024</strong> 35
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