AACT Fellows for 2009                    [AACT Fellows elected in previous years]

• The designation “AACT Fellow” is bestowed for life upon those members of AACT “who over a period of years have contributed significantly to the idea and ideal of community theatre.” 

• Nomination and election to this select group is the responsibility of the current Fellow membership.

• Awards are presented in odd years, with 2009 being the most recent.

Murray Chase Venice, FL

Murray Chase has been the Executive/ Artistic Director of Venice (FL) Theatre for 13 1/2 years. Venice Theatre (VT) has grown from a budget of $450K in 1995 to $2.4 million today. VT offers more than 500 performances annually, with 27 fully-realized productions, plus multiple education and outreach projects. Murray is experienced with community theatre festivals, having entered 17 state festivals in the past 20 years. His entries have garnered top awards at six state and three regional festivals and have represented Region IV twice at national AACTFests. Murray is a Member at Large on the AACT Board and currently serves on the Festival Commission and as an AACT Endowment Trustee. He has served as Community Theatre Festival Chair and Division Chair for the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Murray has been honored with the Distinguished Career Award from the Florida Theatre Conference and the Arts Leadership Award from the Sarasota County Arts Council.

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Mary Doveton Lawrence, KS

Mary Doveton is a founder and Executive Director of the Lawrence (KS) Community Theatre, growing it from $500 to a budget of almost half a million. She taught theatre from the elementary to university levels, and has produced and directed hundreds of shows. Mary has judged state and regional festivals, and served as a 2007 national AACTFest adjudicator. Mary was Treasurer of the AACT Board (1994-97), initiating its computerization, and as Vice President for Education (2000-04) helped organize the first artistic directors conference. She has served on the AACT Awards, Finance, and Workshop Committees, and continues on the Education Committee. Mary has served on grant review panels for the Kansas Arts Commission (KAC) and the Nebraska Arts Council and is a KAC Regional Mentor for the Kansas Arts Network. She was on the Board of the Kansas Alliance for Arts Education and President of the Association of Kansas Theatre.

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Annette Procunier Ontario, Canada

Annette G. Procunier has been involved in theatre of one form or another since her typical debut in "the high school play" some 40 years ago. Her love of theatre encompasses all genres, but opera is decidedly her special love. She has served on the boards of numerous professional companies and amateur theatres, as well as provincial and national theatre organizations. An award-winning director, Annette is in great demand as adjudicator in her native Canada, throughout Europe, Ireland, Japan, and the United States. She has to date adjudicated over 100 festivals, including the prestigious IATA World Festivals in Monaco and Halifax, Canada, and twice at the national festival of AACTFest. Annette's workshops on adjudication have led to many requests for a book on the subject, which she is presently writing in anticipation of a 2010 publication. Her company, Theatre Thoughts Ltd. provides strategic planning and board development sessions for nonprofit organizations, particularly theatres.

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Carole Ries Topeka, KS

Carole Ries has served the Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy as President & CEO since August 1999, She spent ten years as Executive Director of the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre and over sixteen years with Theatre Memphis. Her love is theatre - whether it is management, acting, directing, or producing. She's worked backstage as stage manager and in just about every other volunteer job. She has acted in or directed over ninety plays. Carole currently serves as Vice President for Public Relations of AACT. She has led the effort to develop a new brand for AACT, working closely with the Marketing Committee. Carole has served as Chair of the Children's Theatre Division of the Florida Theatre Conference (FTC) and the Southeastern Theatre Conference and received the FTC Distinguished Service Award. Since moving to Kansas, Carole has worked to revive the Association of Kansas Theatre (AKT) serving as its president.
 

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2007

   Morrie Enders (Kalamazoo, MI)

   Linda Lee (Fort Worth, TX)

   Kathie Maldonado (Alto, NM)

   Jim Sohre (US Army, Heidelberg, Germany)

2005
    Joanne Berry (Bay City MI)
    Bill Muchow (Minneapolis, MN)
    Hal Robinson (Royal Oak, MI)

2003
    Mary Britt (Ocala, FL)
    Jill Patchin (Grand Rapids, MI)
    Jack Phillips (Western Springs, IL)
    John Sullivan (Sioux City, IA)
    John Wills (Spokane, WA)

2001
    Rod McCullough (Lancaster, PA)
    Donna Norberg (Minneapolis, MN)
    Stephen Peithman (Davis, CA)

1999
    Harv Thompson (Madison, WI)

1998
    Jimmy Vaughn (Oklahoma City, OK)
    Norm McPhee (Racine, WI)

1997
    Mimi Gregg (Haines, AK)
    Sandra Karnack (Minot, ND)
    Shirley Cockrell (Oneida, NY)

1996
    Julie Angelo (College Station, TX)
    Michael Fortner (Memphis, TN)
    Norm Small (Winter Haven, FL)

1995
    Ron Ziegler (Des Moines. IA)
    Don Bachmann (Midland, TX)

1994
    Jon Kerkhoff (Omaha, NE)
    Marilyn Pool Allen (Midland, TX)

1993
    Frank Peot (Sun Prairie, WI)
    Angus MacPherson (Palm Beach, FL)

1992
    Betty Wills (Spokane, WA)
    John Viars (Des Moines, IA)

1991
    JoAnne Nissen (Racine, WI)
    Enid Holm (Odessa, TX)

1990
    Ginny Winsor (Omaha, NE)
    Al and Elise King (Clinton, IA)
    Ross Rowland (Muncie, IN)

1989
    Charles Chesnut (Chappaqua, NY)
    Merle Loppnow (Minneapolis, MN)

1988
    James Carver (Kalamazoo, MI)

1987
    Bea Miller (Memphis, TN)

1985
    Charles Jones (Omaha, NE)
    Kay Smith (Stockton, CA)
    Sherwood Lohrey (Memphis, TN)
    Twink Lynch (Topeka, KS)

1984
    Betty Tomlinson (Spokane, WA)

1983    
    David Gooder (Downers Grove, IL)
    Shirley Harbin (Detroit, MI)
    Jean Hoffman (Wilmington, DE)

1982    
    Richard Fliehr  (Edina, MN)
    Alfred E. Rickert (Oswego, NY)

1981
    Virginia Kirshner (Concord, MA)

1980
    John Wray Young (Shreveport, LA)
    Mort Clark (North White Plains, NY)
    Charles Stilwill (Waterloo, IA)
    Ethel C. Brett (New Orleans, LA)

1979    
    Jim Cavanaugh (Mt. Holyoke, MA)
    John Wilson (Lincoln, NE)
    David Young (Washington, DC)
    Robert Gard (Madison, WI)

1978  Founding Fellows:
    David Bryant (Sheyboygan, WI)
    Art Cole (Midland, TX)
    Kay Fliehr (Edina, MN)
    Howard Orms (Springfield, MO)
    Jules Irving (Holyoke, MN)
    Dorm Richardson (Columbus, OH)
    Jeanne Adams Wray (Stillwater, OK)
    Robert Telford (Tulsa, OK)
    Walter Jensen (Corpus Christi, TX)
    Norman Nadel (Staten Island, NY)