Theatre Memphis to Receive National Theatre Award

Theatre Memphis of Memphis, Tennessee, is being honored with the Diamond Crown Organizational Award by the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT).

The 2020 and 2021 AACT National Award presentations will be pre-recorded and streamed during Virtual AACTFest 2021 National Theatre Festival, Saturday, June 19, beginning at 11:45AM (Eastern). To view the AACT National Awards presentations and participate in other exciting Virtual AACTFest 2021 events during June 14-20, 2021, register at www.aact.org/21.

The AACT Diamond Crown Organizational Award recognizes longevity and vitality of AACT member theatres that have expanded programming and/or facilities in the past ten years and have the administrative leadership to remain vital to their communities for the next ten years.

Recipients must have been in continuous operation for seventy-five years. Visit aact.org/awards for information on all AACT National Awards, 2020 AACT Award winners, and previous honorees.

Theatre Memphis will celebrate its 100th anniversary of continuous operation with the 2021-2022 season. Emphasizing consistent artistic excellence, strong leadership, and financial stability, the theatre's long-range strategic plan is focused on meeting current and future programming, as well as facility needs. As a charter member of AACT, Theatre Memphis was the winner of the AACT International Festival in 1974 and hosted the national AACTFest in 1991. In January 2020, Theatre Memphis was named Best Community Theater by Regional Broadway World. Executive Producer Debbie Litch and her staff of 15 average 10 years with the company, and shepherd the 700 volunteers supporting the theatre's expanding activities. Board President Dabney Coors says, "Our mission - to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences, participants, and diverse community-has led to record-breaking ticket sales and attendance, as well as an outreach program that reaches up to 30,000 under-served students through theater education, playwriting, and productions."

AACT provides networking, resources, and support for America's theatres. AACT represents the interests of more than 7,000 theatres across the United States and its territories, as well as theatre companies with the U.S. Military Services overseas.