Public Affairs
USAG Stuttgart
The Stuttgart Theatre Center’s production of Ray Bradbury’s “Kaleidoscope” will be the AACT Region X entry to the 2019 American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) National Festival in Gettysburg, PA, June 17-22.
AACTFest is held every two years with theaters from every US state and overseas theaters participating. One other US Army IMCOM Europe Entertainment program, Ansbach Youth Theater, will also participate in the national festival. Army Entertainment shows have competed at the national festival since 1999, winning several awards. The AACT
“Kaleidoscope” was directed by Tracy Coffey and includes two active duty service members. It was selected as best show at the annual US Army One Act Play Festival held in October. The play is about a spacecraft crew experiencing a catastrophic explosion aboard their ship that sends them cast into space in separate directions, communicating with one another by radio. There were supposed to be two Stuttgart performances, Jan. 11 and 12, followed by a discussion between the audience, Coffey and the cast, and a reception. However, a severe winter storm, Friday, Jan. 11, forced everything in the garrison footprint to be cancelled, including the play. The Saturday performance went as scheduled.
AACT provided some funding to help finance the cast members travel to and participation in the National Festival. The theaters also raised additional
funds and some participants are paying their own way to the festival.
Army Entertainment has been part of AACT since 1997. Army Entertainment represents the US Army in this national organization. Membership in AACT
provides Army Entertainment professional-level accreditation; a voice in the national theater community; theatrical resources; and educational and
learning resources. AACT offers free membership to active duty military members.
(Editor’s note: Some of the information for this article was provided by Recreation/G9, IMCOM-Europe.)