Community Theatre Association of Michigan...
8
HELPING COMMUNITY THEATRE THRIVE IN MICHIGAN FOR 65 YEARS! June 2015 CALLBOARD Community Theatre Association of Michigan I t’s the old chicken-and-the-egg conun- drum: What comes first? Excellent shows that will attract the patrons/ money … or lots of money to help put on excellent productions? CTAM is offering a partial solution to each of these questions at our annual Summer Master Class July 17-19 on Higgins Lake. The sessions consist of 15 hours of targeted instruction. Both Sides Now: Acting and Directing This session, led by Michael Schacherbauer , will focus on both acting and directing. The class will examine several topics, such as audition/casting, script analysis, character development, rehearsal scheduling, organization plan, blocking, staging and evalua- tions. The whole group will be working together, allowing class members to relate the topic to their main focus. In addition, class members will be working on small scenes in groups. Some class time will be devoted to scene prepa- ration and “performance,” followed by evalua- tion. Michael has worked in community theatre for 37 years and has acted in or directed more than 100 productions. He is involved with Lansing’s Riverwalk Theatre and serves on their Board. Fundraising and Development Betsy Willis will conduct this class providing an overview of how to successfully raise funds, find grant opportunities in Michigan, and learn some grant-writing tips, including effective Don’t miss out on this opportunity! Master Classes on Acting/Directing and Development to be offered July 17-19 at Higgins Lake Weekend budget preparation. The class will include in- formation of value to organizations with budg- ets of $20,000 or $1,000,000 and those in be- tween. Information will be presented in an in- teractive environment, with time provided for networking. Some specific topics will include fundraising principles and techniques, building an annual sustainability campaign, the role of corporate sponsors, securing MCACA grants, becoming part of the Cultural Data Project (required for many grants), and finding granting agencies and foundation. Betsy joined the staff of Traverse City’s Old Town Playhouse in July 2010 as their Development Direc- tor. Prior to moving to Traverse City, she lived in Petoskey where she worked with the Little Traverse Civic Thea- tre, first as a volunteer and later as their man- aging director. Registration Details The Master Classes will be held at the Ralph A. MacMullen Conference Center on Higgins Lake the weekend of July 17 – 19, 2015. The rate for the lodging/meal package at MacMullen is $206 for one person in a bedroom and $166 per person in a shared room. This includes two nights’ lodging and five meals. The registration fee for the class is $65 for individual CTAM members and $75 for those who are not indi- vidual CTAM members. (There are scholarship dollars available for registration; please see ar- ticle on Page 7.) Registration deadline is July 3; go to the CTAM web site to register.
Transcript of Community Theatre Association of Michigan...
HELPING COMMUNITY THEATRE THRIVE IN MICHIGAN FOR 65 YEARS
June 2015
CALLBOARD Community Theatre Association of Michigan
I trsquos the old chicken-and-the-egg conun-drum What comes first Excellent shows that will attract the patronsmoney hellip or lots of money to help put
on excellent productions
CTAM is offering a partial solution to each of these questions at our annual Summer Master Class July 17-19 on Higgins Lake The sessions
consist of 15 hours of targeted instruction
Both Sides Now Acting and Directing
This session led by Michael Schacherbauer will focus on both acting and directing The class will examine several topics such as auditioncasting script analysis character development rehearsal scheduling organization plan blocking staging and evalua-tions The whole group will be working together allowing class members to relate the topic to their main focus In addition class members will be working on small scenes in groups
Some class time will be devoted to scene prepa-ration and ldquoperformancerdquo followed by evalua-
tion
Michael has worked in community theatre for 37 years and has acted in or directed more than 100 productions He is involved with Lansingrsquos Riverwalk Theatre and serves on
their Board
Fundraising and Development
Betsy Willis will conduct this class providing an overview of how to successfully raise funds find grant opportunities in Michigan and learn some grant-writing tips including effective
Donrsquot miss out on this opportunity
Master Classes on ActingDirecting and Development to be offered July 17-19 at Higgins Lake Weekend
budget preparation The class will include in-formation of value to organizations with budg-ets of $20000 or $1000000 and those in be-tween Information will be presented in an in-teractive environment with time provided for
networking Some specific topics will include fundraising principles and techniques building an annual sustainability campaign the role of corporate sponsors securing MCACA grants
becoming part of the Cultural Data Project (required for many grants) and finding granting
agencies and foundation
Betsy joined the staff of Traverse Cityrsquos Old Town Playhouse in July 2010 as their Development Direc-tor Prior to moving to Traverse City she lived in Petoskey where
she worked with the Little Traverse Civic Thea-tre first as a volunteer and later as their man-
aging director
Registration Details
The Master Classes will be held at the Ralph A MacMullen Conference Center on Higgins Lake the weekend of July 17 ndash 19 2015 The rate for the lodgingmeal package at MacMullen is $206 for one person in a bedroom and $166 per person in a shared room This includes two nightsrsquo lodging and five meals The registration fee for the class is $65 for individual CTAM members and $75 for those who are not indi-vidual CTAM members (There are scholarship dollars available for registration please see ar-ticle on Page 7) Registration deadline is July 3
go to the CTAM web site to register
2012-2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President - Mary Lou Britton Grosse Pointe Theatre mellbeeearthlinknet
Vice President - Michael Schacherbauer Riverwalk Theatre Lansing
mikie72252yahoocom
Secretary - Betsy Willis Old Town Playhouse Traverse City
betsyoldtownplayhousecom
Treasurer - Christy Frick Gratiot County Players cfrick9898charternet
At-Large Members of the Board Kevin Arnett kwarnettattnet
Joanne Berry jmberryjmaolcom Bay City Players
Kristen Chesak kchesakkazoociviccom Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
Sarah Willis willisaramailgvsuedu All of Us Express Childrenrsquos Theatre
Suzan Witt infowitzendco
Tawas Bay Players
Executive Secretary Nancy Peska peskacmsinternet
Gratiot County Players
Callboard Staff
Editor Mary Lou Britton Contributors Members of the Board
This is the official newsletter of the Community Theatre Associa-tion of Michigan issued monthly to all group and individual mem-bers with e-mail addresses on record Distribution is by e-mail with a link to the newsletter on the association website Back issues are available on the association website at wwwcommunitiytheatreorg Correspondence to the Callboard should be sent to the Editor at mellbeeearthlinknet
Productions and dates should be sent to the Editor
Short informational articles are accepted and will be used
on a space-available basis
Show photos should be carefully selected and sent to the
Editor along with identifying caption and permission from
photographer for us to publish said photo
Updated e-mail and postal addresses are maintained by the Executive Secretary Nancy Peska and should be sent to her at peskacmsinternet
Affiliated with American Association of
Community Theatre
The Prez Sezhellip The renewal notices for your 2015-16 membership will be going out soon and we urge you to pay them as soon as possible hellip surely before the Fall Conference so that your delegate can
vote at the Annual Meeting
New on the form this year is a line requesting the name and e-mail address for your delegates (Each group is allowed two delegates generally the Presi-dent and one appointed person to act as liaison to CTAM) New duties and privileges are being assigned to this position so please select this person care-
fully
The difficulty CTAM has is in communicating in any way with the members of the individual groups Sev-
eral groups forward the CTAM newsletter to all their members as a benefit of membership perhaps that
is something you might want to consider
We recognize that asking members for dues and re-newals is difficult and we find ourselves in that posi-tion right now Fortunately CTAM has a consider-able list of programs and services that make mem-bership worthwhile Annual conferences alternating spring festival or conference playwriting contest summer Master Classes workshops newsletter ac-creditation resource-sharing and networking and
many friendships
Now is the time to join mdash as a Michigan theater group mdash or as an individual and make CTAM even
stronger 65 years down and 66 coming up
Mary Lou Britton
June 22-28 2015 National AACTFest Hosted by Grand Rapids Civic
June 25 2015 CTAM Board meeting Contact Exec Secretary for time and location
July 1 2015 Deadline for Award nominations
July 1 2015 Deadline for nominations for Board election at Annual Meeting
July 17-19 2015 Summer Master Classes MacMullen Conference Center Higgins Lake
September 25-27 2015 Fall Conference Evergreen Resort Cadillac
CTAM Calendar of Events
2
Have you made your hotel reservation Have you registered What a great year this has been for theatre in Michigan Starting first in Owosso then traveling to Midland and now we are looking forward to seeing all of our Michi-gan theatre friends in Grand Rapids June 23-
27 for National AACT Festival
The workshops the performances the net-workinghellip itrsquos all coming into place and we are
getting excited Amway Grand Plaza hotel is the host hotel which is only 3 blocks away from the theatre Make your reservation online by
going to wwwaactorg and clicking on hotel
Make sure to use the AACT rate
The ShowsAward package includes ticket to all six AACTFest performances session and the Awards Evening on Saturday night with pre-awards reception and awards at Civic and des-sert reception at the Amway ($160) Or you can purchase just the All Shows package to see all six performance sessions for $100 Maybe you just want to come hang out with us and come to the Awards gala for $65 There is something for everyone so head over to
wwwaactorg and check out all of your op-tions for registration Just want to come see one performances session ndash you can do that do by getting individual performance tickets at
wwwgrctorg
Hotel information
httpsreswebpasskeycomgoAACT2015 or call (800) 253-3590 to reserve at the AACTFest
rate
Register
h t t p w w w a a c t 2 o r g e v e n t s
event_detailsaspid=336823ampgroup=
Many thanks to Grand Rapids Civic Theatre for hosting this prestigious event and for repre-
senting Michigan to all our national guests
Region I - Warner Theatre Torrington CT Winter Flowers
Region II - Black Sheep Theatre Rochester NY Feeding the Moon Fish
Region III - Elkhart Civic Theatre Bristol Indiana The 39 Steps
Kokomo Civic Theatre (Indiana) Freudrsquos Last Session
Region IV - Theatre Albany (Georgia) The Lady of Larkspur Lotion
Tupelo Civic Theatre (Mississippi) Lone Star
Region V - Fungus Among Us Players Dassel-Cokato MN The Romancers
Region VI - Lantern Theatre Conway Arkansas God of Carnage
Region VII - Platte Valley Players Brighton CO The Nina Variations
Region VIII - New Group West San Diego CA I Am My Own Wife
Region IX - Spokane Civic Theatre (Washington) Orphans
Region X - SHAPE Players Mons Belgium Detachments
Here are the 12 performances yoursquoll see
Will we see you at nationals
Grand Rapids to host National AACTFest June 23 to 27
indicates youth productions indicates second stage productions if submitted
Please be sure to fill out your Dues Renewal Form completely as that is the source for this information on shows If your information is incorrect or missing please send the correct information to The Editor to be corrected or included in the next
issue A more complete list is also available on the CTAM website
Enjoy your summer with theatre in Michigan (Note This information comes from your annual group membership application and the upcom-ing shows will be listed when your application and dues payment are received)
4
Stagecrafters Royal Oak Elton John and Tim Rices Aida May 22-June 7 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Best of Friends May 28-June 7 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Avenue Q May 29-June 14 2015
St Dunstans Theatre Birmingham Hair May 29-June 13 2015
Clarkston Village Players Shakespeares Will June 4-6 2015
Cadillac Footliters The Odd Couple June 5-13 2015
Old Town Playhouse Traverse City The Hobbit Jun 5-7 2015
Twin City Players St Joseph Nunsense June 5-28 2015
Center Stage Jackson Spamalot June 12-21 2015
Monroe Community Players Grease June 12-14 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan Love Letters June 20-29 2015
Manistee Civic Players Doctor Dolittle June 26-July 2 2015
Holland Civic Theatre The Velveteen Rabbit July 9-18 2015
Tawas Bay Players The Queen of Bingo July 10-19 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan The Word of Life July 11-13 20-15
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Alice in Wonderland July 17-26 2015
All-of-Us-Express Childrens Theatre The Pied Piper of Hamlin July 24-Aug 1 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Footloose (The Musical) July 24-27 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre A Little Princess July 24-Aug 2 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan Night at the Wax Museum Aug 1-10 2015
Holland Civic Theatre Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr Aug 6-15 2015
Manistee Civic Players Cemetery Club Aug 7-16 2015
Rogers City Community Theatre Yearbook Reflections August 27-30 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan The Old Rugged Cross Sept 5-21 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Sept 10-20 2015
Manistee Civic Players Cinderella Its Okay to be Different Sept 11-16 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing The Cocktail Hour Oct 2-11 2015
Hartland Players Lend Me A Tenor Oct 9-18 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing The Diary of Anne Frank Oct 22-Nov 1 2015
Manistee Civic Players Young Frankenstein Oct 23-Nov 1 2015
Rogers City Community Theatre Leaving Iowa Oct 30-Nov 8 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing A Christmas Carol Nov 27-Dec 6 2015
Hartland Players Miracle on 34th Street Dec 4-6 2015
Manistee Civic Players JosephDreamcoat Dec 4-13 2015
set dressing or costumes Just the words of
the play
Our special guest for the weekend will be Chi-cago-area playwright James Henry who led one of our Master Classes last summer In ad-dition to leading a workshop or two he will be commenting on the plays throughout the con-
ference
Details and costs will be forthcoming but for now mark your calendar and pass the word to your youth group so they can plan on attend-
ing our Fall Conference
For questions please contact President Mary
Lou Britton who is leading the Conference
Planning team
For more information about Evergreen Resort (formerly McGuirersquos) please go to their website at wwwevergreenresortmicom (Donrsquot book your reservation through the website however until we negotiate the best deal possible for you)
The planning committee for the 2015 Fall Con-ference has been facing some difficult ques-
tions as they move forward with their planning They (and the Board of Directors) have had many discussions about not only attracting more people to the conferences but the larger question might be how to attract more and younger people to Community Theatre in gen-
eral
So as a first step to encourage more and younger people we are placing a family focus on the conference In addition to the regular workshops dinners and parties we will have a concurrent youth program that will be meeting
all day Saturday (with box lunches and pizza parties) to produce a brief production for eve-
ryone on Sunday morning before the brunch
So Mom and Dad can enjoy the theatre confer-ence while their child is in the capable hands of the professionals from All-of-Us Express Chil-drenrsquos Theatre in East Lansing Or Mom can come theater-ing with us while Dad plays a round or two of beautiful golf in Cadillacor
vice versa
Our theme this year is ldquoThe Playrsquos the Thingrdquo so we will have several short ten-minute plays sprinkled through the weekend These plays have been written by members and will be minimally stagedmeaning very little props
Performers wanted
We are looking for performers to put together the several ten-minute plays to be presented throughout the weekend You will receive the script in early August and have several months to di-rect andor rehearse at your lei-sure You will be responsible for all furniture costumes etc and you should not plan on using any technical support such as lights and sound If this sounds like something you would be inter-ested in doing please contact Chair Mary Lou Britton and let
her know
September 25-27 in Cadillac
Family focus planned for Fall Conference
Scenes from Evergreen Resort in Cadillac formerly known as McGuirersquos
Terry Jolink Awards Chair
July 1 deadline for CTAM Awards approaching ldquoFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving itrdquo So says
William Arthur Ward (Quote Garden)
Volunteers are an essential resource for most nonprofits and membership organizations There are legions of volunteers across North America working to improve their communities
and help organizations meet their missions
The selfless commitment and efforts of these volunteers should be ac-knowledged and recognized on a regular basis throughout the year Each community theatre should of-
fer an opportunity to formally recog-nize the efforts of the individuals who have raised funds sang and danced their hearts out painted sets written the playbills or any other of the many roles that volunteers play in
our success
Demonstrating your appreciation for and recog-nizing volunteer contributions to your organi-zation is important on so many levels First and foremost we all want volunteers to enjoy their experience and feel their efforts are appreci-ated At the same time saying thanks and for-mally recognizing volunteers is important to keep these individuals motivated and happy so theyrsquoll keep coming back After all volunteer recruitment and training is time-consuming so itrsquos in the organizationrsquos and the volunteerrsquos best interests to ensure they have a fulfilling
experience But in addition your volunteers are ambassadors ndash representing your organiza-tion during programs at events etc ndash and their volunteer experience will directly impact the way in which they represent or personify
your organization and your mission
So developing an ongoing process to thank and recognize your volunteers can have an impact on your organizationrsquos success But before you rush into volunteer recognition planning it might be helpful to think about why folks vol-unteer how your volunteers might want to be recognized and how recognition can become
part of your organizationrsquos culture
Once yoursquove thought about what is mo-tivating your volunteers as well as your organizationrsquos volunteering cul-
ture you can decide whether you want to focus on informal or formal recogni-
tion or a combination of the two
This year why not nominate someone from you theatre to be recognized by CTAM by nominating them for the Robert A McKenna
Award or the Dorothy Arnett Volunteer Ser-
vice Award
The McKenna Award is for devotion to theater in Michigan and the Arnett Volunteer Service Award is to recognize individuals (or couples) who are so important to your particular group This latter award is presented by a CTAM Board member in your hometown at a group
function
For more information on the awards and to make a nomination go the CTAM website or
contact Terry Jolink
Reasons why we volunteer based on Volunteering in Canada Infographic
To make a contribution to the community - 93
To use their skills and experiences - 78
Personally affected by the organizationrsquos cause - 59
To explore onersquos own strengths - 48
To network with or meet people - 46
Because their friends volunteer - 48
To improve job opportunities - 22
To fulfill religious obligations or beliefs - 21
Have you considered adjudication for one of your shows next season Remember that all member groups are enti-tled to one FREE adjudication each season so now is the time to schedule your group CTAM will pay for the first one the fee for others is $50 Several groups in Michigan have all of their shows adjudicated in an ef-fort to improve their product
Some people initially resist but after seeing and hearing the good that comes from adju-dication they are all in favor Schedule your
adjudications today
Contact Adjudication Chair Joanne Berry to schedule your adjudication
7
Board Nominations due July 1 for fall election As we enjoy the summer months of fun in the sun and shows on the stage we must also be
thinking ahead We have some folks planning an amazing Fall Conference mdash during which our Annual Meeting and Board elections will take place Thats right elections This is where
you as a CTAM member come in
At this time we are making a call for nominees to the Board We are looking for people who have been supporters of CTAM and who have a desire to see community theater in Michigan grow and thrive folks with leadership qualities and communication skills people of brilliant
minds and unique ideas
Board members are elected to a three-year term of office and are expected to attend six Board meetings per year (including at the Fall Conference and the Spring Conference or AACTfest) They are ex-pected to attend CTAM ac-tivities and remember that travel is at your own
expense
If you know someone who fits the bill (even if itrsquos yourself) please email Nomination Chair Vincent Weiler with the name and contact information as well as a brief description of their qualifications to serve
on the Board
This year we will be electing three directors for three-year terms of office and one person to
complete a one-year term of office
Vincent Weiler Immediate Past President and Nomi-nating Committee Chair
Scholarship funds available for National AACTfest and Master Classes Scholarships are available for the National AACTfest which will be held in Grand Rapids in June Follow the winners from the Regional competition that was held in Midland during April Scholarships cover the cost of registra-tion only for members of area groups to attend and watch the competition Scholarship applications are also being accepted for the Mas-ter Classes that are coming up in July at the McMullan Center The deadline for application is the week before the event and is
limited to two members from the same theatre group per
year
What better way to invest in your members and volunteers than helping them attend the CTAM-sponsored educational
events
For Scholarship applications check out our website or contact Christy Frick at
cfrick9898charternet
Christy Frick CTAM Treasurer and Chair Scholar-ship Committee
8
Action shot left is from Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing and their production of Best Friends
Below are two photos from The Amish Project pre-sented by Farmington Players and the first alternate winning play from the Michigan AACTFest As a fundraiser and special performances for the commu-nity they are offering a weekend of performances on June 12 and 13 Everyone in the area is invited to attend
Grosse Pointe Theatre ended their season with an outstanding production of The Pro-ducers during May
2012-2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President - Mary Lou Britton Grosse Pointe Theatre mellbeeearthlinknet
Vice President - Michael Schacherbauer Riverwalk Theatre Lansing
mikie72252yahoocom
Secretary - Betsy Willis Old Town Playhouse Traverse City
betsyoldtownplayhousecom
Treasurer - Christy Frick Gratiot County Players cfrick9898charternet
At-Large Members of the Board Kevin Arnett kwarnettattnet
Joanne Berry jmberryjmaolcom Bay City Players
Kristen Chesak kchesakkazoociviccom Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
Sarah Willis willisaramailgvsuedu All of Us Express Childrenrsquos Theatre
Suzan Witt infowitzendco
Tawas Bay Players
Executive Secretary Nancy Peska peskacmsinternet
Gratiot County Players
Callboard Staff
Editor Mary Lou Britton Contributors Members of the Board
This is the official newsletter of the Community Theatre Associa-tion of Michigan issued monthly to all group and individual mem-bers with e-mail addresses on record Distribution is by e-mail with a link to the newsletter on the association website Back issues are available on the association website at wwwcommunitiytheatreorg Correspondence to the Callboard should be sent to the Editor at mellbeeearthlinknet
Productions and dates should be sent to the Editor
Short informational articles are accepted and will be used
on a space-available basis
Show photos should be carefully selected and sent to the
Editor along with identifying caption and permission from
photographer for us to publish said photo
Updated e-mail and postal addresses are maintained by the Executive Secretary Nancy Peska and should be sent to her at peskacmsinternet
Affiliated with American Association of
Community Theatre
The Prez Sezhellip The renewal notices for your 2015-16 membership will be going out soon and we urge you to pay them as soon as possible hellip surely before the Fall Conference so that your delegate can
vote at the Annual Meeting
New on the form this year is a line requesting the name and e-mail address for your delegates (Each group is allowed two delegates generally the Presi-dent and one appointed person to act as liaison to CTAM) New duties and privileges are being assigned to this position so please select this person care-
fully
The difficulty CTAM has is in communicating in any way with the members of the individual groups Sev-
eral groups forward the CTAM newsletter to all their members as a benefit of membership perhaps that
is something you might want to consider
We recognize that asking members for dues and re-newals is difficult and we find ourselves in that posi-tion right now Fortunately CTAM has a consider-able list of programs and services that make mem-bership worthwhile Annual conferences alternating spring festival or conference playwriting contest summer Master Classes workshops newsletter ac-creditation resource-sharing and networking and
many friendships
Now is the time to join mdash as a Michigan theater group mdash or as an individual and make CTAM even
stronger 65 years down and 66 coming up
Mary Lou Britton
June 22-28 2015 National AACTFest Hosted by Grand Rapids Civic
June 25 2015 CTAM Board meeting Contact Exec Secretary for time and location
July 1 2015 Deadline for Award nominations
July 1 2015 Deadline for nominations for Board election at Annual Meeting
July 17-19 2015 Summer Master Classes MacMullen Conference Center Higgins Lake
September 25-27 2015 Fall Conference Evergreen Resort Cadillac
CTAM Calendar of Events
2
Have you made your hotel reservation Have you registered What a great year this has been for theatre in Michigan Starting first in Owosso then traveling to Midland and now we are looking forward to seeing all of our Michi-gan theatre friends in Grand Rapids June 23-
27 for National AACT Festival
The workshops the performances the net-workinghellip itrsquos all coming into place and we are
getting excited Amway Grand Plaza hotel is the host hotel which is only 3 blocks away from the theatre Make your reservation online by
going to wwwaactorg and clicking on hotel
Make sure to use the AACT rate
The ShowsAward package includes ticket to all six AACTFest performances session and the Awards Evening on Saturday night with pre-awards reception and awards at Civic and des-sert reception at the Amway ($160) Or you can purchase just the All Shows package to see all six performance sessions for $100 Maybe you just want to come hang out with us and come to the Awards gala for $65 There is something for everyone so head over to
wwwaactorg and check out all of your op-tions for registration Just want to come see one performances session ndash you can do that do by getting individual performance tickets at
wwwgrctorg
Hotel information
httpsreswebpasskeycomgoAACT2015 or call (800) 253-3590 to reserve at the AACTFest
rate
Register
h t t p w w w a a c t 2 o r g e v e n t s
event_detailsaspid=336823ampgroup=
Many thanks to Grand Rapids Civic Theatre for hosting this prestigious event and for repre-
senting Michigan to all our national guests
Region I - Warner Theatre Torrington CT Winter Flowers
Region II - Black Sheep Theatre Rochester NY Feeding the Moon Fish
Region III - Elkhart Civic Theatre Bristol Indiana The 39 Steps
Kokomo Civic Theatre (Indiana) Freudrsquos Last Session
Region IV - Theatre Albany (Georgia) The Lady of Larkspur Lotion
Tupelo Civic Theatre (Mississippi) Lone Star
Region V - Fungus Among Us Players Dassel-Cokato MN The Romancers
Region VI - Lantern Theatre Conway Arkansas God of Carnage
Region VII - Platte Valley Players Brighton CO The Nina Variations
Region VIII - New Group West San Diego CA I Am My Own Wife
Region IX - Spokane Civic Theatre (Washington) Orphans
Region X - SHAPE Players Mons Belgium Detachments
Here are the 12 performances yoursquoll see
Will we see you at nationals
Grand Rapids to host National AACTFest June 23 to 27
indicates youth productions indicates second stage productions if submitted
Please be sure to fill out your Dues Renewal Form completely as that is the source for this information on shows If your information is incorrect or missing please send the correct information to The Editor to be corrected or included in the next
issue A more complete list is also available on the CTAM website
Enjoy your summer with theatre in Michigan (Note This information comes from your annual group membership application and the upcom-ing shows will be listed when your application and dues payment are received)
4
Stagecrafters Royal Oak Elton John and Tim Rices Aida May 22-June 7 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Best of Friends May 28-June 7 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Avenue Q May 29-June 14 2015
St Dunstans Theatre Birmingham Hair May 29-June 13 2015
Clarkston Village Players Shakespeares Will June 4-6 2015
Cadillac Footliters The Odd Couple June 5-13 2015
Old Town Playhouse Traverse City The Hobbit Jun 5-7 2015
Twin City Players St Joseph Nunsense June 5-28 2015
Center Stage Jackson Spamalot June 12-21 2015
Monroe Community Players Grease June 12-14 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan Love Letters June 20-29 2015
Manistee Civic Players Doctor Dolittle June 26-July 2 2015
Holland Civic Theatre The Velveteen Rabbit July 9-18 2015
Tawas Bay Players The Queen of Bingo July 10-19 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan The Word of Life July 11-13 20-15
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Alice in Wonderland July 17-26 2015
All-of-Us-Express Childrens Theatre The Pied Piper of Hamlin July 24-Aug 1 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Footloose (The Musical) July 24-27 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre A Little Princess July 24-Aug 2 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan Night at the Wax Museum Aug 1-10 2015
Holland Civic Theatre Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr Aug 6-15 2015
Manistee Civic Players Cemetery Club Aug 7-16 2015
Rogers City Community Theatre Yearbook Reflections August 27-30 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan The Old Rugged Cross Sept 5-21 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Sept 10-20 2015
Manistee Civic Players Cinderella Its Okay to be Different Sept 11-16 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing The Cocktail Hour Oct 2-11 2015
Hartland Players Lend Me A Tenor Oct 9-18 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing The Diary of Anne Frank Oct 22-Nov 1 2015
Manistee Civic Players Young Frankenstein Oct 23-Nov 1 2015
Rogers City Community Theatre Leaving Iowa Oct 30-Nov 8 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing A Christmas Carol Nov 27-Dec 6 2015
Hartland Players Miracle on 34th Street Dec 4-6 2015
Manistee Civic Players JosephDreamcoat Dec 4-13 2015
set dressing or costumes Just the words of
the play
Our special guest for the weekend will be Chi-cago-area playwright James Henry who led one of our Master Classes last summer In ad-dition to leading a workshop or two he will be commenting on the plays throughout the con-
ference
Details and costs will be forthcoming but for now mark your calendar and pass the word to your youth group so they can plan on attend-
ing our Fall Conference
For questions please contact President Mary
Lou Britton who is leading the Conference
Planning team
For more information about Evergreen Resort (formerly McGuirersquos) please go to their website at wwwevergreenresortmicom (Donrsquot book your reservation through the website however until we negotiate the best deal possible for you)
The planning committee for the 2015 Fall Con-ference has been facing some difficult ques-
tions as they move forward with their planning They (and the Board of Directors) have had many discussions about not only attracting more people to the conferences but the larger question might be how to attract more and younger people to Community Theatre in gen-
eral
So as a first step to encourage more and younger people we are placing a family focus on the conference In addition to the regular workshops dinners and parties we will have a concurrent youth program that will be meeting
all day Saturday (with box lunches and pizza parties) to produce a brief production for eve-
ryone on Sunday morning before the brunch
So Mom and Dad can enjoy the theatre confer-ence while their child is in the capable hands of the professionals from All-of-Us Express Chil-drenrsquos Theatre in East Lansing Or Mom can come theater-ing with us while Dad plays a round or two of beautiful golf in Cadillacor
vice versa
Our theme this year is ldquoThe Playrsquos the Thingrdquo so we will have several short ten-minute plays sprinkled through the weekend These plays have been written by members and will be minimally stagedmeaning very little props
Performers wanted
We are looking for performers to put together the several ten-minute plays to be presented throughout the weekend You will receive the script in early August and have several months to di-rect andor rehearse at your lei-sure You will be responsible for all furniture costumes etc and you should not plan on using any technical support such as lights and sound If this sounds like something you would be inter-ested in doing please contact Chair Mary Lou Britton and let
her know
September 25-27 in Cadillac
Family focus planned for Fall Conference
Scenes from Evergreen Resort in Cadillac formerly known as McGuirersquos
Terry Jolink Awards Chair
July 1 deadline for CTAM Awards approaching ldquoFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving itrdquo So says
William Arthur Ward (Quote Garden)
Volunteers are an essential resource for most nonprofits and membership organizations There are legions of volunteers across North America working to improve their communities
and help organizations meet their missions
The selfless commitment and efforts of these volunteers should be ac-knowledged and recognized on a regular basis throughout the year Each community theatre should of-
fer an opportunity to formally recog-nize the efforts of the individuals who have raised funds sang and danced their hearts out painted sets written the playbills or any other of the many roles that volunteers play in
our success
Demonstrating your appreciation for and recog-nizing volunteer contributions to your organi-zation is important on so many levels First and foremost we all want volunteers to enjoy their experience and feel their efforts are appreci-ated At the same time saying thanks and for-mally recognizing volunteers is important to keep these individuals motivated and happy so theyrsquoll keep coming back After all volunteer recruitment and training is time-consuming so itrsquos in the organizationrsquos and the volunteerrsquos best interests to ensure they have a fulfilling
experience But in addition your volunteers are ambassadors ndash representing your organiza-tion during programs at events etc ndash and their volunteer experience will directly impact the way in which they represent or personify
your organization and your mission
So developing an ongoing process to thank and recognize your volunteers can have an impact on your organizationrsquos success But before you rush into volunteer recognition planning it might be helpful to think about why folks vol-unteer how your volunteers might want to be recognized and how recognition can become
part of your organizationrsquos culture
Once yoursquove thought about what is mo-tivating your volunteers as well as your organizationrsquos volunteering cul-
ture you can decide whether you want to focus on informal or formal recogni-
tion or a combination of the two
This year why not nominate someone from you theatre to be recognized by CTAM by nominating them for the Robert A McKenna
Award or the Dorothy Arnett Volunteer Ser-
vice Award
The McKenna Award is for devotion to theater in Michigan and the Arnett Volunteer Service Award is to recognize individuals (or couples) who are so important to your particular group This latter award is presented by a CTAM Board member in your hometown at a group
function
For more information on the awards and to make a nomination go the CTAM website or
contact Terry Jolink
Reasons why we volunteer based on Volunteering in Canada Infographic
To make a contribution to the community - 93
To use their skills and experiences - 78
Personally affected by the organizationrsquos cause - 59
To explore onersquos own strengths - 48
To network with or meet people - 46
Because their friends volunteer - 48
To improve job opportunities - 22
To fulfill religious obligations or beliefs - 21
Have you considered adjudication for one of your shows next season Remember that all member groups are enti-tled to one FREE adjudication each season so now is the time to schedule your group CTAM will pay for the first one the fee for others is $50 Several groups in Michigan have all of their shows adjudicated in an ef-fort to improve their product
Some people initially resist but after seeing and hearing the good that comes from adju-dication they are all in favor Schedule your
adjudications today
Contact Adjudication Chair Joanne Berry to schedule your adjudication
7
Board Nominations due July 1 for fall election As we enjoy the summer months of fun in the sun and shows on the stage we must also be
thinking ahead We have some folks planning an amazing Fall Conference mdash during which our Annual Meeting and Board elections will take place Thats right elections This is where
you as a CTAM member come in
At this time we are making a call for nominees to the Board We are looking for people who have been supporters of CTAM and who have a desire to see community theater in Michigan grow and thrive folks with leadership qualities and communication skills people of brilliant
minds and unique ideas
Board members are elected to a three-year term of office and are expected to attend six Board meetings per year (including at the Fall Conference and the Spring Conference or AACTfest) They are ex-pected to attend CTAM ac-tivities and remember that travel is at your own
expense
If you know someone who fits the bill (even if itrsquos yourself) please email Nomination Chair Vincent Weiler with the name and contact information as well as a brief description of their qualifications to serve
on the Board
This year we will be electing three directors for three-year terms of office and one person to
complete a one-year term of office
Vincent Weiler Immediate Past President and Nomi-nating Committee Chair
Scholarship funds available for National AACTfest and Master Classes Scholarships are available for the National AACTfest which will be held in Grand Rapids in June Follow the winners from the Regional competition that was held in Midland during April Scholarships cover the cost of registra-tion only for members of area groups to attend and watch the competition Scholarship applications are also being accepted for the Mas-ter Classes that are coming up in July at the McMullan Center The deadline for application is the week before the event and is
limited to two members from the same theatre group per
year
What better way to invest in your members and volunteers than helping them attend the CTAM-sponsored educational
events
For Scholarship applications check out our website or contact Christy Frick at
cfrick9898charternet
Christy Frick CTAM Treasurer and Chair Scholar-ship Committee
8
Action shot left is from Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing and their production of Best Friends
Below are two photos from The Amish Project pre-sented by Farmington Players and the first alternate winning play from the Michigan AACTFest As a fundraiser and special performances for the commu-nity they are offering a weekend of performances on June 12 and 13 Everyone in the area is invited to attend
Grosse Pointe Theatre ended their season with an outstanding production of The Pro-ducers during May
Have you made your hotel reservation Have you registered What a great year this has been for theatre in Michigan Starting first in Owosso then traveling to Midland and now we are looking forward to seeing all of our Michi-gan theatre friends in Grand Rapids June 23-
27 for National AACT Festival
The workshops the performances the net-workinghellip itrsquos all coming into place and we are
getting excited Amway Grand Plaza hotel is the host hotel which is only 3 blocks away from the theatre Make your reservation online by
going to wwwaactorg and clicking on hotel
Make sure to use the AACT rate
The ShowsAward package includes ticket to all six AACTFest performances session and the Awards Evening on Saturday night with pre-awards reception and awards at Civic and des-sert reception at the Amway ($160) Or you can purchase just the All Shows package to see all six performance sessions for $100 Maybe you just want to come hang out with us and come to the Awards gala for $65 There is something for everyone so head over to
wwwaactorg and check out all of your op-tions for registration Just want to come see one performances session ndash you can do that do by getting individual performance tickets at
wwwgrctorg
Hotel information
httpsreswebpasskeycomgoAACT2015 or call (800) 253-3590 to reserve at the AACTFest
rate
Register
h t t p w w w a a c t 2 o r g e v e n t s
event_detailsaspid=336823ampgroup=
Many thanks to Grand Rapids Civic Theatre for hosting this prestigious event and for repre-
senting Michigan to all our national guests
Region I - Warner Theatre Torrington CT Winter Flowers
Region II - Black Sheep Theatre Rochester NY Feeding the Moon Fish
Region III - Elkhart Civic Theatre Bristol Indiana The 39 Steps
Kokomo Civic Theatre (Indiana) Freudrsquos Last Session
Region IV - Theatre Albany (Georgia) The Lady of Larkspur Lotion
Tupelo Civic Theatre (Mississippi) Lone Star
Region V - Fungus Among Us Players Dassel-Cokato MN The Romancers
Region VI - Lantern Theatre Conway Arkansas God of Carnage
Region VII - Platte Valley Players Brighton CO The Nina Variations
Region VIII - New Group West San Diego CA I Am My Own Wife
Region IX - Spokane Civic Theatre (Washington) Orphans
Region X - SHAPE Players Mons Belgium Detachments
Here are the 12 performances yoursquoll see
Will we see you at nationals
Grand Rapids to host National AACTFest June 23 to 27
indicates youth productions indicates second stage productions if submitted
Please be sure to fill out your Dues Renewal Form completely as that is the source for this information on shows If your information is incorrect or missing please send the correct information to The Editor to be corrected or included in the next
issue A more complete list is also available on the CTAM website
Enjoy your summer with theatre in Michigan (Note This information comes from your annual group membership application and the upcom-ing shows will be listed when your application and dues payment are received)
4
Stagecrafters Royal Oak Elton John and Tim Rices Aida May 22-June 7 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Best of Friends May 28-June 7 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Avenue Q May 29-June 14 2015
St Dunstans Theatre Birmingham Hair May 29-June 13 2015
Clarkston Village Players Shakespeares Will June 4-6 2015
Cadillac Footliters The Odd Couple June 5-13 2015
Old Town Playhouse Traverse City The Hobbit Jun 5-7 2015
Twin City Players St Joseph Nunsense June 5-28 2015
Center Stage Jackson Spamalot June 12-21 2015
Monroe Community Players Grease June 12-14 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan Love Letters June 20-29 2015
Manistee Civic Players Doctor Dolittle June 26-July 2 2015
Holland Civic Theatre The Velveteen Rabbit July 9-18 2015
Tawas Bay Players The Queen of Bingo July 10-19 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan The Word of Life July 11-13 20-15
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Alice in Wonderland July 17-26 2015
All-of-Us-Express Childrens Theatre The Pied Piper of Hamlin July 24-Aug 1 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Footloose (The Musical) July 24-27 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre A Little Princess July 24-Aug 2 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan Night at the Wax Museum Aug 1-10 2015
Holland Civic Theatre Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr Aug 6-15 2015
Manistee Civic Players Cemetery Club Aug 7-16 2015
Rogers City Community Theatre Yearbook Reflections August 27-30 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan The Old Rugged Cross Sept 5-21 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Sept 10-20 2015
Manistee Civic Players Cinderella Its Okay to be Different Sept 11-16 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing The Cocktail Hour Oct 2-11 2015
Hartland Players Lend Me A Tenor Oct 9-18 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing The Diary of Anne Frank Oct 22-Nov 1 2015
Manistee Civic Players Young Frankenstein Oct 23-Nov 1 2015
Rogers City Community Theatre Leaving Iowa Oct 30-Nov 8 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing A Christmas Carol Nov 27-Dec 6 2015
Hartland Players Miracle on 34th Street Dec 4-6 2015
Manistee Civic Players JosephDreamcoat Dec 4-13 2015
set dressing or costumes Just the words of
the play
Our special guest for the weekend will be Chi-cago-area playwright James Henry who led one of our Master Classes last summer In ad-dition to leading a workshop or two he will be commenting on the plays throughout the con-
ference
Details and costs will be forthcoming but for now mark your calendar and pass the word to your youth group so they can plan on attend-
ing our Fall Conference
For questions please contact President Mary
Lou Britton who is leading the Conference
Planning team
For more information about Evergreen Resort (formerly McGuirersquos) please go to their website at wwwevergreenresortmicom (Donrsquot book your reservation through the website however until we negotiate the best deal possible for you)
The planning committee for the 2015 Fall Con-ference has been facing some difficult ques-
tions as they move forward with their planning They (and the Board of Directors) have had many discussions about not only attracting more people to the conferences but the larger question might be how to attract more and younger people to Community Theatre in gen-
eral
So as a first step to encourage more and younger people we are placing a family focus on the conference In addition to the regular workshops dinners and parties we will have a concurrent youth program that will be meeting
all day Saturday (with box lunches and pizza parties) to produce a brief production for eve-
ryone on Sunday morning before the brunch
So Mom and Dad can enjoy the theatre confer-ence while their child is in the capable hands of the professionals from All-of-Us Express Chil-drenrsquos Theatre in East Lansing Or Mom can come theater-ing with us while Dad plays a round or two of beautiful golf in Cadillacor
vice versa
Our theme this year is ldquoThe Playrsquos the Thingrdquo so we will have several short ten-minute plays sprinkled through the weekend These plays have been written by members and will be minimally stagedmeaning very little props
Performers wanted
We are looking for performers to put together the several ten-minute plays to be presented throughout the weekend You will receive the script in early August and have several months to di-rect andor rehearse at your lei-sure You will be responsible for all furniture costumes etc and you should not plan on using any technical support such as lights and sound If this sounds like something you would be inter-ested in doing please contact Chair Mary Lou Britton and let
her know
September 25-27 in Cadillac
Family focus planned for Fall Conference
Scenes from Evergreen Resort in Cadillac formerly known as McGuirersquos
Terry Jolink Awards Chair
July 1 deadline for CTAM Awards approaching ldquoFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving itrdquo So says
William Arthur Ward (Quote Garden)
Volunteers are an essential resource for most nonprofits and membership organizations There are legions of volunteers across North America working to improve their communities
and help organizations meet their missions
The selfless commitment and efforts of these volunteers should be ac-knowledged and recognized on a regular basis throughout the year Each community theatre should of-
fer an opportunity to formally recog-nize the efforts of the individuals who have raised funds sang and danced their hearts out painted sets written the playbills or any other of the many roles that volunteers play in
our success
Demonstrating your appreciation for and recog-nizing volunteer contributions to your organi-zation is important on so many levels First and foremost we all want volunteers to enjoy their experience and feel their efforts are appreci-ated At the same time saying thanks and for-mally recognizing volunteers is important to keep these individuals motivated and happy so theyrsquoll keep coming back After all volunteer recruitment and training is time-consuming so itrsquos in the organizationrsquos and the volunteerrsquos best interests to ensure they have a fulfilling
experience But in addition your volunteers are ambassadors ndash representing your organiza-tion during programs at events etc ndash and their volunteer experience will directly impact the way in which they represent or personify
your organization and your mission
So developing an ongoing process to thank and recognize your volunteers can have an impact on your organizationrsquos success But before you rush into volunteer recognition planning it might be helpful to think about why folks vol-unteer how your volunteers might want to be recognized and how recognition can become
part of your organizationrsquos culture
Once yoursquove thought about what is mo-tivating your volunteers as well as your organizationrsquos volunteering cul-
ture you can decide whether you want to focus on informal or formal recogni-
tion or a combination of the two
This year why not nominate someone from you theatre to be recognized by CTAM by nominating them for the Robert A McKenna
Award or the Dorothy Arnett Volunteer Ser-
vice Award
The McKenna Award is for devotion to theater in Michigan and the Arnett Volunteer Service Award is to recognize individuals (or couples) who are so important to your particular group This latter award is presented by a CTAM Board member in your hometown at a group
function
For more information on the awards and to make a nomination go the CTAM website or
contact Terry Jolink
Reasons why we volunteer based on Volunteering in Canada Infographic
To make a contribution to the community - 93
To use their skills and experiences - 78
Personally affected by the organizationrsquos cause - 59
To explore onersquos own strengths - 48
To network with or meet people - 46
Because their friends volunteer - 48
To improve job opportunities - 22
To fulfill religious obligations or beliefs - 21
Have you considered adjudication for one of your shows next season Remember that all member groups are enti-tled to one FREE adjudication each season so now is the time to schedule your group CTAM will pay for the first one the fee for others is $50 Several groups in Michigan have all of their shows adjudicated in an ef-fort to improve their product
Some people initially resist but after seeing and hearing the good that comes from adju-dication they are all in favor Schedule your
adjudications today
Contact Adjudication Chair Joanne Berry to schedule your adjudication
7
Board Nominations due July 1 for fall election As we enjoy the summer months of fun in the sun and shows on the stage we must also be
thinking ahead We have some folks planning an amazing Fall Conference mdash during which our Annual Meeting and Board elections will take place Thats right elections This is where
you as a CTAM member come in
At this time we are making a call for nominees to the Board We are looking for people who have been supporters of CTAM and who have a desire to see community theater in Michigan grow and thrive folks with leadership qualities and communication skills people of brilliant
minds and unique ideas
Board members are elected to a three-year term of office and are expected to attend six Board meetings per year (including at the Fall Conference and the Spring Conference or AACTfest) They are ex-pected to attend CTAM ac-tivities and remember that travel is at your own
expense
If you know someone who fits the bill (even if itrsquos yourself) please email Nomination Chair Vincent Weiler with the name and contact information as well as a brief description of their qualifications to serve
on the Board
This year we will be electing three directors for three-year terms of office and one person to
complete a one-year term of office
Vincent Weiler Immediate Past President and Nomi-nating Committee Chair
Scholarship funds available for National AACTfest and Master Classes Scholarships are available for the National AACTfest which will be held in Grand Rapids in June Follow the winners from the Regional competition that was held in Midland during April Scholarships cover the cost of registra-tion only for members of area groups to attend and watch the competition Scholarship applications are also being accepted for the Mas-ter Classes that are coming up in July at the McMullan Center The deadline for application is the week before the event and is
limited to two members from the same theatre group per
year
What better way to invest in your members and volunteers than helping them attend the CTAM-sponsored educational
events
For Scholarship applications check out our website or contact Christy Frick at
cfrick9898charternet
Christy Frick CTAM Treasurer and Chair Scholar-ship Committee
8
Action shot left is from Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing and their production of Best Friends
Below are two photos from The Amish Project pre-sented by Farmington Players and the first alternate winning play from the Michigan AACTFest As a fundraiser and special performances for the commu-nity they are offering a weekend of performances on June 12 and 13 Everyone in the area is invited to attend
Grosse Pointe Theatre ended their season with an outstanding production of The Pro-ducers during May
indicates youth productions indicates second stage productions if submitted
Please be sure to fill out your Dues Renewal Form completely as that is the source for this information on shows If your information is incorrect or missing please send the correct information to The Editor to be corrected or included in the next
issue A more complete list is also available on the CTAM website
Enjoy your summer with theatre in Michigan (Note This information comes from your annual group membership application and the upcom-ing shows will be listed when your application and dues payment are received)
4
Stagecrafters Royal Oak Elton John and Tim Rices Aida May 22-June 7 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Best of Friends May 28-June 7 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Avenue Q May 29-June 14 2015
St Dunstans Theatre Birmingham Hair May 29-June 13 2015
Clarkston Village Players Shakespeares Will June 4-6 2015
Cadillac Footliters The Odd Couple June 5-13 2015
Old Town Playhouse Traverse City The Hobbit Jun 5-7 2015
Twin City Players St Joseph Nunsense June 5-28 2015
Center Stage Jackson Spamalot June 12-21 2015
Monroe Community Players Grease June 12-14 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan Love Letters June 20-29 2015
Manistee Civic Players Doctor Dolittle June 26-July 2 2015
Holland Civic Theatre The Velveteen Rabbit July 9-18 2015
Tawas Bay Players The Queen of Bingo July 10-19 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan The Word of Life July 11-13 20-15
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Alice in Wonderland July 17-26 2015
All-of-Us-Express Childrens Theatre The Pied Piper of Hamlin July 24-Aug 1 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Footloose (The Musical) July 24-27 2015
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre A Little Princess July 24-Aug 2 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan Night at the Wax Museum Aug 1-10 2015
Holland Civic Theatre Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr Aug 6-15 2015
Manistee Civic Players Cemetery Club Aug 7-16 2015
Rogers City Community Theatre Yearbook Reflections August 27-30 2015
Tin Shop Theatre Buchanan The Old Rugged Cross Sept 5-21 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Sept 10-20 2015
Manistee Civic Players Cinderella Its Okay to be Different Sept 11-16 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing The Cocktail Hour Oct 2-11 2015
Hartland Players Lend Me A Tenor Oct 9-18 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing The Diary of Anne Frank Oct 22-Nov 1 2015
Manistee Civic Players Young Frankenstein Oct 23-Nov 1 2015
Rogers City Community Theatre Leaving Iowa Oct 30-Nov 8 2015
Riverwalk Theatre Lansing A Christmas Carol Nov 27-Dec 6 2015
Hartland Players Miracle on 34th Street Dec 4-6 2015
Manistee Civic Players JosephDreamcoat Dec 4-13 2015
set dressing or costumes Just the words of
the play
Our special guest for the weekend will be Chi-cago-area playwright James Henry who led one of our Master Classes last summer In ad-dition to leading a workshop or two he will be commenting on the plays throughout the con-
ference
Details and costs will be forthcoming but for now mark your calendar and pass the word to your youth group so they can plan on attend-
ing our Fall Conference
For questions please contact President Mary
Lou Britton who is leading the Conference
Planning team
For more information about Evergreen Resort (formerly McGuirersquos) please go to their website at wwwevergreenresortmicom (Donrsquot book your reservation through the website however until we negotiate the best deal possible for you)
The planning committee for the 2015 Fall Con-ference has been facing some difficult ques-
tions as they move forward with their planning They (and the Board of Directors) have had many discussions about not only attracting more people to the conferences but the larger question might be how to attract more and younger people to Community Theatre in gen-
eral
So as a first step to encourage more and younger people we are placing a family focus on the conference In addition to the regular workshops dinners and parties we will have a concurrent youth program that will be meeting
all day Saturday (with box lunches and pizza parties) to produce a brief production for eve-
ryone on Sunday morning before the brunch
So Mom and Dad can enjoy the theatre confer-ence while their child is in the capable hands of the professionals from All-of-Us Express Chil-drenrsquos Theatre in East Lansing Or Mom can come theater-ing with us while Dad plays a round or two of beautiful golf in Cadillacor
vice versa
Our theme this year is ldquoThe Playrsquos the Thingrdquo so we will have several short ten-minute plays sprinkled through the weekend These plays have been written by members and will be minimally stagedmeaning very little props
Performers wanted
We are looking for performers to put together the several ten-minute plays to be presented throughout the weekend You will receive the script in early August and have several months to di-rect andor rehearse at your lei-sure You will be responsible for all furniture costumes etc and you should not plan on using any technical support such as lights and sound If this sounds like something you would be inter-ested in doing please contact Chair Mary Lou Britton and let
her know
September 25-27 in Cadillac
Family focus planned for Fall Conference
Scenes from Evergreen Resort in Cadillac formerly known as McGuirersquos
Terry Jolink Awards Chair
July 1 deadline for CTAM Awards approaching ldquoFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving itrdquo So says
William Arthur Ward (Quote Garden)
Volunteers are an essential resource for most nonprofits and membership organizations There are legions of volunteers across North America working to improve their communities
and help organizations meet their missions
The selfless commitment and efforts of these volunteers should be ac-knowledged and recognized on a regular basis throughout the year Each community theatre should of-
fer an opportunity to formally recog-nize the efforts of the individuals who have raised funds sang and danced their hearts out painted sets written the playbills or any other of the many roles that volunteers play in
our success
Demonstrating your appreciation for and recog-nizing volunteer contributions to your organi-zation is important on so many levels First and foremost we all want volunteers to enjoy their experience and feel their efforts are appreci-ated At the same time saying thanks and for-mally recognizing volunteers is important to keep these individuals motivated and happy so theyrsquoll keep coming back After all volunteer recruitment and training is time-consuming so itrsquos in the organizationrsquos and the volunteerrsquos best interests to ensure they have a fulfilling
experience But in addition your volunteers are ambassadors ndash representing your organiza-tion during programs at events etc ndash and their volunteer experience will directly impact the way in which they represent or personify
your organization and your mission
So developing an ongoing process to thank and recognize your volunteers can have an impact on your organizationrsquos success But before you rush into volunteer recognition planning it might be helpful to think about why folks vol-unteer how your volunteers might want to be recognized and how recognition can become
part of your organizationrsquos culture
Once yoursquove thought about what is mo-tivating your volunteers as well as your organizationrsquos volunteering cul-
ture you can decide whether you want to focus on informal or formal recogni-
tion or a combination of the two
This year why not nominate someone from you theatre to be recognized by CTAM by nominating them for the Robert A McKenna
Award or the Dorothy Arnett Volunteer Ser-
vice Award
The McKenna Award is for devotion to theater in Michigan and the Arnett Volunteer Service Award is to recognize individuals (or couples) who are so important to your particular group This latter award is presented by a CTAM Board member in your hometown at a group
function
For more information on the awards and to make a nomination go the CTAM website or
contact Terry Jolink
Reasons why we volunteer based on Volunteering in Canada Infographic
To make a contribution to the community - 93
To use their skills and experiences - 78
Personally affected by the organizationrsquos cause - 59
To explore onersquos own strengths - 48
To network with or meet people - 46
Because their friends volunteer - 48
To improve job opportunities - 22
To fulfill religious obligations or beliefs - 21
Have you considered adjudication for one of your shows next season Remember that all member groups are enti-tled to one FREE adjudication each season so now is the time to schedule your group CTAM will pay for the first one the fee for others is $50 Several groups in Michigan have all of their shows adjudicated in an ef-fort to improve their product
Some people initially resist but after seeing and hearing the good that comes from adju-dication they are all in favor Schedule your
adjudications today
Contact Adjudication Chair Joanne Berry to schedule your adjudication
7
Board Nominations due July 1 for fall election As we enjoy the summer months of fun in the sun and shows on the stage we must also be
thinking ahead We have some folks planning an amazing Fall Conference mdash during which our Annual Meeting and Board elections will take place Thats right elections This is where
you as a CTAM member come in
At this time we are making a call for nominees to the Board We are looking for people who have been supporters of CTAM and who have a desire to see community theater in Michigan grow and thrive folks with leadership qualities and communication skills people of brilliant
minds and unique ideas
Board members are elected to a three-year term of office and are expected to attend six Board meetings per year (including at the Fall Conference and the Spring Conference or AACTfest) They are ex-pected to attend CTAM ac-tivities and remember that travel is at your own
expense
If you know someone who fits the bill (even if itrsquos yourself) please email Nomination Chair Vincent Weiler with the name and contact information as well as a brief description of their qualifications to serve
on the Board
This year we will be electing three directors for three-year terms of office and one person to
complete a one-year term of office
Vincent Weiler Immediate Past President and Nomi-nating Committee Chair
Scholarship funds available for National AACTfest and Master Classes Scholarships are available for the National AACTfest which will be held in Grand Rapids in June Follow the winners from the Regional competition that was held in Midland during April Scholarships cover the cost of registra-tion only for members of area groups to attend and watch the competition Scholarship applications are also being accepted for the Mas-ter Classes that are coming up in July at the McMullan Center The deadline for application is the week before the event and is
limited to two members from the same theatre group per
year
What better way to invest in your members and volunteers than helping them attend the CTAM-sponsored educational
events
For Scholarship applications check out our website or contact Christy Frick at
cfrick9898charternet
Christy Frick CTAM Treasurer and Chair Scholar-ship Committee
8
Action shot left is from Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing and their production of Best Friends
Below are two photos from The Amish Project pre-sented by Farmington Players and the first alternate winning play from the Michigan AACTFest As a fundraiser and special performances for the commu-nity they are offering a weekend of performances on June 12 and 13 Everyone in the area is invited to attend
Grosse Pointe Theatre ended their season with an outstanding production of The Pro-ducers during May
set dressing or costumes Just the words of
the play
Our special guest for the weekend will be Chi-cago-area playwright James Henry who led one of our Master Classes last summer In ad-dition to leading a workshop or two he will be commenting on the plays throughout the con-
ference
Details and costs will be forthcoming but for now mark your calendar and pass the word to your youth group so they can plan on attend-
ing our Fall Conference
For questions please contact President Mary
Lou Britton who is leading the Conference
Planning team
For more information about Evergreen Resort (formerly McGuirersquos) please go to their website at wwwevergreenresortmicom (Donrsquot book your reservation through the website however until we negotiate the best deal possible for you)
The planning committee for the 2015 Fall Con-ference has been facing some difficult ques-
tions as they move forward with their planning They (and the Board of Directors) have had many discussions about not only attracting more people to the conferences but the larger question might be how to attract more and younger people to Community Theatre in gen-
eral
So as a first step to encourage more and younger people we are placing a family focus on the conference In addition to the regular workshops dinners and parties we will have a concurrent youth program that will be meeting
all day Saturday (with box lunches and pizza parties) to produce a brief production for eve-
ryone on Sunday morning before the brunch
So Mom and Dad can enjoy the theatre confer-ence while their child is in the capable hands of the professionals from All-of-Us Express Chil-drenrsquos Theatre in East Lansing Or Mom can come theater-ing with us while Dad plays a round or two of beautiful golf in Cadillacor
vice versa
Our theme this year is ldquoThe Playrsquos the Thingrdquo so we will have several short ten-minute plays sprinkled through the weekend These plays have been written by members and will be minimally stagedmeaning very little props
Performers wanted
We are looking for performers to put together the several ten-minute plays to be presented throughout the weekend You will receive the script in early August and have several months to di-rect andor rehearse at your lei-sure You will be responsible for all furniture costumes etc and you should not plan on using any technical support such as lights and sound If this sounds like something you would be inter-ested in doing please contact Chair Mary Lou Britton and let
her know
September 25-27 in Cadillac
Family focus planned for Fall Conference
Scenes from Evergreen Resort in Cadillac formerly known as McGuirersquos
Terry Jolink Awards Chair
July 1 deadline for CTAM Awards approaching ldquoFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving itrdquo So says
William Arthur Ward (Quote Garden)
Volunteers are an essential resource for most nonprofits and membership organizations There are legions of volunteers across North America working to improve their communities
and help organizations meet their missions
The selfless commitment and efforts of these volunteers should be ac-knowledged and recognized on a regular basis throughout the year Each community theatre should of-
fer an opportunity to formally recog-nize the efforts of the individuals who have raised funds sang and danced their hearts out painted sets written the playbills or any other of the many roles that volunteers play in
our success
Demonstrating your appreciation for and recog-nizing volunteer contributions to your organi-zation is important on so many levels First and foremost we all want volunteers to enjoy their experience and feel their efforts are appreci-ated At the same time saying thanks and for-mally recognizing volunteers is important to keep these individuals motivated and happy so theyrsquoll keep coming back After all volunteer recruitment and training is time-consuming so itrsquos in the organizationrsquos and the volunteerrsquos best interests to ensure they have a fulfilling
experience But in addition your volunteers are ambassadors ndash representing your organiza-tion during programs at events etc ndash and their volunteer experience will directly impact the way in which they represent or personify
your organization and your mission
So developing an ongoing process to thank and recognize your volunteers can have an impact on your organizationrsquos success But before you rush into volunteer recognition planning it might be helpful to think about why folks vol-unteer how your volunteers might want to be recognized and how recognition can become
part of your organizationrsquos culture
Once yoursquove thought about what is mo-tivating your volunteers as well as your organizationrsquos volunteering cul-
ture you can decide whether you want to focus on informal or formal recogni-
tion or a combination of the two
This year why not nominate someone from you theatre to be recognized by CTAM by nominating them for the Robert A McKenna
Award or the Dorothy Arnett Volunteer Ser-
vice Award
The McKenna Award is for devotion to theater in Michigan and the Arnett Volunteer Service Award is to recognize individuals (or couples) who are so important to your particular group This latter award is presented by a CTAM Board member in your hometown at a group
function
For more information on the awards and to make a nomination go the CTAM website or
contact Terry Jolink
Reasons why we volunteer based on Volunteering in Canada Infographic
To make a contribution to the community - 93
To use their skills and experiences - 78
Personally affected by the organizationrsquos cause - 59
To explore onersquos own strengths - 48
To network with or meet people - 46
Because their friends volunteer - 48
To improve job opportunities - 22
To fulfill religious obligations or beliefs - 21
Have you considered adjudication for one of your shows next season Remember that all member groups are enti-tled to one FREE adjudication each season so now is the time to schedule your group CTAM will pay for the first one the fee for others is $50 Several groups in Michigan have all of their shows adjudicated in an ef-fort to improve their product
Some people initially resist but after seeing and hearing the good that comes from adju-dication they are all in favor Schedule your
adjudications today
Contact Adjudication Chair Joanne Berry to schedule your adjudication
7
Board Nominations due July 1 for fall election As we enjoy the summer months of fun in the sun and shows on the stage we must also be
thinking ahead We have some folks planning an amazing Fall Conference mdash during which our Annual Meeting and Board elections will take place Thats right elections This is where
you as a CTAM member come in
At this time we are making a call for nominees to the Board We are looking for people who have been supporters of CTAM and who have a desire to see community theater in Michigan grow and thrive folks with leadership qualities and communication skills people of brilliant
minds and unique ideas
Board members are elected to a three-year term of office and are expected to attend six Board meetings per year (including at the Fall Conference and the Spring Conference or AACTfest) They are ex-pected to attend CTAM ac-tivities and remember that travel is at your own
expense
If you know someone who fits the bill (even if itrsquos yourself) please email Nomination Chair Vincent Weiler with the name and contact information as well as a brief description of their qualifications to serve
on the Board
This year we will be electing three directors for three-year terms of office and one person to
complete a one-year term of office
Vincent Weiler Immediate Past President and Nomi-nating Committee Chair
Scholarship funds available for National AACTfest and Master Classes Scholarships are available for the National AACTfest which will be held in Grand Rapids in June Follow the winners from the Regional competition that was held in Midland during April Scholarships cover the cost of registra-tion only for members of area groups to attend and watch the competition Scholarship applications are also being accepted for the Mas-ter Classes that are coming up in July at the McMullan Center The deadline for application is the week before the event and is
limited to two members from the same theatre group per
year
What better way to invest in your members and volunteers than helping them attend the CTAM-sponsored educational
events
For Scholarship applications check out our website or contact Christy Frick at
cfrick9898charternet
Christy Frick CTAM Treasurer and Chair Scholar-ship Committee
8
Action shot left is from Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing and their production of Best Friends
Below are two photos from The Amish Project pre-sented by Farmington Players and the first alternate winning play from the Michigan AACTFest As a fundraiser and special performances for the commu-nity they are offering a weekend of performances on June 12 and 13 Everyone in the area is invited to attend
Grosse Pointe Theatre ended their season with an outstanding production of The Pro-ducers during May
Terry Jolink Awards Chair
July 1 deadline for CTAM Awards approaching ldquoFeeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving itrdquo So says
William Arthur Ward (Quote Garden)
Volunteers are an essential resource for most nonprofits and membership organizations There are legions of volunteers across North America working to improve their communities
and help organizations meet their missions
The selfless commitment and efforts of these volunteers should be ac-knowledged and recognized on a regular basis throughout the year Each community theatre should of-
fer an opportunity to formally recog-nize the efforts of the individuals who have raised funds sang and danced their hearts out painted sets written the playbills or any other of the many roles that volunteers play in
our success
Demonstrating your appreciation for and recog-nizing volunteer contributions to your organi-zation is important on so many levels First and foremost we all want volunteers to enjoy their experience and feel their efforts are appreci-ated At the same time saying thanks and for-mally recognizing volunteers is important to keep these individuals motivated and happy so theyrsquoll keep coming back After all volunteer recruitment and training is time-consuming so itrsquos in the organizationrsquos and the volunteerrsquos best interests to ensure they have a fulfilling
experience But in addition your volunteers are ambassadors ndash representing your organiza-tion during programs at events etc ndash and their volunteer experience will directly impact the way in which they represent or personify
your organization and your mission
So developing an ongoing process to thank and recognize your volunteers can have an impact on your organizationrsquos success But before you rush into volunteer recognition planning it might be helpful to think about why folks vol-unteer how your volunteers might want to be recognized and how recognition can become
part of your organizationrsquos culture
Once yoursquove thought about what is mo-tivating your volunteers as well as your organizationrsquos volunteering cul-
ture you can decide whether you want to focus on informal or formal recogni-
tion or a combination of the two
This year why not nominate someone from you theatre to be recognized by CTAM by nominating them for the Robert A McKenna
Award or the Dorothy Arnett Volunteer Ser-
vice Award
The McKenna Award is for devotion to theater in Michigan and the Arnett Volunteer Service Award is to recognize individuals (or couples) who are so important to your particular group This latter award is presented by a CTAM Board member in your hometown at a group
function
For more information on the awards and to make a nomination go the CTAM website or
contact Terry Jolink
Reasons why we volunteer based on Volunteering in Canada Infographic
To make a contribution to the community - 93
To use their skills and experiences - 78
Personally affected by the organizationrsquos cause - 59
To explore onersquos own strengths - 48
To network with or meet people - 46
Because their friends volunteer - 48
To improve job opportunities - 22
To fulfill religious obligations or beliefs - 21
Have you considered adjudication for one of your shows next season Remember that all member groups are enti-tled to one FREE adjudication each season so now is the time to schedule your group CTAM will pay for the first one the fee for others is $50 Several groups in Michigan have all of their shows adjudicated in an ef-fort to improve their product
Some people initially resist but after seeing and hearing the good that comes from adju-dication they are all in favor Schedule your
adjudications today
Contact Adjudication Chair Joanne Berry to schedule your adjudication
7
Board Nominations due July 1 for fall election As we enjoy the summer months of fun in the sun and shows on the stage we must also be
thinking ahead We have some folks planning an amazing Fall Conference mdash during which our Annual Meeting and Board elections will take place Thats right elections This is where
you as a CTAM member come in
At this time we are making a call for nominees to the Board We are looking for people who have been supporters of CTAM and who have a desire to see community theater in Michigan grow and thrive folks with leadership qualities and communication skills people of brilliant
minds and unique ideas
Board members are elected to a three-year term of office and are expected to attend six Board meetings per year (including at the Fall Conference and the Spring Conference or AACTfest) They are ex-pected to attend CTAM ac-tivities and remember that travel is at your own
expense
If you know someone who fits the bill (even if itrsquos yourself) please email Nomination Chair Vincent Weiler with the name and contact information as well as a brief description of their qualifications to serve
on the Board
This year we will be electing three directors for three-year terms of office and one person to
complete a one-year term of office
Vincent Weiler Immediate Past President and Nomi-nating Committee Chair
Scholarship funds available for National AACTfest and Master Classes Scholarships are available for the National AACTfest which will be held in Grand Rapids in June Follow the winners from the Regional competition that was held in Midland during April Scholarships cover the cost of registra-tion only for members of area groups to attend and watch the competition Scholarship applications are also being accepted for the Mas-ter Classes that are coming up in July at the McMullan Center The deadline for application is the week before the event and is
limited to two members from the same theatre group per
year
What better way to invest in your members and volunteers than helping them attend the CTAM-sponsored educational
events
For Scholarship applications check out our website or contact Christy Frick at
cfrick9898charternet
Christy Frick CTAM Treasurer and Chair Scholar-ship Committee
8
Action shot left is from Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing and their production of Best Friends
Below are two photos from The Amish Project pre-sented by Farmington Players and the first alternate winning play from the Michigan AACTFest As a fundraiser and special performances for the commu-nity they are offering a weekend of performances on June 12 and 13 Everyone in the area is invited to attend
Grosse Pointe Theatre ended their season with an outstanding production of The Pro-ducers during May
Have you considered adjudication for one of your shows next season Remember that all member groups are enti-tled to one FREE adjudication each season so now is the time to schedule your group CTAM will pay for the first one the fee for others is $50 Several groups in Michigan have all of their shows adjudicated in an ef-fort to improve their product
Some people initially resist but after seeing and hearing the good that comes from adju-dication they are all in favor Schedule your
adjudications today
Contact Adjudication Chair Joanne Berry to schedule your adjudication
7
Board Nominations due July 1 for fall election As we enjoy the summer months of fun in the sun and shows on the stage we must also be
thinking ahead We have some folks planning an amazing Fall Conference mdash during which our Annual Meeting and Board elections will take place Thats right elections This is where
you as a CTAM member come in
At this time we are making a call for nominees to the Board We are looking for people who have been supporters of CTAM and who have a desire to see community theater in Michigan grow and thrive folks with leadership qualities and communication skills people of brilliant
minds and unique ideas
Board members are elected to a three-year term of office and are expected to attend six Board meetings per year (including at the Fall Conference and the Spring Conference or AACTfest) They are ex-pected to attend CTAM ac-tivities and remember that travel is at your own
expense
If you know someone who fits the bill (even if itrsquos yourself) please email Nomination Chair Vincent Weiler with the name and contact information as well as a brief description of their qualifications to serve
on the Board
This year we will be electing three directors for three-year terms of office and one person to
complete a one-year term of office
Vincent Weiler Immediate Past President and Nomi-nating Committee Chair
Scholarship funds available for National AACTfest and Master Classes Scholarships are available for the National AACTfest which will be held in Grand Rapids in June Follow the winners from the Regional competition that was held in Midland during April Scholarships cover the cost of registra-tion only for members of area groups to attend and watch the competition Scholarship applications are also being accepted for the Mas-ter Classes that are coming up in July at the McMullan Center The deadline for application is the week before the event and is
limited to two members from the same theatre group per
year
What better way to invest in your members and volunteers than helping them attend the CTAM-sponsored educational
events
For Scholarship applications check out our website or contact Christy Frick at
cfrick9898charternet
Christy Frick CTAM Treasurer and Chair Scholar-ship Committee
8
Action shot left is from Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing and their production of Best Friends
Below are two photos from The Amish Project pre-sented by Farmington Players and the first alternate winning play from the Michigan AACTFest As a fundraiser and special performances for the commu-nity they are offering a weekend of performances on June 12 and 13 Everyone in the area is invited to attend
Grosse Pointe Theatre ended their season with an outstanding production of The Pro-ducers during May
8
Action shot left is from Riverwalk Theatre in Lansing and their production of Best Friends
Below are two photos from The Amish Project pre-sented by Farmington Players and the first alternate winning play from the Michigan AACTFest As a fundraiser and special performances for the commu-nity they are offering a weekend of performances on June 12 and 13 Everyone in the area is invited to attend
Grosse Pointe Theatre ended their season with an outstanding production of The Pro-ducers during May
