Immediate Past President’s Welcome

Come for the theatre, stay for the football!

Why should you choose the state of Alabama for theatre? You would be interested to know that Alabama is home to amazing talent in the theatre profession, theatre education and home-grown theatre involvement for adults and kids.

I have had the pleasure of working with the Alabama Conference of Theatre for almost a decade now and I have worked with a lot of folks who are leaders, teachers, supporters and active participants on every level of theatre. They are theatre professionals and advocates who are inspiring and instructing the next generations of theatre professionals.

On the Professional level, Alabama is home to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, City Equity Theatre, Theatrical Lighting Systems, Inc, the Alabama Theatre, Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center, Montgomery Performing Arts Center, the Saenger Theatre in Mobile and many other theatres and companies who bring professional theatre to Alabama or provide technical support for theatres throughout the southeast and the nation.

On the College and University level of education, Alabama has some of the strongest and fastest growing departments in the southeast. From two-year programs to graduate programs, there is a college or university to fulfill your educational needs. But not only are they strong academic programs, they are acknowledged by their peers in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for their quality of productions. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Theatre production “In the Blood,” by Suzan-Lori Parks, was invited to the Region IV Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF), Feb. 5-10, 2008, at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. “In the Blood” was one of five shows chosen for regional competition from among 60 participating entries in the 10-state region. The show, directed by Dennis McLernon, was then invited to the Kennedy Center as one of four nationally invited productions. Troy University’s production of A Lesson Before Dying was invited to the KCACTF Region IV festival in 2009. Other productions invited in the past several years include UAB’s Intimate Apparel and Birmingham Southern College’s production of Urinetown. In Alabama, theatre education is growing at the college and university level. Musical theatre programs at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and Auburn University have seen dramatic growth since their inception. The number of college freshmen majoring or minoring in theatre has risen steadily throughout the state. That growth helps colleges and universities to expand faculty and provide stronger individual attention to the next generation of theatre professionals.

The growth and rising strength of talent in the colleges and universities of Alabama owe a lot to the growth and strength of talent in the secondary schools of Alabama. Each year the Walter F. Trumbauer High School Theatre Festival involves high school students from around the state in individual events, ensemble events and one-act plays. This past year we had approximately 1300 students participating at the state level. The festival grows every year and the quality of production continues to improve. The One-act Festival Best in Show represents the state of Alabama at the Southeastern Theatre Conference Convention in March of every year. Every year Alabama provides excellent representation and brings home recognition of the quality of theatre in the state. Last year’s Best in Show from the Trumbauer Festival was Huntsville High School’s production of Forbidden Broadway. Mike Chapelle and his ensemble of students also placed best in show out of the ten states at the Southeastern Theatre Conference Convention in 2009. Schools in Alabama provide qualified instruction and production involvement in high school and the theatre curriculum is growing to middle schools as well.

Community theatre has had a long history in Alabama. This past year Alabama Conference of Theatre was able to organize the Community Theatre Festival at Montevallo, hosted by the Montevallo Main Street Players. This was the first festival in a while for the state. ACT got a lot of involvement from community theatres throughout the state and four companies presented at the festival with Pell City Arts and Theatre 98 from Mobile representing the state at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Our community festival this year is being hosted by Pell City Arts and the involvement seems to be growing for productions and workshops.

This next year Alabama Conference of Theatre will be working to expand involvement in the Professional and Theatre for Youth Divisions to provide more opportunities for theatre artists and audiences statewide. Our website will be growing to provide more information on education, presentations and opportunities within the state in all areas of theatre. Please make sure you visit us often to see the new changes and to get involved, just e-mail us.

Oh yeah, and the state of Alabama has some good football, too. Check it out after the show.

Chris Rich, Immediate Past President
Alabama Conference of Theatre