Theatre Tuscaloosa Brings Two National Awards Home to Title Town

TUSCALOOSA, AL – Theatre Tuscaloosa’s Launch Day (Love Stories from the Year 2108) by Michael Higgins brought home two national awards from the American Association of Community Theatre national festival (AACTFest) in Louisville, Kentucky on June 17, 2023.

Pictured by Jolea Brown, Creative Photography - AACTFest 2023 - Louisville, KY - Bomhard Theatre, Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts - Pictured: Front row from left: Brandy Johnson, Sam Hodo, Ashlyn Lambert, Tina Turley, Michael Higgins, Jeanette Waterman, Adam Miller, Kazarious Brown, Ebony Wesley; Back row from left: Amaria Jackson, Steven Yates, Hallie Grace Hamner, Gabriel Carden, Margaret Carr, Mileidy Crespo-Jones, Jessica Briana Kelly, and DeAnthony Mays

Twelve theaters from across the country and the world competed at AACTFest 2023. Jeanette Waterman earned “Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design” and Charles Prosser earned “Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design.”

“We are beyond thrilled with our cast and crew’s work on bringing this show to nationals,” Launch Day director and Theatre Tuscaloosa Executive Producer Tina Turley said. “Bringing home two national titles is just icing on the cake!”

Pictured by Porfirio Solozano - Charles Prosser and Jeanette Waterman

Launch Day previously won “Best in Show'' at the Alabama Conference of Theatre’s annual Alabama Community Theatre Festival (ACTFest) and the AACT Region 4 Festival at the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC). Theatre Tuscaloosa’s production of Launch Day was also part of AACT’s 2022 NewPlayFest program, during which it received its world premiere. Theatre Tuscaloosa last competed at nationals in 2021 with the original production of Love and Cheese Toast by Cooper Shattuck, which was recognized with two awards in Outstanding Achievement in Acting.

“With two consecutive appearances in the national AACTFest, Theatre Tuscaloosa is establishing its reputation as having some of the best talent in the country,” Managing Director Adam Miller said. “We are grateful to the Tuscaloosa community’s support in helping us go to nationals, and we can’t wait to continue to showcase more exceptional Tuscaloosa talent at our summer musical, Sister Act.”

More information is available at 205.391.2277.

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Theatre Tuscaloosa is a 501c3 not-for-profit community theatre located on the Martin Campus of Shelton State Community College. Theatre Tuscaloosa has been enriching the greater Tuscaloosa community since 1971 through quality theatrical productions and educational outreach.