About MeACT

	MeACT MISSION STATEMENT The MISSION of the Maine Association of Community Theaters (MeACT), a duly incorporated Maine Non-Profit Corporation, is to: 1. Promote the theatrical interests of its member community theater companies by providing a statewide organization; 2. Provide a clearing house of theatrical resources, including technical expertise and sharing of people, physical and intellectual theater property and ideas; 3. Publish member seasons, programs and other activities among the membership; 4. Produce an annual, public one-act play festival and workshops for its members and invited companies; and 5. Propagate among the public in general an understanding and appreciation for community theater and theater arts. Adopted by the Board of Directors, October 24, 1998

	Our reasonably 'umble roots... Maine Association of Community Theaters Festival History: 10 Years and Counting It has always seemed to me that independent organizations have a perpetually hard time existing -- not to mention moving forward. And yet there are thousands of us across the continent: garden clubs, youth groups, physical culture aficionados, cooking classes and many, many other interests clustered in little pockets of rabid and passionate enthusiasts. I'm not talking about the well known fraternal or sororital groups with their powerful national organizations, massive conventions and relentless charities. I speak neither of the cookies and punch groups set up for the kids in and out of school that promote diversity by having everyone dress as alike as possible. I'm talking of the small, rarely more than 50 members -- even in the bigger towns, organizations that appear to exist by the skin of their teeth, driven by blind passion and a sense of fun and camaraderie. And as you might imagine I think Community Theater falls, snugly, into this category. There is, of course, a national organization for Community Theater here in the USofA: The American Association of Community Theaters, and also, in our neck of the woods, otherwise known as New England, a particularly fine regional organization know as the New England Theater Conference. Both groups appear to have pretty wily field operatives who know how to interact with the locals to get things done with out being too pushy. Because, let's face it, most theaters have their share of egos, autocrats, and rampant extroverts. But the path leading up to the NETC was a decidedly faint trail in Maine. You as an individual or your group could belong or not to the regional organization but there was little on the state level for Maine. In the fall of 1995, at the instigation of Foner Curtis (yours truly) and Joseph Klapatch, the at-the-time President of Camden Civic Theatre, CCT decided to hold a one-act play festival during the early spring doldrums (mud season) or thereabouts. We sent out mailings to Community Theater addresses garnered from the listings in the back pages of Cast & Crew, the pre-eminent theater newsletter of Maine, personal contacts and newspaper sightings. And in the fullness of time - three months -- we had six groups who were excited with the idea of performing for each other. Oh, we invited the public as well, naturally. Like a menu from the halcyon day of great dining I provide the listing of shows (alphabetically by group) of that fateful weekend below... In February of 1996 at the gloriously restored Camden Opera House, Camden the following shows were presented: Camden Civic Theatre, Camden: "Sure Thing" by David Ives and directed by Hal Owen Gaslight Theater, Hallowell: "Zoo Story" by Edward Albee and directed by Joseph Cromarty Maine Theater Guild, Rockland: "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell and directed by Valerie Wells Monmouth Community Players, Monmouth: "Gloria Mundi" by Patricia Brown and directed by Lucy Rioux Shoestring Theater, Portland: "Persephone" by Nance Parker and directed by Nance Parker Watts Hall Community Players, Thomaston: "Meet The Folks" by Charles Emery and directed by David Mills Critical commentary was provided by Prof. Minor Rootes of the University of Southern Maine To further bolster my metaphor on dining I'll merely add that the shows provided ran from soup-to-nuts; there was a feast for the eyes, ears and souls and all attending had a pretty jolly time. Something for everyone: comedy, drama and pathos. Attendees agreed that we should do this again and so after a bit of discussion we formed a committee-of-the-whole, elected officers and set out operating principles and bylaws. Alas, since then two of the original groups; Maine Theatre Guild (Rockland) and Watts Hall Community Players (Thomaston), have faded from the scene. MeACT has become a rather "traditional" organization, formally set up with officers, planning, meetings and the usual trapping of bureaucracy, albeit on a much smaller scale than even most of our participating groups. We are lean and nimble and forward looking. The Board of Directors for MeACT meets 3-4 times a year to plan the Festival, usually held in Late April or early May. Since the beginning Lucy Rioux, Bob Demers and shortly thereafter Richard Bostwick have helped this effort along with continued enthusiasm and hard work. Right now, in the glow of our most successful Festival ever, with eight groups participating in 2006, we are trying to appeal to a broader audience, as it were, to gain membership and generate some fresh input and ideas. Input and ideas can be forwarded to the editor: Foner Curtis at foner.curtis@cambrex.com Thanks for reading! Cordially, Foner Curtis