Tacoma Musical Playhouse (TMP) proudly announces that its production of The Addams Family was the big winner at this year’s National AACTFest 2017.

AACT’s theater festivals are part of a multi-year process that culminates in a national festival, held in odd-numbered years. Community theaters from AACT’s ten regions enter productions for adjudication and advancement from state to regional to national level. AACTFest is thus a celebration of theater and a learning experience for those who take part.

The National AACTFest 2017 festival is a major event – typically more than 600 people participate, with performances of 12 productions, plus workshops and exhibitions. Awards are presented for outstanding work in performance, including production, acting directing, lighting, sound, sets, costumes, among others.

The following awards were given to Tacoma Musical Playhouse at the AACTFest 2017 Award Ceremony. Winners were announced on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at AACTFest 2017 in Rochester, Minnesota.

– Outstanding Production: The Addams Family, Tacoma Musical Playhouse

– Outstanding Achievement in a Leading Role:

Actor, Rafe Wadleigh (Gomez Addams)

– Outstanding Achievement in a Featured Role:

Actor, Jonathan Bill (Lurch)

– Outstanding Achievement in a Supporting Role:

Actress, Savana Masako Smith (Wednesday)

– Outstanding Achievement in Ensemble Performance

– Outstanding Achievement in Set Design, Dennis Kurtz & Ely Mattson

– Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, Cedric Leggin

– Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, Jocelyne Fowler

At an earlier AACTFest 2017 awards ceremony TMP brought home two additional awards. The David C. Bryant Outstanding Service Award went to Jon Douglas Rake, Managing Artistic Director of TMP, which recognizes individual members of AACT for significant, valuable, and lasting service to community theater.

Tacoma Musical Playhouse was also honored with the Distinguished Merit Award. This award is presented to individuals and organizations in recognition of contributions made to promote and develop the highest standards for community theater.

Tacoma Musical Playhouse is a non-profit arts organization, and the largest community theater in the Pacific Northwest. TMP was founded by Jon Douglas Rake and Jeffrey Stvrtecky in January 1994 to fulfill a need in Tacoma for a theater company that specializes in the uniquely American art form of musical theater. TMP’s mission is “Enriching lives through the art form of musical theater.” We believe that people’s lives are enriched by high-quality entertainment. Sometimes that entertainment challenges people to think about life issues; other times it offers opportunities for hilarity; and still other times it offers moments for tears. In all cases, however, the experiences move people’s emotions and take them to a new place in their thinking. TMP has enriched people with productions like Into the Woods, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, Ragtime, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Thoroughly Modern Millie, RENT, Miss Saigon and West Side Story. We are committed to providing our patrons with a wide variety of musical theater selections that will touch them emotionally.

TMP programs are made possible, in part, by funds from ArtsFund, and Tacoma Arts Commission. TMP is a member of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT). Special thanks to TMP’s 2016/2017 season sponsors including The Dimmer Family Foundation, Jason Light at Edward Jones University Place, The Florence B. Kilworth Foundation, The Gottfried & Mary Fuchs Foundation, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Heritage Distilling Co., and Horizons Foundation.  (www.tmp.org)

– Tacoma Musical Playhouse