Title: American Association of Community Theatre Records
Inclusive Dates: 1965-1976

Creator:

• American Association of Community Theatre

Call Number: U.S. Mss 167AN

Quantity: 4.0 c.f. (10 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society Archives / Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research
Contact Information

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Records of the American Community Theatre Association, founded in 1958 to aid the growth and development of community theater, and re-named the American Association of Community Theatre in 1986. The majority of the documentation dates from those years (1969-1973) during which donor Kay Fliehr was actively involved. Included are brochures, correspondence, financial records, reports, minutes, and newsletters relating to ACTA internal operations and the activities of ACTA's parent organization, the American Educational Theatre Association (1936- ). Records of similar character relate to the parent organization after its reorganization into the American Theatre Association in 1971. These internal records concern general operations; specific ACTA projects and publications; annual conventions and conferences; and the Festival of the American Community Theatre (FACT), a nationwide competition to select the best community theater organization. Also present is a small file of Mrs. Fliehr's non-ACTA correspondence and reports.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0167an

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Historical Background of ACTA

The American Educational Theatre Association (AETA) was founded in 1936 to foster amateur theatrical activity in the United States. Originally AETA had three divisions: one for theater in secondary schools, one for children's theater, and one for community theater. However, as amateur theatrical activity increased and prospered across the country AETA activities expanded to incorporate other specific theater interest groups.

By 1971 AETA felt it could best realize its goals by a reorganization of the parent group. At the annual AETA convention in 1971 the AETA became the American Theatre Association (ATA). This organization is composed of the following constituent divisions: Children's Theatre Association (CTA), University and College Theatre Association (UCTA), American Community Theatre Association (ACTA), Secondary School Theatre Association (SSTA), National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST), and University Resident Theatre Association (URTA).

The ATA is essentially an association of associations, exchanging ideas and information, discussing common problems, and sponsoring various national, regional, and state activities. As the professional association of individuals and organizations involved in non-commercial theatre, it coordinates programs and research efforts within the constituent divisions, and serves as a liaison with commercial theater organizations, federal and state agencies, and international theater organizations.

The ACTA was founded in 1958 as a national organization to serve both local and state community theater groups and individuals who worked in or were interested in community theater. It achieved regular divisional status in AETA in 1962.

Two major programs mounted biennially by ACTA are its floating conferences and the Festival of the American Community Theatre (FACT). The floating conferences, held 2-3 days prior to the national ATA convention, allow ACTA members to tour various community theaters near the convention site. FACT consists of a series of state and regional competitions culminating in a final national competition to determine the best community theater troupe in the country. These and other ACTA-sponsored programs are part of that organization's efforts to aid in the growth and development of community theater in America.

Biographical Information on Kay Fliehr

Kay Fliehr has been actively involved with theater and the arts for over a decade. In 1963 she joined the staff of the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis and eventually became the associate public relations director. Her work there with Bradley C. Morison in creating and directing the public relations, audience development, and educational services programs for the theater led to their collaboration on the book In Search of an Audience, which documents these early days of the Guthrie. (Papers relating to the writing of the book are housed at the Guthrie Theatre Archives at the University of Minnesota).

In 1967 Fliehr and Morison formed Morison/Fliehr Associates, a consulting firm working in planning, development, communications, and education programs for theaters, arts councils, music institutions, private foundations, and civic organizations. The Association dissolved in 1969 with Morison creating Arts Development Associates to serve the professional aspects of the arts and Fliehr serving in a consultant relationship concentrating on community and volunteer aspects. That same year Fliehr served as one of three judges for the American Community Theatre Festival. She became assistant director of ACTA and organized and chaired the National Community Theatre Festival in 1971. Fliehr served as president of ACTA in 1972 and 1973 and has also been a member of the Executive Committee of ATA. While still serving as an occasional consultant to various theater and arts organizations, Fliehr retired from active involvement in theater and public relations in 1975. She and her husband, Dr. Richard Fliehr, make their home in Minneapolis and both remain active in community theater activities.

The records of the ACTA document the activities of a national organization attempting to aid the growth and development of community theater in America. The bulk of the collection relates to the years that Kay Fliehr was actively involved in ACTA, 1969-1973. The records are arranged into four series: American Educational Theatre Association, American Theatre Association, American Community Theatre Association, and Miscellany.

The AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL THEATRE ASSOCIATION series focuses on the parent organization of ACTA and gives a brief overview of it prior to its 1971 reorganization. Included are brochures, convention programs, correspondence, financial reports and budgets, minutes and agenda, newsletters, and reports from 1965 to 1971 with the latter period more heavily documented. The records reveal AETA's relationship with its constituent divisions, particularly ACTA; the development of a reorganization program to better serve its members; and a general overview of AETA's functions and programs. The AMERICAN THEATRE ASSOCIATION series contains similar types of records for the period after reorganization, 1971-1976.

The AMERICAN COMMUNITY THEATRE ASSOCIATION series forms the heart of the collection. It has been divided into two main subseries: General Files and Meetings. The General Files contain brochures, correspondence, financial reports, membership lists, minutes, newsletters, and reports which give information on ACTA's operation. Several subject files document specific ACTA projects such as the creation of a bibliography of theater works, compilation of a national directory of community theaters, and publication of the ACTA magazine Onstage. There is also a folder on the Association Internationale du Theatre Amateur/International Amateur Theatre Association (AITA/IATA), of which ACTA is a member. The Meetings section includes correspondence, reports, notes, financial records, and other materials on conventions, floating conferences, and festivals. The festival files are the most complete; they reveal the growth of this ACTA biennial event and the high degree of cooperation necessary to plan, finance, and publicize the regional and national festivals.

MISCELLANY includes a small file of Kay Fliehr correspondence which, though theater related, does not pertain to her ACTA activities. Miscellaneous membership lists and reports concerned with theater in general complete this series.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Kay Fliehr, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1974-1977. Accession Number: MCHC74-018, MCHC75-100, MCHC76-011, MCHC76-91, MCHC77-22, MCHC77-29

Processing Information

Processed by Steve Masar, Alice Siemering and C. Swiss, September 1, 1976 and Christine Rongone, November 3, 1977.

	Series: American Educational Theatre Association
Box   1 Folder   1	Brochures and Mailings, undated
Box   1 Folder   2-3	Convention Programs, 1967, 1969-1971
Box   1 Folder   4	Correspondence, General, 1968, 1970-1973, undated
Box   1 Folder   5	Financial Reports and Budgets, 1965-1971, undated
Box   1 Folder   6	Minutes and Agenda, 1970-1971, undated
Box   1 Folder   7	Newsletters, 1968-1971
Box   1 Folder   8	Reports, 1970-1971, undated
	Series: American Theatre Association	⇧
Box   1 Folder   9	Agenda, 1972-1973
Box   1 Folder   10	Brochures, 1975, undated
Box   1 Folder   11	Correspondence, General, 1971-1973, 1975, undated
Box   2 Folder   1-2	Convention Programs, 1972-1974
Box   2 Folder   3-5	Directory, 1972-1974
Box   2 Folder   6	Lists of Officers, 1971-1973, undated
Box   2 Folder   7-8	Newsletter, 1972-1976
	Reports
	General
Box   2 Folder   9	1971-1972
Box   3 Folder   1	1973, undated
Box   3 Folder   2	Divisional, 1971-1973
	Series: American Community Theatre Association	⇧
	General Files
	Association Internationale du Theatre Amateur/International Amateur Theatre Association
Box   3 Folder   3	Address List, Bibliography, and Bulletins, 1971-1973, 1976
Box   3 Folder   4	Correspondence, 1971-1975, undated
Box   3 Folder   5	Reports, 1971-1975
Box   3 Folder   6	Bibliography, 1966, 1970-1973, undated
Box   3 Folder   7	Brochures and Mailings, circa 1973-1975, undated
	Correspondence
Box   3 Folder   8	General, 1966-1974, undated
Box   3 Folder   9	Regional, 1972-1973, undated
Box   3 Folder   10	State, 1976-1973, undated
Box   3 Folder   11	David C. Bryant Memorial Award, 1971-1973
	Directory of Community Theatres
Box   3 Folder   12	Correspondence, 1970-1973, undated
	Lists
Box   3 Folder   13	Arkansas - Nebraska
Box   4 Folder   1	Nevada - Wyoming, Miscellaneous
Box   4 Folder   2	Directory of State Publicity Representatives in ACTA's National Community Theatre Communications Network, August, 1973
Box   4 Folder   3	Finances, General, circa 1966-1974
	General Files
Box   4 Folder   4-5	Information Services, 1970-1975, undated
	List
Box   4 Folder   6	Board, Committee, and Council Members, 1969-1974, undated
Box   10 Folder   1	Mailing, circa 1972-1973
	Membership
Box   4 Folder   7	Correspondence, 1970-1974
Box   10 Folder   2	List, 1972-1973, undated
Box   4 Folder   8	Miscellany, undated
Box   4 Folder   9-10	Minutes, 1966-1975
Box   4 Folder   11	Newsletter, 1968-1974
	Onstage
Box   5 Folder   1	Correspondence and Miscellany, 1970-1972, undated
Box   5 Folder   2	Publication, 1971-1972
Box   5 Folder   3	Operating Code, 1969-1972, undated
Box   5 Folder   4	Reports, 1966-1967, 1970-1974, undated
	Meetings
	Conventions
Box   5 Folder   5	1966 Convention, 1966-1967
Box   5 Folder   6	1967 Convention, 1966, undated
Box   5 Folder   7	1969 Convention, 1969
Box   5 Folder   8	1971 Convention, 1970-1971
Box   5 Folder   9	1972 Convention, 1971-1972, undated
Box   5 Folder   10	1973 Convention, 1972
Box   5 Folder   11	1974 Convention, 1972-1973, undated
	Floating Conferences
Box   5 Folder   12	1966 Floating Conference, 1966
Box   5 Folder   13	1968 Floating Conference, 1968
Box   5 Folder   14	1970 Floating Conference, 1970
Box   5 Folder   15	1972 Floating Conference, 1971-1972
Box   5 Folder   16	1974 Floating Conference, 1973-1974
	Festivals
	American Community Theatre Festival (1969)
Box   6 Folder   1	General, 1968-1969, undated
	Regional
Box   6 Folder   2	Southeast, 1969
Box   6 Folder   3	Southwest, 1969
Box   6 Folder   4	Western, 1969
Box   6 Folder   5	North Central, 1969
Box   6 Folder   6	Northeast, 1969
	National Community Theatre Festival (1971)
Box   6 Folder   7	Budgets, 1971
Box   6 Folder   8-9	Correspondence, General, 1970-1972, undated
Box   6 Folder   10	Publicity, 1971, undated
	Regional Competitors
Box   6 Folder   11	West, 1970-1971, undated
Box   6 Folder   12	Southwest, 1970-1971
Box   6 Folder   13	North Central, 1970-1971
Box   7 Folder   1	Great Lakes, 1970-1971
Box   7 Folder   2	Northwest, 1970-1971
Box   7 Folder   3	Northeast, 1970-1971, undated
Box   7 Folder   4	Southeast, 1970-1971
Box   7 Folder   5	Regional Winners, 1971
Box   7 Folder   6	Reports, Rules, and Miscellany, circa 1970-1971
Box   7 Folder   7	Site Selection, 1965, 1970-1971, undated
	Festival of American Community Theatre (1973)
Box   7 Folder   8	Announcements, Schedules, and Miscellany, 1973, undated
Box   7 Folder   9	Budgets, 1973
Box   7 Folder   10	Correspondence, General, 1971-1973, undated
Box   7 Folder   11	Press Kit, circa 1973
Box   8 Folder   1	Publicity, 1971-1973, undated
Box   8 Folder   2-3	Regional Competitors, circa 1972-1973
Box   8 Folder   4	Regional Correspondence and Information Sheets, 1971-1972, undated
Box   8 Folder   5	Reports, 1972-1973, undated
	Festival of American Community Theatre (1975)
Box   8 Folder   6	General, 1972-1975, undated
	Series: Miscellany	⇧
Box   8 Folder   7	Miscellaneous Kay Fliehr Correspondence, 1967
Box   8 Folder   8	Lists, circa 1967-1972
	Reports
Box   8 Folder   9	circa 1965-1972
Box   9 Folder   1-2	circa 1965-1972