Outstanding Service Award

2015 Honoree
Victoria Hanrahan
Ansbach, Germany

Victoria has worked for U.S. Army Europe Entertainment for thirty years. She is the longest serving Army Entertainment Branch Director, and epitomizes the U.S. Army Entertainment ideal and mission. Victoria's career has been a sterling example of hard work, perseverance, selfless service, devotion to soldiers and their families, belief in the mission, and a love of the art. She has worked as a one-person operation for much of her career. Despite that challenge, Victoria's consistently innovative and inventive approach has allowed her to operate an extensive and successful theatre program while maintaining the highest level of production and program quality. Currently serving as the Entertainment Director and U.S. Army Garrison at Ansbach Terrace Playhouse, Victoria has received numerous U.S. Army entertainment citations and awards for her work. Her talents, service, belief in the program, and personal integrity have greatly served Army Entertainment, the U.S. Army, and the United States.

2015 Honoree
Lou Vander Have
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Lou has volunteered on stage/off stage and in the boardroom for all of the theatres in Grand Rapids for over 50 years. He has been instrumental in helping the theatres create and maintain effective front of house operations and procedures as well as managing and staffing box office personnel. Lou has created show-specific props for many productions and on many occasions has lent specialty props from his legendary Coca Cola collection. He currently serves as the preview house manager for Civic Theatre and Community Circle in Grand Rapids as well as on the Steering Committee for Grand Awards, which has raised over $100,000 in scholarships for local students pursuing degrees in theatre. Lou is a steady force, always supporting and always working for the good of all the community theatres in the Grand Rapids area.

Previous Recipients

David C. Bryant

The David C. Bryant Outstanding Service Award was established in 1978 to honor one of the original founders and the third President (1965-68) of ACTA (later AACT).  Dave was the Artistic Director of the Sheboygan (WI) Community Players from 1957 until his death in 1971.  Under his influence in Sheboygan, according to its 50th anniversary book, "more people were involved onstage, backstage and in the audience.  There was a marked liveliness to the theatrical fare.  Even the printed playbills of the period reflect creativity, individuality and a sense of panache."  Dave instituted the production of a musical every year and was instrumental in the design of their new thrust stage in order to provide "closer visual, auditory and emotional contact with the actors."  His influence in Sheboygan was so powerful that when a new Artistic Director joined the staff in 1981, 10 years after Dave's untimely death, "Dave was all I heard about, even though there were four Directors of Theatre between us."

Essentially a "let-us-never-forget-the-work-of-those-who-have-gone-before-us" award, it is given for "significant and valuable service to community theatre" on a local, regional or national level.  This service may be artistic, business or ethical in nature.  It may be for a local theatre or the field of community theatre in general, but it must be significant and have a lasting impact.