We would like to share with you a wonderful opportunity to improve your craft, and experience the biennial AACT National Theatre Festival - AACTFest! The American Association of Community Theatre will be hosting AACTFest 2021, virtually on June 14 – 20.

Virtual AACTFest 2021 will have over 50 workshops, special events, keynotes, celebrity appearances, 12 National Company theatre performances, and networking, all geared towards artists, volunteers, administrators, and technicians involved in community theatre.

Save Now with the Virtual AACTFest 2021 Early-Bird registration! will feature Pricing and package options: a number of aact.org/21 Keynote Speakers AACT Member theatres can use their organizational membership Including these, to register up to three more will be announced representatives at the member rate. over the next weeks at If your theatre has a aact.org/21 group of 10 or more, they can also register at the individual member rate, per person. For registration questions and assistance, contact Karen at [email protected] Virtual AACTFest 2021 Keynote Speakers

Frank Galati Frank won two Tony Awards for his adaptation and direction of Jeff Calhoun Steppenwolf’s production of on Broadway, and was Jeff is a Tony nominee for Disney’s nominated for a Tony Award in 1998 Newsies and Deaf West Theater’s for directing the musical, . He Big River. He directed both the world has been a member of the Steppenwolf premiere and international productions of ensemble since 1985. His productions Disney’s High School Musical: On Stage at the , where he was and Disney’s High School Musical 2: On an associate director from 1986-2008, Stage. His work on Broadway’s Grease include The Winter’s Tale, The Good earned him a Tony Award Nomination for Person of Setzuan, and Cry the Beloved Best Choreography. He also provided Country. He is a professor emeritus in choreography for Xena: Warrior Princess the department of performance studies (The Bitter Suite), Downtown, Happy at , and an Together, and Weekend Warriors. He artistic associate at Asolo Repertory recently directed Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, where Home for The Holidays and A Night his adaptation of James Agee’s novel of Covenant House Stars on Amazon A Death in the Family is set to open Prime. Jeff is an associate artist at The in April. His adaption of Kafka on the Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C., and Shore, which premiered at Steppenwolf serves on the Board of Directors for will open in Zagreb, Croatia, on May Covenant House International, a not- 22. Frank is also currently working on a for-profit organization that shelters and new musical called Knoxville, with Lynn cares for homeless and trafficked youth Ahrens and . in 31 cities, across six countries. Virtual AACTFest 2021 Keynote Speakers

Chilina Kennedy Chilina is the Artistic Producer of Toronto’s Eclipse Theatre Company, but Philip Hernandez is best known for her work on stage. Philip is the only actor in Broadway Her Broadway credits include the role of history to have played both Jean Valjean Carole King in Beautiful – The Carole King and Inspector Javert in Les Misérables. Musical for over 1200 performances, He made his Broadway debut in the and Mary Magdalene in Des McAnuff’s original cast of the Tony Award-winning Jesus Christ Superstar. Off-Broadway, musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman, she originated the role of Binky in This directed by Harold Prince. In Kiss, Ain’t No Disco. She also played Sophie he created the role of Esteban, and in the first National Tour of Mamma Mia!, later went on to play the impassioned and recently was Dina in the International revolutionary Valentin in London and Tour of The Band’s Visit. Regional on Broadway. Philip created the role of performances include Phoebe in A Reverend Gonzalez in the original cast of Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Paul Simon’s The Capeman, and played (San Diego Critics’ Circle nomination), Juan Peron in Harold Prince’s 25th the title character in Evangeline (original Anniversary North American Tour of Evita. production and album), Ross Petty’s On the concert stage he has worked with pantomime The Little Mermaid (Toronto the New York Philharmonic under the Theatre Critics Award), and three seasons baton of Leonard Bernstein, Robert Shaw at the Stratford Festival and Shaw and Zubin Mehta, and with symphony Festival. She is currently developing a orchestras throughout the United States. show with Eric Holmes, Call It Love. Philip teaches audition and performance We hope you will join us for this technique in NYC, and master classes once in a lifetime opportunity! and workshops across North America. Learn More, visit: aact.org/21