MACT

It’s getting to be about that time, again. Time for MACT to seek new members to join our Board. If you are interested in learning more about what is involved with being on the MACT board, now is the time to express your interest and ask. If you know someone else that might be interested, please forward this information to them.

MACT is a statewide, volunteer run organization which holds meetings, workshops, festivals and other events throughout the state of Minnesota. Its mission is:

• to promote standards of excellence in theatrical endeavors in Minnesota communities;
• to encourage, channel and facilitate the exchange of ideas among theatres to better foster their growth and improvement; and
• to encourage the theatre arts through educational devices such as workshops, festivals, contests, conferences and other means.

The MACT Board of Directors is the governing body for MACT. They control our activities and our finances. Board members serve a three year term. There is no limit on the number of terms a Board member can serve. Some members have served one term and left. Some have been on the Board for over 20 years. That is each members’ choice.

Our Board members come from all over the state. We currently have Board members from Pipestone to Austin to Stillwater to Cokato. We are currently light on representation from the northern half of the state. We try not to be too metro-centric, to truly be a statewide organization.

The MACT Board meets every other month, in even numbered months. We try to have three meetings per year that are in-person meetings, usually with a virtual option. These are in the summer and fall, when the weather is better for traveling. These meetings are often on a Saturday afternoon and may include attending a local performance that evening. The other 3 meetings per year, in winter and spring, are virtual meetings. They tend to be on Saturday mornings.

The MACT Board is a fun-loving, generally easy-going group of people that share a love of community theatre. Their love extends beyond any individual theatre group. They strive to improve Minnesota communities, by helping theatre thrive.

Our two main programs to fulfill our mission are MACT*Fest and Fast*Fest. We also occasionally do workshops outside of our festivals.

MACT*Fest is our adjudicated, multi-day festival of 60-minute shows that is part of the AACTFest festival cycle. It is held in February or March of odd numbered years. Two shows from this festival move on to the Region V AACTFest, held in early April. At least one show from that festival advances to the national festival, AACTFest, which is held in June.

Fast*Fest is our smaller festival of 20-minute shows. It usually starts Friday night with a welcome social. On Saturday morning there are either workshops or performance, depending on the number of shows entered. Saturday afternoon and evening have additional performances. The festival ends with an afterglow social after the last performance.

We hope that you will consider joining our group of “Merry Men (and Women)”. Our annual meeting will be held on Saturday, June 7 staring at 3:00 pm at Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts in Ramsey (city, not county). Beside any MACT member, anyone interested in learning more about MACT is welcome to attend this meeting. Only current members of MACT can vote or be elected to the Board.

To find out more about the annual meeting or getting involved with MACT, contact any Board member or our President, Darren Beecher at AdmAsstMACT@gmail.com or our webmaster at WebmasterMACT@gmail.com.