There are several Special Perry Awards given out each year, the Community Theater of the Year Award is one of them. The recipient of this award is determined by an NJACT board vote, based on nomination letters submitted by the theater community. The purpose of this award is to recognize and celebrate a New Jersey theater organization that has made a significant contribution to their community.
Past Award Recipients:
- Players' Guild of Leonia, 2009
- Over the Rainbow Productions, 2008
- Mystic Vision Players, 2007
- Summit Playhouse, 2006
- Somerset Valley Players, 2005
- Westfield Community Players, 2004
- First Avenue Playhouse, 2003
- Attic Ensemble, 2002
- ShowKids Invitational Theater (S.K.I.T.), 2001
- Playhouse 22, 2000
- Circle Players, 1999
Rules and Criteria
The following rules and criteria must be met to be considered for the NJACT Community Theater of the Year Award:
- All submissions should be in narrative form and should include a list of productions mounted since inception.
- Any theater may nominate themselves or another theater.
- Theaters that have been named Community Theater of the Year after 1998 are no longer eligible.
- Nominated theaters must have produced at least one show per season for the past ten years.
- Nominated theaters must show some level of community service.
- Nominated theaters may show evidence of surviving trauma and hardship to come back and continue with excellence.
- Nominated theaters may show involvement with youth, senior and special needs audiences.
- Nominated theaters may show commitment to more than one genre.
- Nominated theaters may show community effort with other theaters, either performance or non-performance related.
New Jersey Association of Community Theaters
Community Theater of the Year Award
In Recognition of Outstanding Contributions to the Community