Birmingham’s South City Theatre earned several awards, including as an alternate in the Best of Show competition, at ACTFest 2024-2025, held at Decatur’s Alabama Center for the Arts Oct. 19-20.
At the community theater event, South City’s “A Tuna Christmas” also won awards for David Coker for Outstanding Achievement in Acting and for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design. Sue Ellen Gerrells and Lisa Ponder co-directed the show that also starred Alan Ashman and Robin Rushing. (Gerrells directed the show at South City last year).
At ACTFest, theaters from across the state competed and also took part in workshops.
Winning Best of Show were Self Express Productions’ “The Real Inspector Hound” and Spark Theater Company’s “Radium Girls.” (Self Express is in Winfield, and Spark is in Dothan). Both advance to the regional community theater competition, with winners there advancing to the national competition.
Other theater companies earning awards included Prattville’s Way Off Broadway and Mobile’s Samuel Edward Theatre Company.
Hosts for ACTFest were Hugh Long and William Richardson of Alabama Center for the Arts, with events coordinated by ACTFest Executive Director Cindy Harper; Lisa Ponder, chair of community theater; and Kim Mason, vice chair of community theater. Adjudicators were Tony Davison of Montgomery; Gabe Smith of Starkville, Mississippi; and Kim Frick-Welker of Cookeville, Tennessee. AACT commissioner was Susan Austin.
