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AACT

A Warm Welcome Back

By Chaz Coberly • January 5, 2026

Greetings fellow Kansas theatremakers! I want to be the first to welcome you back to the officially reinstated Association of Kansas Theatre. The AKT Board has been hard at work getting this newly reformed organization off the ground, and we are pleased to share that we have officially received our IRS determination letter granting us 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. So, what is AKT? The original Association of Kansas Theatre was a statewide theatre service organization formed in 1979. It operated successfully for decades before dissolving in 2012 after failing to file required paperwork. At the 2025 Kansas AACTFest in Lawrence this past spring, Theatre Lawrence Executive Director Jaime Ulmer mentioned that Kansas once had this organization—but that it had quietly disappeared. As someone relatively new to the field, I found myself asking simple questions: Why did it go away? and perhaps more importantly, why not bring it back? From there, things moved quickly. Organization emails were located, spreadsheets were curated, and outreach began. With enough persistence—and a shared belief that Kansas theatre benefits from connection—we rallied more than twenty theatres across the state who expressed interest in reforming AKT. A few months and nine board members later, we now find ourselves on the precipice of relaunch. At this point, you might reasonably be thinking: That’s helpful context—but what does AKT actually do, and why should I care? Fair question. AKT is organized around four core objectives: To promote standards of excellence in theatrical endeavors throughout the state To encourage and facilitate the exchange of ideas among theatres to foster growth and improvement To support theatre arts in Kansas through educational opportunities such as workshops, festivals, conferences, and other initiatives deemed effective by the Board of Directors To establish a Kansas membership affiliated with the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) In short, we are here for you. We are here for Kansas theatre—and to provide support, resources, and connection to help your organization thrive. What does that look like in practice? Currently, we are working toward launching a statewide theatre conference in March 2026, bringing together theatre professionals from across Kansas for workshops, learning, and networking. We also plan to develop educational materials on our website so theatremakers can access practical information on a wide range of theatre-related topics. Perhaps most importantly, AKT exists to help you find your people—to ensure that when challenges arise, you are not navigating them alone. Our goal is to foster a network of knowledgeable, generous colleagues who can share experience, perspective, and wisdom. If we can accomplish that, we will consider AKT a success—but only if we do this work together. I very much look forward to meeting you and to building the future of Kansas theatre alongside you. Thank you for being part of this renewed effort. Chaz Coberly, JD, MFA President, Association of Kansas Theatre

Updated essential resource for theatres

January 4, 2026

AACT releases updated edition of the essential guide to strong, effective leadership for community theatre boards