2024 US Army IMCOM Europe One Act Play & YouthFest Competition

• Title TBD (One Act)

• Ultimate Laughter.  An anthology of short plays. (One Act)

• Charlotte's Web adapted by Joseph Robinette. Directed by Leslie Gale Dana'y (One Act)

• Horse Girls by Jenny Rachel Weiner. Directed by Hannah Whittington. (One Act)

• The Dear Departed by Stanley Houghton. Directed by Camilla McGill. (YouthFEST)

• Tiny Plays. An anthology of short plays. (One Act)

• Title TBD (One Act)
• Title TBD (YouthFEST)

• The Gingerbread Man by Patrick Rainville Dorne. Directed by Cindy Krewson (One Act)​​​​​​​

Fri., Oct. 11: Bavaria Performing Arts

Sun. Oct. 13: Razz Ma Tazz Community Theatre, Ramstein

Tues.  Oct. 15:  The Stuttgart Theatre Center

Thurs. Oct. 17: The Soldiers' Theatre, Vicenza

Kathy Pingel is a freelance director, teacher, and adjudicator at theatres across the US.

Until her retirement in 2015, Kathy was the Director of Education and Youth Programming at the Des Moines Community Playhouse for ten years. She also served as Artistic Director of the Kate Goldman Children's Theatre.

She holds a BA in theatre from Eastern Michigan University, a MA from Northwestern University in Performance Studies and an MAT from Northwestern.

Kathy has adjudicated at the state and regional, national and international festivals for the American Association of Community Theatre. In 2017, she was named an AACT Fellow and in 2019 was given the prestigious Art Cole Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Since leaving the Des Moines Playhouse, Kathy has directed and taught in Kentucky, Oregon, Michigan, Iowa, Florida, Oklahoma and Ansbach, Germany. Kathy’s newest role is Dramaturge for AACT’s NewPlayFest.  

Ron Ziegler resides in North Port, FL and retired from his position as Festivals Coordinator for the American Association of Community Theatre after a 40+ year theatre career.

Following the receipt of his Master’s degree from the University of South Dakota, he served on staff at Waukesha (WI) Civic Theatre, Sioux Falls (SD) Community Playhouse, Orlando (FL) Repertory Theatre and the Des Moines (IA) Playhouse as Associate Director where he was the first Artistic/Managing Director for the Kate Goldman Children's Theatre. While in Des Moines, he founded and managed the Iowa Fringe Festival.

He is a past Member-at-Large, Treasurer and President of the American Association of Community Theatre, was named an AACT Fellow, and joined the AACT Staff as Field Services Director in 2009. Ron has adjudicated state and regional theatre festivals across the US and abroad, including the 2007 AACTFest in Charlotte, NC.

He has directed for theatres in Iowa, South Dakota, Kentucky, Florida and Germany. Ron
and his spouse Kathy Pingel were awarded the 2015-16 Cloris Leachman Award for
Outstanding Direction for their co-direction of Des Moines Young Artists Theatre's production of The Hobbit, and co-directed Peter and the Starcatcher and Girls' Weekend for Ansbach Terrace Playhouse in Germany.

Ron’s Venice (FL) Theatre production of David Harrower’s Blackbird appeared at AACTWorldFest in June 2022. In 2023, Ron was awarded the Art Cole Lifetime of
Leadership award from the American Association of Community Theatre.

Dane Winters received his M.F.A. in Acting and Directing from Trinity University at the Dallas Theatre Center. He has been a member of US Army Europe Entertainment for 38 years having served as Music Center Director in Bamberg, Germany (1986-88); Theater Center Director and Entertainment Director in Stuttgart, Germany (1988-2000) and Entertainment Director in Heidelberg, Germany (2000-2012).

Dane has been the IMCOM Europe Entertainment Program Manager since 2012 and is located in Sembach, Germany.

Dane is on the faculty of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where he is an acting teacher. He also serves as the Region X representative to the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT).

Dane has received numerous awards for his direction, set and lighting designs, and innovative programming. He was awarded with the AACT David C. Bryant Outstanding Service Award; the US Army Entertainment James T. Martin Lifetime Service Award; and numerous Commanders’ Achievement and Civilian Service Medals. Dane’s programming and theatre direction has earned four US Army Entertainment Irving Berlin Awards. He was most recently honored with the Norman H. Marcus Award for unprecedented contributions to Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Programs in Europe.

• One Act Play Guidelines Production and adjudication guidelines are based on the 2025 AACT Festival Handbook.
• YouthFEST Guidelines: Production and adjudication guidelines are based on the 2025 AACT YouthFEST Participation Guide.
• Monologue Competition Guidelines:  The competition is a unique opportunity to perform individually and receive feedback from experienced acting adjudicators, while sharpening performance skills and networking with other artists.

Interested participants must coordinate with their community Entertainment Director or theatre director. All entered monologues must be coached prior to performance.

Participating programs will present a maximum of four monologues performed by volunteer participants previous to a one act play or youth production. The judges will offer short, objective critiques to recognize success and offer suggestions on improvement.

Anyone may enter the Monologue Competition in one of two categories: Youth (age 18 and under) or Adult (over 18). 

Monologues must be memorized and should come from a published play by an established writer. Monologues may be of either dramatic or comedic material and cannot exceed two minutes in length. No props, costumes, or effects of any kind are permitted.

Under construction

    The judges will select a One Act Play and a YouthFEST '24 Show as nominations to the 2025 American Association of Community Theatre AACTFest 2025 National Festival.

    The selected US Army Europe Entertainment shows will have the opportunity to represent AACT Region X (Military Theatres), Army Europe Entertainment, and the United States Army at this national event.

    Complete information on AACTFest 2025 here.