Shelby County Players earns national award

(SHELBYVILLE, Ind.) – A nonprofit dedicated to live theater experiences in Shelby County has received a national award. 

The Shelby County Players has been earned the Twink Lynch Organization Achievement Award from the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT).

This is one of the highest honors nationally for community theatres and Shelby County Players is the first in Indiana to win the AACT award. 

The award recognizes Shelby County Players' transformation from a volunteer theatre into a regional community asset serving education, economic development, tourism, and civic engagement. 

"This award belongs to everyone who believed our community deserved  something extraordinary," said Executive Director Justin Stenger. "Volunteers, donors, businesses, foundations, local government, and  regional economic development partners all played a role in creating  something much larger than a theatre." 

The recognition follows the opening of the Wortman Family Civic Theatre, where a vacant bowling alley was transformed into a modern performing arts  and community center that now hosts theatrical productions, youth  programming, nonprofit events, educational activities, business meetings, and civic gatherings. 

The project was made possible through a broad coalition of public and private investment, including support from Indiana's Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI 1.0), the Indiana Economic  Development Corporation (IEDC), Accelerate Rural Indiana (ARI), philanthropic foundations, local governments, businesses, and hundreds of community donors. 

“Community leaders view the theatre as an anchor for Shelbyville's west-side revitalization while helping attract visitors, strengthen quality of place, expand educational opportunities, and support regional economic development,” Stenger said.

You can learn more about the Shelby County Players by clicking here.