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OCTA History

 

The Ohio Community Theatre Association was formed in December 1953 with sixteen theatres. For over 70 years, OCTA has provided support to community theatres through workshops, the annual regional OCTAFests showcasing community theatre productions, and our three-day annual conference each Labor Day Weekend.

 

Today, OCTA serves over 100+ member theatres in eight Ohio state regions including member theatres in neighboring counties from across the Ohio River in Kentucky and West Virginia! 

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OCTA's Hall of Fame Awards

Spirit of Community Theatre Awards

Past Presidents

  • 1953 Dorman Richardson

  • 1954 Donald Kleckner

  • 1955 Donald Kleckner

  • 1956 Emory B. Michel

  • 1957 Emory B. Michel

  • 1958 Roy Hall

  • 1959 Roy Bowen

  • 1960 Willam Allman Barrow

  • 1961 Richard "Dick" Boyd

  • 1962 Jack Barrow

  • 1963 Dr. Reuben Silver

  • 1964 Dr. Reuben Silver

  • 1965 Harold Eisenstein

  • 1966 Harold Eisenstein

  • 1967 Jean Berger

  • 1968 Jean Berger

  • 1969 Jean Berger

  • 1970 Donald Rosenberg

  • 1971 Robert McKnight

  • 1972 Eleanor Heyman

  • 1973 Art Rouse

  • 1974 Syd Spate
  • 1975 Cecil Goldsmith
  • 1976 Cecil Goldsmith
  • 1977 Jack Paullus
  • 1978 Jack Paullus
  • 1979 Bruce Scranton
  • 1980 Suzanne
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  • 1981 Gail Anderson

  • 1982 Gail Anderson

  • 1983 Pam Scheer

  • 1984 Pam Scheer

  • 1985 Allyn Barnes

  • 1986 Allyn Barnes

  • 1987 Michael Schacherbauer

  • 1988 Michael Schacherbauer

  • 1989 Bob Beasley

  • 1990 Bob Beasley

  • 1991 Michael Schacherbauer

  • 1992 Jerry Zimmerman

  • 1993 Jerry Zimmerman

  • 1994 Shari Hartsock

  • 1995 Lisa Billing

  • 1996 Lisa Billing

  • 1997 Michael Schacherbauer

  • 1998 Jerry Zimmerman

  • 1999 Ginny Morrison

  • 2000 Ginny Morrison

  • 2001 Jerry Zimmerman

  • 2002 Jerry Zimmerman

  • 2003 Christi Thomas

  • 2004 Christi Thomas

  • 2005 Susan Metz Foster

  • 2006 Jerry Zimmerman

  • 2007 Jerry Zimmerman

  • 2008 Ginny Morrison

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  • 2009 Ginny Morrison

  • 2010 Ginny Morrison

  • 2011 Ginny Morrison

  • 2012 Joe Barton

  • 2013 Joe Barton

  • 2014 John Falkenbach

  • 2015 Dawna Kornick

  • 2016 Dawna Kornick

  • 2017 Jesse Bernal, Jr

  • 2018 Jesse Bernal, Jr

  • 2019 Joe Barton

  • 2020 Joe Barton

  • 2021 Jesse Bernal

  • 2022 Wayne Kirsch

 Past Conference Chairs

  • 1953 Players Club Theatre

  • 1954 Bucyrus Little Theatre

  • 1955 Canton Theatre

  • 1956 Eugene Clark

  • 1957 Emory B. Michel

  • 1958 Dorman Richardson

  • 1959 Dorman Richardson

  • 1960 Richard "Dick" Boyd

  • 1961 William Allman Barrow

  • 1962 Richard "Dick" Boyd

  • 1963 Dr. Reuben Silver

  • 1964 Eleanor Heyman

  • 1965 Eleanor Heyman

  • 1966 Jeanette Henn

  • 1967 Jean Berger

  • 1968 Jeanette Henn

  • 1969 Jeanette Henn

  • 1970 Gerald Ness

  • 1971 Donald Rosenberg

  • 1972 Elston Hurst

  • 1973 Art Rouse

  • 1974 Dr. Reuben Silver

  • 1975 Jack Paullus

  • 1976 Mike Lee

  • 1977 Douglas Meyer

  • 1978 Douglas Meyer

  • 1979 John O'Toole

  • 1980 Shirley Saneda Goldsmith (25)

  • 1981 Gail Anderson (481)

  • 1982 Roger Lloyd (415)

  • 1983 Pam Feicht (532)

  • 1984 Roger Paul Lovell (487)

  • 1985 Allyn Barnes (450)

  • 1986 Jeffrey Leptak (508)

  • 1987 Pam Scheer (521)

  • 1988 Allyn Barnes (432)

  • 1989 George Dunster (388)

  • 1990 Debra Godiciu (352)

 

 

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  • 1991 John Falkenbach (442)

  • 1992 John Falkenbach (388)

  • 1993 Peggy Kenney (620)

  • 1994 Sherri Erikson (404)

  • 1995 Lisa Alter (487)

  • 1996 Randy Wieging (504)

  • 1997 Christi Thomas (393)

  • 1998 Ginny Morrison (357)

  • 1999 Terri Wilson (472)

  • 2000 Gary Buerk (540)

  • 2001 John Osborne (642)

  • 2002 Josie DeHorta (525)

  • 2003 Ginny Morrison (591)

  • 2004 Linda Roll (613)

  • 2005 Jerry Zimmerman (452)

  • 2006 Aara Chapman (438)

  • 2007 Ginny Morrison (432)

  • 2008 Harold Poppe (329)

  • 2009 Linda Roll (533)

  • 2010 Joe Barton (508)

  • 2011 Michelle Dolciato (553)

  • 2012 Betsy Gerhart (603)

  • 2013 John Falkenbach & Christi Thomas (504)

  • 2014 Joe Barton & Jesse Bernal (560)

  • 2015 Wayne Kirsch (427)

  • 2016 Michelle Dolciato (370)

  • 2017 Kathy Sturm & Geri Martin (376)

  • 2018 John Falkenbach, Christi Thomas, Susan Barzda (366)

  • 2019 Jesse Bernal & Michelle Johnson

  • 2020 Dan Maloney (canceled due to Covid19)

  • 2021 (canceled due to Covid 19)

  • 2022 Gladys Haney & Aara Wise

  • 2023 Peggy Kenny & Robert Weidle

 

 

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