2025 Adjudicators
Meet the theatre professionals bringing their expertise to AACTFest 2025! With backgrounds in directing, design, acting, and more, our adjudicators will provide insightful feedback and celebrate the artistry of community theatre.
Meet the AACTFest 2025 Adjudicators
Pre-Festival
National Festival
AACTFest Cycle
At AACTFest 2025, our adjudicators bring a wealth of experience, insight, and passion to the festival stage. These theatre professionals will evaluate performances with a keen eye for storytelling, technique, and artistic excellence, providing valuable feedback to participants.
Get to know the experts who will be shaping this year’s festival experience!
GARY ANDERSON
Producing Artistic Director
Gary Anderson is the Producing Artistic Director of Plowshares Theatre Company and a leading figure in Black Theatre. With a career that includes collaborations with playwrights such as August Wilson and Charles “Oyamo” Gordon, as well as celebrated producer Woodie King, Jr., Gary’s impact on American theatre is profound. His directing credits span cities like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Houston. Recognized with numerous awards, including the Michiganian of the Year Award and the Alain Locke Cultural Arts Award, he has also served on national boards for Theatre Communications Group, Black Theatre Network, and more. His expertise and dedication to the craft make him an invaluable adjudicator for AACTFest 2025.
Katrina Ploof
Director | Actor | Playwright | Educator
A lifelong theatre artist, Katrina Ploof has spent over 20 years touring the U.S. and Canada as an actor before transitioning to directing. Since the late '80s, she has directed more than 200 plays, musicals, readings, and concerts. She is also a playwright, having adapted works by Charles Dickens and Kenneth Grahame. Katrina has been a theatre festival adjudicator throughout the U.S. and Canada since 1995 and works as a private acting coach. When she isn’t in a theatre, she’s in the kitchen, cooking for friends, and spending time with her beloved terrier, Talley. She is honored to serve as an adjudicator for AACTFest 2025.
Chris Rich
Scenic Designer | Technical Director | Theatrical Fabricator
Chris Rich is a design and management partner in Heliotrope Productions and works as a freelance theatrical fabricator and designer in the Iowa Creative Corridor in the eastern part of the state. He has been a key member of Theatre Cedar Rapids since 2018 and has worked as a scenic designer, technical director, lighting designer, and sound designer. Previously, he served as Production Manager and Technical Director for Riverside Theatre in Iowa City, IA. With a background in academic theatre, having worked as Associate Professor of Design Technology and Program Director at Troy University for nearly two decades, Chris brings a technical and design perspective to the adjudication process.
Kimberly Frick-Welker
(Alternate Adjudicator)
Director | Actor | Cultural Arts Coordinator
Kimberly Frick-Welker has been immersed in theatre for 43 years as a director, actor, and technical artist. She has served as an AACT adjudicator for State and Regional festivals and is the Cultural Arts Coordinator at Cookeville Performing Arts Center in Tennessee. Kim’s early training came from Dr. Archibald McLeod at Southern Illinois University’s McLeod Theatre, and she has dedicated her career to bringing theatre to underserved communities. As Co-Founder and Artistic Director of A.C.T. Inc., she received the JALC Pacesetter Award for her efforts. With accolades from the Tennessee Theatre Association and SETC for her directing and acting, Kim’s passion for theatre education and community engagement makes her a vital part of this year’s adjudication team.
These esteemed adjudicators will be providing insightful feedback and fostering the growth of theatre artists throughout AACTFest 2025. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise will ensure an enriching experience for all participants!