The Roadside Theater from Heidelberg, Germany, took top prize in the U.S. Army Europe One Act Play Festival, held Thursday to Sunday in Heidelberg.

The festival showcased plays from 18 military communities in Germany, Italy and Belgium, and included workshops Sunday to help theater staffs improve their programming,

Roadside Theater’s “Suburb” was named best show by judges Paul Borne, from Menagerie Productions, Cambridge, England; Morrie Enders from La Crosse Community Theater in Wisconsin; and Marc Durso, a nationally known acting coach based in Florida. With its win, the “Suburb” cast advances to the National American Association of Community Theatre festival in Kalamazoo, Mich., in June.

The judges gave critiques to the casts and crews following each production. They also conducted the Sunday workshops, according to a release from the Installation Management Agency-Europe Entertainment Program.

Several special awards also were handed out during the festival. A special achievement award for original writing went to Melissa Morlock of the Bamberg (Germany) Stable Theatre for “Elephant in the Room.” The Stable Theatre’s entertainment director, Jack Austin, picked up the 2004 Irving Berlin Award for Programming Excellence.

The 2004 Department of the Army, Community and Family Support Center Recreation Awards for the Entertainment Program for small and large installations went to the Five Pfennig Playhouse from Hanau, Germany, and the Amelia Earhart Playhouse in Wiesbaden, Germany, respectively.

First-place winners in individual categories were:

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