Festival Cycle

AACTFest--the festival process that culminates in a national theatre festival--is sponsored by AACT and is held in odd-numbered years. AACTFest presents a forum for community theatres from AACT's 10 regions to enter productions for adjudication and advancement from the state level to the regional level and finally, to the national level (see AACTFest Handbook for details).

National Theatre Festivals

Festival Process

• The festival process is conducted and guided by AACT through the Vice President for Festivals, the Festival Commission Chair, the Festival Commission and assigned staff.
• AACT staff provide information for state and regional packets, certificates for companies entering state and regional festivals, maintains a database of membership and confirms membership and/or fee payment status for all entering companies.

Festival Goals

• To provide an optimum learning experience through festival entry at state, regional, and national levels, which affirm, support, and nurture community theatre companies as they strive toward excellence in theatrical productions.
• To stimulate and inspire community theatre companies to strive for the best work possible and to recognize them for their achievement through an appropriate adjudication process.
• To provide a learning experience in artistic, technical, and management areas for people in attendance through performances, adjudication, and workshops.
• To develop enlightened and discerning audiences for community theatre.

Many criteria are in place to achieve the aforementioned goals. Among the most significant are:

• All theatre companies must meet the same eligibility standards and requirements.
• Maximum time limits are 60 minutes performance time; 10 minutes set-up time and 10 minutes strike time.
• Qualified and impartial adjudicators are essential to the success and fairness of the festival process.
• A production must be performed in the same form at all festival levels.
• The house must be closed during each performance.
• The Festival Commission Representative will make the final determination in all matters of dispute during a festival.

More Information

• If you're new to the festival process, see "The Festival Experience" on the upper-right menu.
• Members may refer to the AACTFest Handbook for specific information. The Handbook and related forms are available in Acrobat/PDF form from the AACTFest Handbook page.
• Questions about the festival process may be addressed to the Vice President for Festivals via e-mail to festivals@aact.org.