Festival Cycle
AACTFest Basics
The nation's only national community theatre festival
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 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 and certificates, and confirms membership and/or fee payment status for all entering companies.
Festival Goals
- To provide an optimum learning experience through festival entry, which affirms, supports, and nurtures 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 as previously adjudicated.
- 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 page.
- 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, at festivals@aact.org.