The Kennedy Center/ American College Theatre Festival is a national organization dedicated to promoting excellence in theatre. ACTF has divided the country into 8 regions (we are a part of Region 3 which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin). Every year, each region holds a festival for its member states. The Region 3 festival is always in January. In 1994 and 1995 the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay hosted the Region 3 Festivals! The festival is a 5-day event drawing over 1000 theatre students, educators and guest artists from around the country. Events include workshops, performances of 1 act and full-length plays and competitions in acting, design, playwriting and theatre criticism. At least 6 productions are chosen from around the region to perform at the regional festival.
In the Spring, a National Festival is held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Productions selected from the regional festivals are invited to perform at the National Festival. The finals of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition are held at this time and winners in the design, playwriting and critics competitions are honored and their work displayed.
On a local level, ACTF is an important part of our program. Selected Mainstage productions are viewed by an ACTF adjudicator who gives oral feedback to the company after viewing a performance. Mainstage productions entered as Participating entries will be considered by a Regional Committee for selection for attendance at the Regional Festival.
Each year, a group of students and faculty attend the Regional Festival. Students are encouraged to enter their work in one of the festival's many competitions. The festival offers us the chance to meet colleagues, participate in workshops and to see the work of university theatre programs in our region. It is an exciting and enriching experience and one that we encourage all theatre students to participate in at least once.