How to Enter

There is no limit to the number of productions a school may enter in the festival. Productions may be registered in the KCACTF at any time during the year. Productions entered in the KCACTF represent the work of faculty and students of the individual university and college theater departments; qualify students for awards; and give faculty, student directors, and student designers experience visibility, and responses from colleagues outside the home institution. 
Any junior or senior college in the United States accredited by its regional association is eligible to enter productions, as are student organizations directly sponsored by the accredited college. 
All entries must be fully produced works presented before a public audience. Entries must be registered at least 4 weeks prior to opening.

Both Participating and Associate productions receive outside response on their home campuses and, with some exceptions, are eligible for all KCACTF-sponsored awards. Schools may: 

1. Nominate two (if Associate) or three (if Participating) bona fide student performers from its entry for participation in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions; 
   
2. Nominate student designers to participate in the scenic, sound, costume, and lighting design programs; 
3. Be considered for all applicable playwriting awards (Associate entries are not eligible for the National Student Playwriting Award or the John Cauble Short Play Award); and
4. Be considered for all other applicable KCACTF awards. 

KCACTF reserves the right to withhold any award.
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For more information on entering productions, including Sponsorship information, visit Additional Guidelines. 

Production Responses

The heart and soul of KCACTF is the production response. Responses may be either in-person or virtual.

In-Person Responses

• Participating Productions In-Person Response: Productions that showcase the finest work in the region and are able to travel to the school's Regional Festival, if selected. (Entry Fee: $350)
• Associate Productions In-person Response: Productions that cannot, for whatever reason, tour to their Regional Festival. (Entry Fee: $275)
  
• $25 Discount for In-Person Responses until October 1st

Entering productions permits access for your students to participate in KCACTF programs. Once your production is registered, you will be put in contact with your responders to schedule your response. 

Virtual Responses

• Participating Productions Virtual Response: Productions that showcase the finest work in the region and are able to be presented at the school’s Regional Festival, if selected. (Entry Fee: $75)
• Associate Productions Virtual Response: Productions that cannot, for whatever reason, be showcased at their Regional Festival (Entry Fee: $50 )​

​If you are producing a show with multiple casts and would like a response for each cast, please enter each cast as a separate production entry.

All productions entered for a virtual response must have a method to view and respond virtually.  Entering productions permits access for your students to participate in KCACTF programs.  Once your production is registered, you will be put in contact with your responders and can establish the best format for your response.  If your production will be live-streamed, please note that in your registration.  

Additional Guidelines

Enter Your Productions