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 one bona fide student performer 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.

Registered Productions

The heart and soul of KCACTF is the production response. We be offering in-person responses and do have an option for virtual responses, but ask that those are only used in specific circumstances.

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: $400)

• Associate Productions In-person Response: Productions that cannot for whatever reason, tour to their Regional Festival. (Entry Fee: $300)

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.

The host school provides hotel accommodations for the respondent(s) and generally a meal prior to the show during which the respondents and the director/designer can discuss the production.

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.

KCACTF Sponsorship Page for Programs

This page should appear in all festival production programs with opening nights in 2021. Festival 54 (for shows entered for regional festivals held in January/February, 2022) prior to the National Festival in April 2022.

KCACTF Sponsorship Half Sheet - PDF and JPG

KCACTF Sponsorship Full Sheet - PDF and JPG