State AACTFest 2025
February 27 – March 2, 2025
Join us for the State level AACTFest competition at Bay City Players! Registration is open now!
Group Registration Available Here
Individual Registration Available Here
REGISTRATION CLOSES DECEMBER 20 AT 5:00 PM
What is AACTFest?
AACTFest is a 4 day festival sponsored by the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT).
AACTFest presents a forum for community theatres to enter productions for adjudication and advancement from the state level to the regional level and finally, to the national level.
This festival not only uplifts the theatres that participate, but it also provides a motivating space for our organizations to be challenged and create new ideas, ultimately aiding in the continuous success of the arts in our communities.
What are the rules?
Each competing team will have a 10×10 foot box on the stage. In each box is everything that can be used for a show – set, props and costumes. A signal is given, and the first show is off and running. Actors and production crew hustle to set up their show in exactly 10 minutes – because that’s when their show must begin. Each team’s show must be no longer than 60 minutes. They then have exactly 10 minutes to put it all back in their box and leave the stage.
What will the festival look like?
Competing teams will receive a detailed schedule of events in early January. We plan to hold rehearsals, technical meetings, and performances from Thursday-Saturday.
Friday night will feature our first “Meet and Greet” party, with casual food and alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages. Registrants will get the opportunity to chat with each other and celebrate the first round of performances.
Saturday will feature the big “After Glow” party, where we will offer fun food options from local vendors, a cash bar, and karaoke, in an effort to celebrate the final day of performances and conclusion of AACTFest.
Sunday morning, before the festival finally ends, we will all meet back at Bay City Players one last time for a casual breakfast and awards ceremony, where the professional adjudicators will present the winners of each category.
I’m Interested…What Form Do I fill Out?
If you are part of a group that is competing and representing your community theatre, the group’s leader must fill out Group Registration. Group registration covers the competition fees of 8 people. If your competing group has over 8 people, you must complete an Individual Registration for every person over 8.
If you are not competing but would like to attend AACTFest, or if your competing group has over 8 people, then you need to fill out the Individual Registration.
Both registrations grant you full festival attendance, admission to all performance sessions, Friday and Saturday festival receptions, and Sunday Awards Brunch.
REGISTRATION CLOSES DECEMBER 20 AT 5:00 PM
ALL COMPETING TEAMS MUST READ THE 2025 AACTFEST Handbook TO ENSURE ALL RULES ARE FOLLOWED. Failure to comply with festival rules and requirements will be grounds for disqualification.
Allen Ebert is an experienced theater professional with a robust background in the performing arts. He holds a degree in Theater and Drama from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, Allen serves as the Executive Director of the Children’s Theater of Madison (CTM), a member of Theatre for Young Audiences/USA (TYA/USA) and a resident company at the Overture Center for Performing Arts. In his role, he directs productions and performs, contributing significantly to Madison’s theater community. He also played a crucial role in developing the MYARTS Youth Arts Center in Madison, a new 70,000 square foot facility that supports youth in the performing arts.
Allen’s international experience includes serving as the Entertainment Director at Soldiers’ Theatre, an Army Community Theatre in Vicenza, Italy. This role expanded his understanding and appreciation of theater’s impact.
With a career spanning over 30 years, Allen has distinguished himself as a director, actor, and adjudicator at various theater events across state, regional, and national levels. He also conducts workshops, sharing his lessons learned with aspiring theater practitioners.
Allen’s dedication to the performing arts drives his continuous efforts to innovate and inspire through his work.
Pamela Steers is a theatre director and educator. She has directed both community theatre and high school productions for over 35 years including at The Grand Rapids Civic Theater, Circle Theater Grand Rapids, Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids, Creston High School, Kenowa Hills High School, and East Grand Rapids High School. She has taught directing, stage managing, acting, and college audition workshops over the last 30 years partnering with The Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, Aquinas College’s and Grand Valley State University’s teacher education programs, Broadway Breakthrough, Amway’s Tour Guide department and the Grand Rapids Voice Collective.
Pamela is a recently retired communications teacher for East Grand Rapids High School where, in addition to directing and producing a six show season and teaching theatre, she also taught multiple film studies classes and public speaking. She has taken numerous high school productions to adjudicated festivals and loves the process.
Her BA degrees from Grand Valley State University and Aquinas College, her teaching certification, and an MLS from Wayne State University have assisted her in researching and exploring all aspects of theatre. She also has International Baccalaureate educational certificates in both film and theatre. She is a member of the American Association of Community Theatres and the Educational Theatre Association.
David Gram, originally from Toronto, Canada, is currently a Detroit-based theatre and opera director, actor, dramaturg, playwright, and teacher. He is an Associate Professor of Directing and Acting in the Department of Theatre at Oakland University in Rochester Hills, MI. David has directed and produced over 80 productions across the United States and Canada. A director with a wide range of theatrical interests, David is equally at home working on everything from Shakespeare to Sondheim, from farce to Brecht, from contemporary American dramas to original plays, musicals, and opera. He serves as Producing Artistic Director of Renaissance City Repertory Theatre, a non-profit arts organization in the Detroit-metro area committed to bringing contemporary and classical work from the international canon, to Michigan stages (www.rcrep.org). His first book, Contemporary Farce on the Global Stage, or Serious Laughter was published by Routledge in April 2024. www.david-gram.com