KanAACT/Fest

KanAACT/Fest is the state-level round of the biennial American Association of Community Theatre festival cycle. From the state festival a show (or shows depending on how many productions are entered at the state level) is selected to advance to the Regional festival. At Regionals, shows are selected to advance to the National Festival.

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This is your opportunity to showcase your work on the state stage, connect with fellow theatre artists, and compete for the chance to represent Kansas at the regional level of the the national AACTFest. Whether you're performing, directing, designing, or supporting a production, this is a chance to celebrate the creativity and talent of community theatre across the state.

Learn about the national festival here.

The Manhattan Arts Center will welcome theatre artists and enthusiasts from across Kansas as the host venue for the upcoming Association of Kansas Theatre Festival. A vibrant community arts organization, the center provides a fitting setting for theatre professionals and participants to connect, celebrate the arts, and share their passion for live performance. Learn more

Festival Letter of Intent

Planning on entering the festival, or strongly considering it? Let us know! This will assist us in the planning process. Organizing a festival with three shows is very different from organizing one for nine!

Deadline December 11, 2026

Workshop proposals

In addition to the shows, Festival will include a variety of workshops. We'll soon be putting out a call for workshop proposals.

Festival basics

Kansas/Fest is the state-level round of the biennial American Association of Community Theatre festival cycle. From the state festival a show (or shows depending on how many productions are entered at the state level) is selected to advance to the Regional festival. At Regionals, shows are selected to advance to the National Festival.

Productions are adjudicated by a panel, who share feedback on each show and select the advancing production.

The goal of festivals are:

• 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.

Regional Festival will be held April 1-3 in Worthington, MN. The National Festival will be June 15-19 in Rochester, MN.

What are the rules for a festival?

There are a series of rules for shows participating in the festival. Shows have 60 minutes to perform, and 10 minutes to set-up and 10 minutes to strike. These rules are designed to provide a level playing field for all entering productions. Click here for the complete festival rules.