The Alabama Conference of Theatre (ACT) will hold a Community Theatre Play Festival (ACTFest ’11) on October 22, 23 and 24, 2010 at the Pell City Center, Pell City, AL. Productions will be adjudicated and awards given to acknowledge exceptional theatrical work in a variety of areas both on and off stage! The winners of the state festival can advance to regionals at the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) in March, 2011 in Atlanta, GA. An $800 travel stipend will be awarded to winning Alabama productions advancing to SETC.  Regional winners will advance to National AACTFest ’11 in Rochester, N.Y. in June, 2011, and SETC will provide some financial assistance for companies advancing to the national festival.

Deadline for ACTFest ’11 entries is September 1, 2010.

Here are a few details to keep in mind:

• All guidelines and rules are set forth by the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT). Basically, your set must be be contained in a 10×10 area before and after performance. Your group has up to 10 minutes to set up their sets and props before performance, up to 1 hour to perform, and then up to 10 minutes to strike back to the designated area.
• Performance time must be under 60 minutes.
• All plays submitted for the festival MUST have a valid performance license dated for the date of competition.  Additionally, if you are performing a cutting from a full-length play, you must also have permission from the publisher to cut. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to these rules, and failure to produce either or both of these documents will result in your organization not being allowed to participate in the festival and/or disqualification.
• If you would like more detailed criteria, check out the link: http://www.aact.org/aactfest/handbook.html
• The Comfort  Suites, Pell City, is the  festival hotel with special rates for ACTFest ’11! Workshops and “After Glows” (after show parties!) will be at the hotel.

Cost to participate at the STATE level will vary from $160 to $215, depending on your AACT and ACT memberships.These fees help cover the cost of producing the festival and include:

• AACTFest Fee ($55) for non-members of AACT. (This fee may be applied to membership into AACT.) If your group is already a member of AACT, this fee is waived.
• ACT Organizational Membership ($60) for 2010-11.
• ACTFest ’11 Participation Fee: $100. This fee gives Cast and Crew Members:
  • Complimentary Festival Passes, worth $20 each, that allow entrance into all productions, workshops, and the awards reception
  • Complimentary ACT Individual Memberships for 2010-11, worth $25 each.

Download an ACTFest11_Application Form. For more information, please contact ACTFest ’11 Chair Clay Boyce: email:KLear63@yahoo.com or call Sue Ellen Gerrells, ACT ED @ 205-936-9162.