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scene from Once Upon A Mattress

KCACTF

What is KCACTF?

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, or KCACTF, was founded in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center's founding chairman. According to the KCACTF's national website, the festival

...is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide which has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents.

The goals of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival are:

  • To encourage, recognize, and celebrate the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theater programs;
  • To provide opportunities for participants to develop their theater skills and insight; and achieve professionalism
  • To improve the quality of college and university theater in America;
  • To encourage colleges and universities to give distinguished productions of new plays, especially those written by students; the classics, revitalized or newly conceived; and experimental works.

 

 

map of the location of KCACTF2 show

SUNY Oswego Theatre is a member of KCACTF Region 2, a far-reaching region that encompasses schools in New York, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, Virginia, and West Virginia. See the region's website for more information.

Attend the Festival

Students interested in attending Festival may do so in multiple ways. Each production staged at SUNY Oswego is offered for consideration to KCACTF through the invitation of a respondent who attends and assesses the work. Some productions are entered as "associate" productions, which allow us to solicit feedback and nominate acting awards, while some are entered as "participating" productions, which means they could be selected to tour to Festival. In those cases, the respondent may recommend that the quality of the show is such that the play may be selected to be restaged during the Festival. Please consult with your director to confirm whether your production will be considered an "associate" or "participating" production. 

Outside of attending Festival with a participating production, students may also register and attend individually, to participate in the many workshops and opportunities for networking that Festival represents.  Information about registration is listed here.

Opportunities at the Festival

Actors

Stage Directors and Choreographs Society

Design, Technology, and Management

Dramaturgs

Funding

Both Blackfriars and Alpha Psi Omega offers potential opportunities for students to apply for funding to cover their registration at Festival. This funding is available to students who are active members in good standing of Blackfriars and/or APO. This funding must be applied for in the fall semester.

Contact Blackfriars

KCACTF Awards

The following students have been recently honored with nominations and awards at KCACTF.

  • 2023: Chrisaury Guzman, Sarah Berns (Romeo & Juliet, Irene Ryan nominees); Jacob Wallach (Props Construction, Certificate of Merit), Anna Lioto, Juli-Anne Atwood, Hannah Bangs (Wardrobe Crew, Certificate of Merit), Victoria Evanchick (Scenic & Props Construction, Certificate of Merit), Cambria Gordon (Scenic Construction & House Management, Certificate of Merit)
  • 2022: Claire Bosley, Brock Whaley (After Ashley, Irene Ryan nominees); Emersynn Mousaw & Kayden McLeod (Stage Management, Certificate of Merit)