The American College Theatre Festival (formerly the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival) is a national theater program dedicated to the improvement of collegiate theater in the United States. Focused on the celebration of diverse and exciting theater, the organization involves students from more than 600 colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Overview Started in the 1960s by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center's founding chairman, the American College Theatre Festival is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities in the United States that aims to help improve the quality of college theater in the United States. The organization 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. Since its establishment in 1969, the American College Theatre Festival has reached more than 16 million theatergoing students and teachers nationwide."American College Theatre Festival:ACTF aims to", American College Theatre Festival. Retrieved December 23, 2025
While the culmination of the organization's year is the national festival, the majority of students involved in the program compete in one of eight regional competitions. The national festival is not intended to be a competition, but there are a number of scholarships and awards presented throughout the week, including the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships. Other competitions include playwriting, directing, set, costume, lighting and sound design, and the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center critic's institute and dramaturgy awards, including the David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award.
For 58 years the national festival was held in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center, but in 2025, after President Trump dismissed the performing arts center's board of directors, appointing new directors aligned with his agenda for it, and moved to add his name to the center, the American College Theatre Festival announced that it has ended its partnership with the Kennedy Center, stating: "Due to ... decisions that do not align with our organization’s values, the National Committee ... has voted to suspend our affiliation with the Kennedy Center."Masseron, Meg and Diep Tran. "American College Theatre Festival Suspends Affiliation with Kennedy Center; Festival Will Continue on Its Own", Playbill, December 22, 2025
Regions The American College Theatre Festival has eight regionals throughout the United States divided as follows: + Outstanding Performance by an Actress Region States Region I Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island Vermont New Hampshire Maine Region II Delaware District of Columbia Maryland New Jersey New York Pennsylvania New York is split between Regions 1 & 2. Region III Illinois Wisconsin Michigan Ohio Indiana Region IV Virginia West Virginia Kentucky Tennessee North Carolina South Carolina Georgia Mississippi Alabama Florida Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Region V Iowa Kansas Minnesota Missouri Nebraska North Dakota South Dakota Region VI Oklahoma New Mexico Texas Arkansas Louisiana Region VII Washington Oregon Montana Idaho Wyoming Colorado Alaska Region VIII California Nevada Utah Arizona Hawaii California is split between Regions 7 & 8.
National committee personnel Gregg Henry - Co-Manager, Artistic Director Susan Shaffer - Co-Manager, Administration Mark Kuntz - National Chair Dr. Harry Parker - National Vice-Chair Karen Anselm - Member at Large Mark Charney - National Coordinator for the Critic's Institute Michael Dempsey - National Theatrical Design Chair Catherine Norgren - ATHE Liaison John Uthoff - USITT Representative Kate Snodgrass - National Chair of Michael Kanin New Plays Program Roger Hall - National Vice Chair of NPP Gary Garrison - NPP Member at Large
Production awards The productions below have been recognized for their outstanding achievement.
Outstanding Production of a Play 2014 - Pentecost by David Edgar, Middlebury College 2013 - Vincent In Brixton by Nicholas Wright, Utah Valley University 2012 - Six Characters adapted from Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, Iowa State University.
Outstanding Production of a Musical 2014 - Next to Normal book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, Utah Valley University 2013 - Godspell, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by John-Michael Tebelak, California State University, Fullerton 2012 - Flipside: The Patti Page Story by Greg White, University of Central Oklahoma.
Outstanding Production of a New Work 2014 - Decision Height by Meredith Levy, Hollins University 2013 - Platero y Yo by Juan Ramon Jimenez, adapted for the stage by Maria Eugenia Mercado and Julia Thompson, University of Puerto Rico 2012 - The Circus in Winter, music and lyrics by Ben Clark, book by the students of the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry, inspired by the novel by Cathy Day, Ball State University.
Outstanding Production of a Devised Work 2014 - Pool '63 by Philip Valle and members of the Company, Cuesta College 2013 - Dromnium, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith 2012 - Re-membering Antigone, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus.
Outstanding Production of a Modern Classic 2013 - Mother Courage, Illinois State University 2012 - Re-membering Antigone, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus.
Directing awards The individuals below have been recognized for their direction of plays, musicals, classic and devised works, and new plays and musicals.
Outstanding Career Achievement in Directing 2012 - John David Lutz, Master Harold and the Boys, University of Evansville. This production marked John David Lutz's 24th production showcased at Regional Festivals since 1971. Six of these productions were additionally showcased at the National Festival at the Kennedy Center. In 2007, by special invitation, his University of Evansville production of Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors was one of the Kennedy Center's contributions to the "Shakespeare in Washington" celebration.
Outstanding Director of a Play 2014 - Richard Romagnoli and Cheryl Faraone for Pentecost, Middlebury College 2013 - Christopher Clark for Vincent In Brixton by Nicholas Wright, Utah Valley University 2012 - Matt Foss for Six Characters, adapted from Luigi Pirandello, Iowa State University.
Outstanding Director of a Classic 2012 - Maria Porter for Re-membering Antigone, Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus.
Outstanding Director of a Musical 2014 - David Tinney, Next to Normal, Utah Valley University 2013 - Jim Taulli and Craig Tyrl for Godspell, California State University, Fullerton. 2012 - Greg White for Flipside: The Patti Page Story, University of Central Oklahoma.
Outstanding Lead Deviser/Director of a Devised Work 2014 - Bree Valle, Pool '63, Cuesta College 2013 - Leslie Ferreira, Tina Kronis and Richard Alger, Untitled Warhol Project, Los Angeles City College, Theatre Academy. 2012 - Rich Brown, Us, Western Washington University.
Outstanding Director of a New Work 2014 - Peter Sampieri for Kafka in Tel Aviv, Salem State University 2013 - Maria Eugenia Mercado and Julia Thompson for Platero y Yo by Juan Ramón Jiménez, University of Puerto Rico. 2012 - Beth Turcotte for The Circus in Winter, music and lyrics by Ben Clark, book by the students of the Virginia B. Ball Center for Creative Inquiry, inspired by the novel by Cathy Day, Ball State University.
Acting awards + Outstanding Performance by an Actress Year Actress Role - Production College 2014 Jacquelyne Jones as Diana in Next to Normal Utah Valley University 2014 Rachel Staton Ensemble in The Laramie Project University of Mississippi 2013 Abby Vombrack as Anna Fierling in Mother Courage Illinois State University 2013 Elizabeth Golden as Ursula in Vincent In Brixton Utah Valley University 2012 Rene Michelle Aranda as Willy the Space Freak in The Unseen Hand Los Angeles City College, Theatre Academy 2012 Haley Jane Pierce as Clara Ann Fowler in Flipside: The Patti Page Story University of Central Oklahoma
+ Outstanding Performance by an Actor Year Actor Role - Production College 2014 James Weschler as Kafka in Kafka in Tel Aviv Salem State University 2013 Nathan Burke Ensemble in The Laramie Project University of Mississippi 2013 Jonathan Amaro as Platero in Platero y Yo University of Puerto Rico 2012 John Stewart as Frederick Douglass/Jim in Splittin' the Raft Kennesaw State University 2012 Dylan Frederick as Hallie in Master Harold and the Boys University of Evansville
Choreography awards Outstanding Choreography or Movement Direction 2014 - Tori Lee Averett for The Single Girl's Guide, Troy University. 2013 - Bob Stevenson with Ian Miller, Phil Whiteaker, Aron Long, Laura Wineland, Stuart Campbell, Ashley Behm, and Joseph Rodriguez-Barberá for Dromnium, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith 2012 - Skye Edwards for Gone Missing, Hope College.
Design awards Outstanding Scenic Design 2014 - Mark Evancho, Pentecost, Middlebury College 2013 - Stephen Purdy, Vincent In Brixton, Utah Valley University 2013 - Shannon Meyer, Ghost Bike, Carthage College. 2012 - Christopher and Justin Swader, The Circus in Winter, Ball State University.
Outstanding Sound Design 2013 - L.J. Luthringer, Dromnium, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith. 2012 - Sun Hee Kil, Flipside: The Patti Page Story, University of Central Oklahoma.
Outstanding Costume Design 2014 - Elisa Bierschenk, The Single Girl's Guide, Troy University 2013 - JenNessa Law, Vincent In Brixton, Utah Valley University 2012 - Caroline Spitzer, The House of the Spirits, Florida International University.
Outstanding Lighting Design 2014 - Michael Gray, Next to Normal, Utah Valley University 2014 - Raquel Davis, Three Sisters, Boise State University 2013 - Hannah Yaeger, Dromnium, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith. 2012 - Matt Meldrem, Six Characters, Iowa State University.
Other awards Outstanding Performance by a Guest Artist 2012 - Lindsie Van Winkle as Patti in Flipside: The Patti Page Story, University of Central Oklahoma
Outstanding Achievement in Composition 2013 - Zack Powell for Mother Courage, Illinois State University
Outstanding Performance and Production Ensembles 2013 - Platero y Yo, University of Puerto Rico 2013 - Dromnium, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith
Irene Ryan Scholarship A list of the Irene Ryan Scholarship winners, the partners that assisted their wins, and the colleges they represented, from 1972 to 2013:
2013 - Oya Bangura assisted by Bryan Nee, Suffolk County Community College & Ethan Leaverton assisted by Cameron Miller-DeSart, University of Nevada 2012 - Kevin Percivall assisted by Laurel Sein, University of Oklahoma & James Udom assisted by Brian Smick, Diablo Valley College 2011 - Clayton Joyner assisted by Zachary Powell, Illinois State University & Daniel Molina assisted by Kelly Rogers, Savannah College of Art and Design 2010 - Whitney Morgan Cox assisted by John Dodart, Dixie State University, Utah & Paul Stuart assisted by Colin Ryan, University of Oklahoma 2009 - Adam Navarro assisted by Courtney Howe, California State University & Meredith Hinckely assisted by Paul Collins California State University 2008 - Ari Frenkel assisted by Tim Hackney, Montclair State University & Joe Gillette assisted by Peter Weisman, California State University 2007 - Courtney Moors assisted by Michael Cox, University of Central Florida & Chris Crawford assisted by Jenna Kirk, University of Arkansas 2006 - Rory Lipede assisted by Adam Flores, Fontbonne University & Michael Swickard assisted by Margaret-Ellen Jenkins, University of Central Florida 2005 - Amanda Folena, Purdue University & Stephen Laferriere, Salem State College 2004 - Christopher Grant, University of Evansville & Jason Roth, University of Maryland