Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the country. 

Responses

Most KU University Theatre productions are entered in the KCACTF Region 5 festival. Each production is viewed by a volunteer respondent who gives a verbal response to the cast and creative team immediately following the performance they attend and who may nominate the production for awards.

Awards

All creative team members of entered productions are eligible for certificates of commendation. Students who present their designs at the annual festival are eligible for Regional and National Award. National Award winners are invited to participate in the National Festival and competition in Washington, D.C.

Recent KU Award winners include

• Edmund Ludlum, National First-Place Award in Costume Design for Cabaret
• Lindsey Webster, National First-Place Awards in costume design for The Labyrinth of Desire and Macbeth
• Emily Hunsucker, National First-Place Award in lighting design for In the Blood
• Kate Smeltzer, National First-Place Award in scenic design for In the Blood
• Kayleigh Shaffer, National First-Place Awards in sound design for The Wolves, Metamorphoses, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

Festival

The Region 5 festival will take place January 18-24, 2026 in Rochester, Minnesota.

Festival Eligibility

Application link?

Must present at Design Expo

Festival Deadlines

Application deadline

Other