State Festival Practices

Connecticut Drama Association - website

• 1-hour total. 15-minute set up; 40-minute run; 5-minute strike;
• No technical rehearsals. The host school runs the lights.
• 3 adjudicators; private adjudication with cast/crew and 2 reps from other schools; immediately after performance in another room.

Maine Drama Council - website

• 5-minute setup, 35-40 minutes run, 5-minute strike;
• 55-minute technical rehearsal
• No public critique; Rubric from principals’ association;
• After every block of shows adjudicators meet for 20 minutes with the school who presented and all directors.
• A Maine Principals Association rep tallies the score.

Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild - website

• 5-minute set up, 40-minute run, 5-minute strike;
• 1 hr. tech rehearsal
• 2 judges at prelims and semifinals, 3 at finals. Consultant at each festival.
• Each judge types critique on a computer;
• Every director gets a copy of every show’s critiques.
• Shows are ranked after each show. Rankings are not revealed to directors.
• Justification sheet is completed by judges at end.

New Hampshire Educational Theatre Guild - website

• 5-minute set up, 40-minute run, 5-minute strike;
• 35-minute tech rehearsal minimum.
• 2 adjudicators at regionals, 3 at states. Consultant at each festival.
• Public Critique: After each performance, adjudicators address student choices for 10 minutes in the audience.
• Forums: Students meet in randomly grouped forums of about 20 at end of each block of 2 or 3 shows for a 10 minute discussion of each show.
• Simultaneously, adjudicators address director choices for 10-minute per show in a directors' forum.
• Each director receives a comment sheet with commendations and recommendations from each adjudicator.
• Adjudicators use order-of-preference charts to select shows to move on.

Rhode Island Theater Education Association

• 1 hour for everything
• 1 hour tech rehearsal
• 2 adjudicators at regionals, 3 at finals. Consultant at each festival.
• After each performance, adjudicators talk to audience, 10 minutes total per show.
• Adjudicators write critique sheets.
• Directors meet with adjudicators for a 10-minute critique of each show.
• Use of rubric that determines the top 5 schools, then select the top three.

Vermont Drama Council - website

• 1 hour for everything,
• 45-minute tech rehearsal
• 3 adjudicators for states and directors also vote.
• Students have one big forum while directors meet with adjudicators for critique sessions.
• 19 votes are cast - 10 from directors, 9 from adjudicators.
• Awards: each school submits list of awards to the consultant for final awards.