For the most current information on the Regional One Act Festivals, check out the Maine Drama Council
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What is the Maine Once Act Regional Festival?
This is a festival in which schools from across southern Maine compete through theater! Students are judged on Acting, Costume, Set, Makeup, Hair, Lighting, Sound, and much more. Students will be able to watch all of the other shows, meet people from other schools, and bond over theater.
If your son or daughter would like to be cast in the one act or a part of the crew for the performances, they will need your permission before auditions. All tech people ( Lighting, Sound, Stage Managers) will need to attend the tech day at the Regional site previous to the competition. This is a way for the tec crew to technically understand what they are expected to do durring the competition. Most of the time we will get a tour of the space including the stage, back stage, booth, and any set up areas. This is a very chill meeting just used as preparation for the Festival. The Regional Festival weekend ussualy takes place during mid to late March of each school year. it is a two-day competition with shows competing both on Friday and on Saturday.
The one act play and festival experience is awesome and the students that partake in the weekend never forget it. They watch 8-10 other High Schools perform and meet a large number of theatrical people. It is always a ton of fun and the public is welcome to attend any of the performances for a small cost. As a part of the production, students and parents need to know that it is a taxing experience and the hours are long. On the Friday, we attend regular school hours and then after school pack up our gear and head over to the host site. They should not miss school, but it is possible depending on what times we get for our tech and performance at the festival and how far away the host site is. We generally get home on Friday between 10-11pm. Students will need to be picked up at MHS when we return. Anyone wishing to pick their child up at the host site, needs to tell me in advance, although the bus ride is usually fun. On the Saturday, we meet at MHS early, between 6:30-8 am depending again on our schedule of performance. We bus over to the host site and are there all day watching performances and performing. We eat there, generally for a small fee. Students may bring their own food. Every host site handles food differently, some provide it at a small cost, some let the students walk to food places, if they are close (Thornton). The performances are usually over by 9pm, they have an informal dance while the judges deliberate and print certificates. The awards ceremony is held between 10-11pm and then we head home. Each year the time varies, and closer to the date we learn more about the host site and the schedule, but we could arrive back at MHS anytime between 11-1am. Yes, it is late but well worth it. All students need to stay for the awards ceremony, so it is imperative that parents give permission for their child to be in this production. The Maine Drama Council has been working hard the past few years to try to have the students out by 10pm. I have seen over the past four years, we have come home earlier and earlier.
Parents picking students up at MHS will need to be on call. No matter which school we go to for Regionals, we will be at least 25 minutes away. Students can call you as soon as we are out of the festival. I may collect parents cell phone numbers in order to send out a mass text of when we will be arriving back at MHS. Each year, I learn more and more about what parents would like to know and see happen. I'd love more input! I may hold a parent meeting before the festival to ease concerns. You may also read more about the rules of the festival at the Maine Drama Council's website.
Closer to the one acts, we will work out who may be able to get a ride with whom and hopefully that will save a few parents some late night trips to MHS.