All Mainstages and One Acts selected to perform at State will be asked to provide their licensing agreement which must include rights to perform at State.

Mainstage Performances (Drama, Comedy, and Musical) each have a designated performance space and rubric.

One pair of adjudicators is assigned to see ALL performances within a category allowing for optimal scoring reliability.

Best of Fest trophies honor the highest overall score in each category.

Mainstage Performances may include teacher-directed, student-directed, full-length plays, a showcase, revue, or already performed musicals. Complete, one-act plays should instead register for the “One Act Marathon” category for adjudication.

Performances may be 50-70 min Total session time is 75 minutes, including set up & strike. Any extra time can be for verbal feedback.

Performances do not need to be from a published work. It is the responsibility of the teacher selected to bring a Mainstage or One Act to secure performance rights and all schools will be asked to provide a copy of their licensing agreement with the State performance included (with the exception of unpublished/original works which are ALLOWED). 

If you are submitting your Mainstage Performance to represent Washington at the International Thespian Festival (ITF) as a Chapter Select Performance, your entire performance time must be 50 minutes long PLUS setup and teardown.

Performers should rehearse a brief slate that includes school name, show title, playwrights/composers, original performance time (“... originally performed last November”), whether the piece was student directed or teacher/adult directed, and any other context/given circumstances needed to understand the performance–especially if not starting from the beginning. This might include a brief statement about the staging: “Imagine this row of chairs is a revolving bookshelf.”

You are asked to include a content warning when you register. Please repeat this warning in your slate if applicable.