AACT YouthFest 2027
YouthFest is AACT’s national celebration of youth theatre—bringing outstanding student performers together for adjudicated performances, youth-centered workshops, and unforgettable community-building experiences.
Applications to perform will open in Summer 2026. Full guidelines, timelines, and application details will be posted here once available.
What Is YouthFest?
YouthFest is AACT’s national festival experience designed specifically for youth theatre companies. Participating groups present adjudicated performances in a supportive, educational environment that emphasizes growth, learning, and celebration.
Each YouthFest performance is followed by an open adjudication, offering students and directors constructive feedback from experienced theatre professionals in a forum that encourages dialogue and reflection.
In addition to performances, YouthFest includes youth-centered workshops and community-building activities that allow students to connect with peers from across the country while deepening their engagement with theatre.
How YouthFest Works
YouthFest brings youth theatre companies together for a national festival experience that includes adjudicated performances and youth-centered learning opportunities.
- Perform: Participating groups present their productions as part of the YouthFest schedule.
- Receive feedback: Each performance is followed by an open adjudication designed to support learning and growth.
- Learn and connect: YouthFest also includes workshops and activities created for students and youth leaders.
- Extend the experience: Many groups choose to participate in both YouthFest and AACTFest, which takes place immediately afterward.
Detailed schedules, participation requirements, and application information are posted for each YouthFest cycle when available.
What to Expect at YouthFest
YouthFest is designed to celebrate youth theatre while creating meaningful opportunities for learning, connection, and artistic growth.
While each YouthFest cycle is unique, past festivals have included:
- Adjudicated youth theatre performances
- Open adjudication sessions focused on learning and encouragement
- Youth-centered workshops and educational experiences
- Social activities designed to build community among participants
- Opportunities to connect with the broader AACT community
Note: Specific events, schedules, and offerings vary by year and are subject to change. Full details for YouthFest 2027 will be shared as plans are finalized.
How to Participate
YouthFest performance applications are not open yet. Applications to perform at YouthFest 2027 will open in Summer 2026. Full guidelines, timelines, and application details will be posted here once available.
Want to be the first to know when applications open?
- Check back on this page for updates.
- Questions in the meantime? Contact AACT YouthFest Chair, Katy Merriman at KMerriman@dmplayhouse.com .
YouthFest & AACTFest
YouthFest and AACTFest are closely connected parts of AACT’s national festival experience. YouthFest takes place immediately prior to AACTFest, allowing youth participants to be part of the larger national theatre community.
Many YouthFest participants choose to stay and attend AACTFest, where they can experience additional performances, workshops, and events alongside adult community theatre artists from across the country.
While YouthFest and AACTFest have distinct schedules and programming, they are designed to complement one another and celebrate theatre-making at every stage of the journey.
What’s Next
YouthFest 2027 performance applications will open in Summer 2026. Full application details, guidelines, and key dates will be posted on this page once they’re available.
- Check back here for updates as planning continues.
- Inquiries can be sent to AACT YouthFest Chair, Katy Merriman at KMerriman@dmplayhouse.com.
The Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation
AACT YouthFest is made possible in part by a grant from the Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation.
Jack K. Ayre celebrated his 90th birthday before passing away in December 2011. At his birthday party, he sang with a barbershop quartet, one of his favorite activities, and celebrated with his cousin and lifelong friend, Frank Ayre Lee.
Though as adults they lived on opposite sides of the country, the cousins kept in touch through letters that showed a love for the written word and an irreverent sense of humor. Jack participated in theatre productions at Drew University in New Jersey and at a community theatre in Connecticut in his younger years, and continued that interest when he moved to California. Mr. Lee was also an avid theatre supporter and dabbled in playwriting, adapting Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book for a children’s theatre production, and penning McSteg, a tongue-in-cheek discourse, ribbing his cousin Jack and based on a scene in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
The Jack K. Ayre and Frank Ayre Lee Theatre Foundation was created by the children of Frank Ayre Lee as a tribute to their father, who passed away in August 2012, and a legacy for the creative endeavors of Jack, who was an advertising executive and public relations director.
