MACT
Over the next six to eight months you’re going to hear a lot about MACT*Fest and AACTFest. But what are they?
AACTFest is the biennial festival of adjudicated 60-minute plays. It is the culmination of the three-level festival cycle that happens in odd numbered years. The location for AACTFest varies every festival cycle. The 2017 festival was held in Rochester, MN. AACTFest 2025 will be held at the Hoyt Sherman Place Theatre in Des Moines, Iowa from June 22 through 29. AACTFest consists of 12 shows, one from each of the 10 regions of the US, one from the Armed Services and an additional one from the region with the highest number of theatres participating at the state level.
To get to AACTFest, shows must advance through a state festival and a region festival. If a state has less than 4 shows in their state festival, one show is selected as the “Outstanding Production” and advances to the regional festival. If the state has 4 or more shows, two productions can advance to the regional festival.
Minnesota is part of Region V. Besides Minnesota, our region includes North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. Like the national festival, the site for the Region V AACTFest varies each cycle, with each state in the region having the opportunity to host. For this cycle, the Region V festival will be held in Newton, Iowa from April 4 through 6. At least one show from this festival advances to the national AACTFest. Our region has, occasionally, had the highest number of theatres participating at the state level and was able to advance two shows to AACTFest. This was the case in 2017, when MN SkyVault Theatre of Rochester and FungusAmongus Players of Dassel-Cokato both participated in AACTFest 2017.
MACT*Fest is Minnesota’s state festival. Its moves to different locations around the state each cycle. MACT*Fest is the entry point for Minnesota Community Theatres that are hoping to advance to AACTFest. Minnesota has a great track record of advancing shows to the national festival, sending shows to the national festival in five of the last six festival cycles. (Note: 2021 did not use the normal festival process due to the pandemic.) In 2019 “Sweet” from County Seat Theatre represented Minnesota and Region V at AACTFest. 2017 saw “On The Road to Verona” from MN SkyVault Theatre and “The Voice of the Prairie” from FungusAmongus Players advance to AACTFest. “The Romancers” from FungusAmongus Players made it to AACTFest 2015. Minnesota sent “Leading Ladies” from Dakota Fine Arts Consortium to AACTFest 2013. AACTFest 2011 included “Wiley and the Hairy Man” from County Seat Theatre.
Festival shows can be up to 60-minutes in length. The set must fit into a 10′ by 10′ square. It’s amazing how much set can be stacked into this 100 Sq Ft area! Even a full size Dodge pickup truck – as FungusAMoungus Players proved with their premier MACT*Fest production in 2011. The theatre has 10 minutes to get their set from the 10′ by 10′ square box onto the stage and setup for the performance and 10 minutes to strike it back into the same box.
One of the goals of each festival is to help theatres improve. One of the methods used for this is the adjudications. This is one of the things that set festivals apart from normal performances. Following each performance, a panel of three adjudicators will make comments about the show. They tell everyone what they think worked well and what they might want to work on if they are chosen to advance to the next level. They discuss the choices made and offer possible alternative choices. This is very interesting and educational for the presenting theatre as well as the audience. Many people find the adjudications the highlight of the festivals.
Besides the performances and adjudications, there are workshops and plenty of opportunities to talk show with fellow theatre enthusiasts. The festival culminates in the awards ceremony on Sunday morning where individuals and theatres are recognized for outstanding achievement in various aspects of theatre. Two theatres are selected as “Best of Fest” and advance to the Region V festival. A “first Alternate” and “Second Alternate” are also chosen in case one or both of the “Best of Fest” are unable to attend the regional festival. Many other awards are also presented to theatre companies and individuals. All awards are determined by the panel of adjudicators. Other than the four awards previously mentioned, MACT does not specify any awards that are to be presented. The subject of each award and number of awards are as determined by the adjudicators.
Start planning your trip to Duluth in March! We hope you’ll be there as part of a presenting theatre company, but many people attend without any connection to a presenting theatre. They come for the fun, fellowship, learning opportunities and great theatre that festivals provide.
Click here for the MACT*Fest 2025 page on our website. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our festival co-chairs, Larry Pint (WebmasterMACT@gmail.com or 612-598-4782), Joel Soukkala (CountySeatGM@aol.com or 218-451-0715) or Carol Pint (LPint@bevcomm.net or 952-212-2141). We’re here to make this the best MACT*Fest … ever!
We hope to see you all at The Depot Theatre in Duluth on March 7-9, 2025.