On behalf of the Iowa Community Theatre Association (ICTA), I am proud to announce that IowaFest’25 will be held on March 7-9, 2025 at the Bowman Performing Arts Center in Forest City, hosted by BrickStreet Theatre.
What is IowaFest?
IowaFest is the first stop of AACTFest, which presents a forum for community theatres from its 10 regions to enter productions for adjudication and advancement from the state to the regional level and finally, to the national level.
In fact, Iowa will be center of the AACTFest universe in 2025, as our Region 5 AACTFest will be held in Newton on April 4-6 and the National AACTFest will be held in Des Moines on June 25-28.
Theatre companies are invited to enter one show into the competition that will start and finish within 60 minutes, including set-up and strike. Shows will be adjudicated by AACT judges to determine who will advance to the next stage of the competition. All set pieces and props must fit into a designated 10’ x 10’ space. For more details, consult the AACTFest 2025 Handbook found here: 2025 Festival Handbook | AACT.
What type of show can a theatre enter?
A production entered in the festival process may be a cutting of a full-length play or musical (with permission), a one-act play, or any other performance of a theatrical nature, including children’s theatre productions intended for youth audiences and/or performed by children and original works.
But whether your theatre enters a show into IowaFEST’25 or not, you’ll want to make plans to attend and enjoy the amazing talent that ICTA member groups bring to the Bowman Center. Plus, IowaFest ’25 offers a wonderful opportunity to network with other theatre enthusiasts and will end with the annual ICTA Awards Gala!
The strict deadline to enter a show into the state Festival is December 31st. There will be a limit of eight companies accepted into the Iowa Festival; companies will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Before you submit an application, we urge you read the 2025 AACTFest Handbook found here: https://aact.org/2025-festival-handbook
The application to enter a show into IowaFest ‘25 is attached. Please complete the entry form attached and send to IowaFest Chairman John Claes with a $100 entry fee check (made out to ICTA) at this address:
John Claes, ICTA Festival Chair
9704 Catalina Dr.
Johnston, Iowa 50130
You can also e-mail your entry form to johnclaes184@gmail.com and contact ICTA Treasurer Gerard Schwickerath at Gerard50208@gmail.com to arrange for online payment.
Questions? Contact John at johnclaes184@gmail.com