More than 500 high school students and community theatre enthusiasts from across the state will travel to Meridian this week to participate in an annual statewide theatre festival and convention.

Hosted by the Mississippi Theatre Association and The MSU Riley Center, the festival will be held Jan. 17-20 at the downtown Meridian venue. According to MTA Executive Director Stacy Howell, the unique festival brings theatres from around the state to perform their one-act productions, to learn more about theatre and how to improve theatre arts in the respective theatres.

High schools throughout the state have been rehearsing plays since September in hopes of placing in the regional competitions and then advancing to the state festival. High schools awarded a Distinguished Play Award at the North and South regional festivals held in December advanced to the state festival.

Schools advancing to the state festival include: Hancock High School, Hernando High School, Jackson Academy, Jackson Preparatory School, Northwest Rankin High School, Oak Grove High School, Ocean Springs High School, Pearl River Central High School, and Tishomingo High School. High school productions will be held Friday, Jan. 18, at The MSU Riley Center Theatre. The top two winners of the MTA Festival advance to the Southeastern Theatre Conference.

Community theatres from around the State also participate in the state theatre festival in hopes of advancing to the regional Southeastern Theatre Conference, Howell stated. Community theatres performing include: The Center Players Community Theatre, Corinth Theatre Arts, Fondren Theatre Workshop, Starkville Community Theatre, Tupelo Community Theatre, and WINGS Performing Arts. Community theatre productions will be held on Saturday, Jan. 19, at The MSU Riley Center Theatre.

Additionally, MTA sponsors a Theatre for Youth Festival on Jan. 18 at The MSU Riley Center- Studio Theatre. The Theatre for Youth Festival is geared towards youth audiences and includes both community theatre and community college groups performing. This year’s lineup includes: Biloxi High School, Northwest Rankin High School, Oak Grove High School, Ocean Springs High School, and WINGS Performing Arts.

Schools from throughout the region will be bussed in to see these productions. The Theatre for Youth Festival is open and free to the public. 

The full schedule is available on the MTA’s website. General admission ticket for the secondary and community theatre productions will be available at the door. Prices are $25 for all 15 productions, $15 for all productions on one day, and $5 for a block of plays.

MTA is sponsored in part by grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. For more information, visit the MTA website at http://www.mta-online.org or contact Stacy Howell, executive director of the Mississippi Theatre Association, at (601) 201-9564 or execdir@mta-online.org