Parking, food, and other campus information available in the “Logistics” menu > Venue/Stages. See Information > Schedules for itineraries.
Schools wishing to participate in the one-act contest must be members of the WISDAA, and must begin their qualification process by entering the district level in mid-October, followed by the sectional level in late October/early November. One-act plays advancing to the State level are scheduled Friday and Saturday (and Thursday evening, if necessary), concurrent with workshops. All students attending the festival are welcome to watch. One-act performances are a great educational opportunity for students and their directors to receive constructive criticism from trained theatre professionals. Specific information is available on the One-Act Contests page.
Signature One-Act Sponsor
Thespy contests are offered alongside one-acts (students can participate in one-acts and Thespys). Every student/group who participates performs their piece(s) or speaks on a tech portfolio and receives immediate oral feedback (and written feedback, available at the end of the contest) from adjudicators. Students earning a majority of Superior ratings earn the opportunity to compete at the International Thespian Festival in Bloomington, Indiana in June!
Tech Challenge (formerly “Tech Olympics”) is a great way to test your technical skills in a fun and friendly competition with your peers. Actors, designers, directors, technicians, and theatre enthusiasts are invited to participate. Pre-registration for this contest is not necessary, but participants must be pre-registered with the festival.
Examples of Events
- Focus a light (individual)
- Knot tying (individual)
- Costume quick change (pair)
- Wire a plug (individual)
- Cable relay (team of 4)
- Sound setup (pair)
Interactive workshops, taught by experienced educators and professionals, immerse participants in technical and performance activities. Description and schedule of workshops will appear in the annual program booklet and on the “Schedules” page on this site.
Building on our festival’s success with offering Thespys, an individual/pair/small group contest supplement to our signature One-Act Play Contest, this year, solo Thespy performers will have the opportunity to register for one individual performance (acting or musical theatre) to also count as an audition.
This year, UW-Green Bay will present a Thursday evening showcase of Measure for Measure. Tickets can be purchased as an add-on to festival registration or independent of festival registration. Contest one-acts will run Friday evening in lieu of a showcase, to encourage the festival to finish earlier on Saturday to avoid conflicts with Sunday’s Green Bay Packers game.
Youth Safety
WISDAA utilizes the UW System framework for Youth Protection as established in System Policy 625. Accordingly, all participating schools must abide by the Supervision and Youth Protection requirements described in §2 of WISDAA’s Eligibility & Participation Rules.
Harrassment & Discrimination
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech & Dramatic Arts Association is committed to fostering safe and supportive learning environments for all student participants and adults at our interscholastic events. This requires mutual respect on the part of all people present. Accordingly, WISDAA prohibits all forms of harassment and discrimination by and to any person, whether written or oral, based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by any applicable federal, state, or local law. Individuals found to have violated this policy will be subject to a full range of sanctions, up to and including removal from the festival premises.
Equity & Reporting
If you have a concern about how people are treating you that you want to make known to the WISDAA and, if appropriate, legal authorities, or you have witnessed behavior inconsistent with the Harassment and Discrimination Policy, please report to the festival headquarters, and request to meet with an equity officer, who will confidentially discuss the matter with you, who shall in turn, investigate the complaint. We follow recommended guidelines for Belonging and Inclusion Stations (BIS) provided by the National Speech & Debate Association.
All-Gender Restrooms
WISDAA is committed to ensuring we provide all-gender restroom facilities at our State Festivals. Please see signage in the building and on event venue maps, which will note locations.