TheatreFest 2025

Welcome!

Thank you for your interest in Southeast Alabama Community Theatre’s TheatreFest! Our competitive theatre festival grants schools, drama clubs, community theatre groups, and independent students grades 3-12 the opportunity to share their talents with highly qualified theatre professionals. All participants receive written feedback from three adjudicators on their performances and design presentations. We hope you and your students will join us for this exciting opportunity to develop your craft, build your ensemble, and showcase theatrical excellence in southeast Alabama!

Updated Handbook

Dates: November 7-9, 2025 (Friday-Sunday)

Location: Cultural Arts Center (909 S Saint Andrews St., Dothan, AL 36303)

Deadlines:

Friday, September 20 - Early Bird Special (10% Discount; enter code EARLYBIRD at checkout)

Friday, October 3 - TheatreFest Registration Form and Non-Refundable Payment Due

Friday, October 17 - Email Event Entry Form to billyh@seact.com

After you submit your registration form, you may pay in two ways:

Pay with credit card online
Pay by check

Checks should be made out to:

SEACT TheatreFest

ATTN: Billy Hutto

909 S Saint Andrews Street

Dothan, AL 36301

Questions? Contact Festival Director, Billy Hutto at:

Phone: 334.794.0400

E-mail: billyh@seact.com

Schedule

Performing groups can check in up to one hour prior to their start time. Doors open 5 minutes before your group begins for guests and audience members. Viewing passes can be purchased at the door for $5.

Please note that the schedule is subject to change. Some groups may start slightly later depending on the cadence of performances and adjudications. No group will start earlier than their scheduled start time, but some might start later.

Friday, Nov. 7

Pataula Charter Academy (2:00-2:40 PM)

Independent - Eden Singletary (3:45 PM)

Circle City Music Studio - (4:00-5:45 PM)

Saturday, Nov. 8

SEACT Education (9:00 AM - 10:25 AM)

The Studio - Early & Intermediate (10:30 AM - 12:20 PM)

The Studio - Senior (1:30 - 2:25 PM)

Center Stagers (2:30-2:45 PM)

Independent - Addison Piggott (2:50-3:00 PM)

Conyers Creative Kids (3:25-6:00 PM)

We are thrilled that GREEK STREET, one of Dothan's most popular food trucks, will join us for lunch on Saturday at the Cultural Arts Center between the hours of 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM.

Sunday, Nov. 9

Sunny Side Theater (9:30 AM - 12:00 PM)

Bay Area Performing Arts (1:00 PM - 3:20 PM)

Independent - Katlynn Lanham (3:30 PM); Jenna Tedder (3:35 PM)

Judges

Quinton Cockrell

Quinton Cockrell is a graduate of Birmingham-Southern College and The Alabama Shakespeare Festival's Professional Actor Training Program. Quinton has worked with numerous theatres throughout the United States as an actor, director, and playwright, including Riverside Shakespeare Company, Westbeth Theatre, Soho Rep, The John Houseman Theatre, Playwright's Horizons, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Studio Arena Theatre, Heritage Repertory Company, Birmingham Children's Theatre, City Equity Theatre, The Barter Theatre, and Red Mountain Theatre Company. His writing has been selected as a finalist in Oregon Shakespeare's Ashland New Play Festival and The O'Neill Center's National Music Theater Conference. Quinton is an Associate Professor of Performance at Troy University. He is a member of Actor's Equity Association and The Dramatists' Guild of America.

Elizabeth Gibbs

Elizabeth Gibbs is a Meisner and classically trained actor, director, and producer based in Atlanta. She holds a BFA in Performance from Columbus State University and is represented by the Alexander White Agency. Upcoming, Elizabeth appears alongside Mark Wahlberg as his girlfriend in the feature film, By Any Means. She is also the founder of Act Before You Think Productions, established in the spring of 2023 with the mission of creating bold, exciting theatrical experiences that push the fold in the Atlanta arts scene. Elizabeth most recently co-directed and produced Rabbit Hole at The Windmill Theatre, and has starred in and produced Gruesome Playground Injuries at The Mask Center and Where We’re Born at RoleCall Theatre. She continues to study with her longtime mentor, Tony and Emmy–nominated actor Peter Frechette. A few of her favorite credits include Gruesome Playground Injuries (Kayleen), Don’t Dress for Dinner (Suzette), and The Last Five Years (Cathy). Elizabeth is honored to serve as an adjudicator and is passionate about supporting and inspiring the next generation of theatre artists.

Kira Rockwell

Kira Rockwell (she/her) is an Atlanta-based playwright and educator. Notable works include OH TO BE PURE AGAIN (Actor's Express); WICKED BITTER BEAST(S) (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); and THE TRAGIC ECSTASY OF GIRLHOOD (Boston Playwrights' Theatre). Her plays have also been developed with The Kennedy Center, National New Play Network, Great Plains Theatre Commons, and more. Awards include Judith Royer Excellence in Playwriting Award, Gene Gabriel Moore Playwriting Award, and second place recipient of the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, among others. Commissions with Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actor's Express, and Moonbox Productions. Rockwell holds a BFA in Theatre Performance and an MFA in Playwriting from Boston University. Currently, she teaches writing for the stage and screen at Georgia State University. website: www.kirarockwell.com