2024 NCTC Middle School Play Festival Registration

Registration for the NCTC Middle School Play Festival is limited to NCTC member schools. If your school is not yet a member, you may join when registering for the Festival. Schools that renew their membership on-time (by July 31, 2023) will receive early access to Festival registration. View the list of schools eligible to register early. It is possible that the Festivals will fill during the early registration period. 

A list of all current NCTC member schools can be found here. If you have additional questions about your membership status, please contact tiffany@nctc.org.

Individual teacher membership is appreciated, but schools must pay organization membership dues in order to be eligible for the Festival. All students participating must be enrolled in the registered school and must be in grades 6-8. Teachers may not combine groups of students from different schools. North Carolina public schools, private schools, magnet schools and charter schools are eligible to participate. All other groups will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must contact NCTC to seek permission to register. Request permission by emailing angelahays@nctc.org by January 5. 

March 8-9 (two day Festival) – Booth Playhouse @ Blumenthal Performing Arts (Charlotte)
NOTE: Performance slots on Saturday, March 9 will be filled first at this site.

March 9 (single day Festival) – Reidsville High School (Reidsville)

Schools will pay $365/show.

Early registration: opens Wednesday, January 10 @ 10am

Late registration: opens Monday, January 15 @ 10am

Registration Deadline: Friday, February 16

All NCTC organizational memberships run from July 1-June 30 and schools that paid their dues by July 31, 2023 are permitted to register for the Festival during the early registration period. View the list of schools eligible to register early.

Schools that have not yet paid their NCTC membership dues may do so when they register during the late registration period.

Your school may register 1 or 2 shows. Both shows must be registered at the same time. When registering, you will rank your preference for Festival site.

Step 1: Review the Festival Overview Information.

Step 2: Review the Rules and Procedures (even if you are a Festival veteran, please read the rules and take note of any changes!).

Step 3: Review the Cancellation Policy (below).

Step 4: Verify your eligibility. You must be a current NCTC member to register, or you must join when you register.

Step 5: Complete Registration Form (2024 registration is now closed)

Step 6: Once you submit your registration, you will get an email from NCTC Director of Operations & Communication Tiffany Albright, within 2 business days. This email will let you know if you have secured a slot(s) in the Festival and will also provide you an invoice and a link to your Parent Permission Form. 

Step 7: Make Payment to NCTC. If you choose the “Paying by Check” option, it is your responsibility to make sure NCTC receives your school’s payment. NCTC does not need a purchase order, and these are not an acceptable form of payment. Please do not ask a bookkeeper to contact NCTC about payment; teachers assume responsibility for communication within their school. It is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that payment is made to NCTC. It is not the responsibility of NCTC to obtain payment.

No refunds will be given on 2024 Festival fees. Once registered, you are responsible for making the payment for your show(s), even if you cancel a production. If you need to cancel your show, please notify NCTC as soon as possible. You will still be responsible for the payment for your show, but NCTC will try to adjust the schedule for the benefit of other participating schools. No refunds will be given and you are pledging to pay fees when you register. If a show is cancelled and the payment is not received, your school will not be permitted to register for future NCTC programs and Festivals.

If you have to cancel your show(s), please notify NCTC Executive Director Angie Hays as well as your host.

Festival site schedules vary and are subject to change at any time. Schools should plan to attend the entire Festival. When registering, teachers will select their top choice for Festival site. Schools may make a request for performance day or time during registration. Special requests cannot be guaranteed. Please limit these requests; only list a request if you have a major conflict. All registrations and special requests are processed in the order in which they are received.

Festival schedules will be available on the regional Festival website pages. If you wish to re-schedule a performance, you’ll need to contact the other schools at your site and ask for a swap. If you are able to arrange a switch, please inform your host and tiffany@nctc.org

We strongly encourage you to attend the entire Festival, not only to receive a “Festival Spirit Award,” but additionally because it’s a great chance for your students to bond with kids from other schools who share the same interests. They’ll get to hear valuable feedback from the adjudicators after each show, and we feel that this is equally as important as their own performance. There are also fun roll calls, theatre games during the breaks, and other fun activities for them to participate in!

New teachers who wish to participate in the Play Festival for the first time, and teachers who have not participated in the Festival in the last 5 years (2019-2023) can save 50% on registration by using the promo code NEWMSPF50. Savings applies to Festival registration only, your NCTC membership must be paid in full. The discount can only be applied to registration for 1 show. This offer applies to new registrations only; teachers who already received Festival confirmation for 2024 may not take advantage of this offer.

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