Pre-Order Specialty License Plates
2022-03-28 08:00 - 2022-04-15 17:00 (America/Chicago)
MTA is excited to pre-sell a specialty license plate, featuring our new logo, to bring awareness of the theatre community, and the power of theatre, across the State of Mississippi!

In order to print this specialty license plate, MTA must first pre-sell 300 tags before the Department of Revenue can begin production.

The deadline to reserve your tag is April 15, 2022.

MTA Playwriting Competition Submissions
2022-04-01 08:00 - 2022-11-01 17:00
Playwriting Competition

The MTA Playwriting Competitions are designed to recognize and promote the works of Mississippi playwrights and are open to all writers currently located in Mississippi.

Winners in the Adult and Youth competitions receive staged readings at the MTA Festival and cash prizes–$500 for Adult winners, $250 for Youth winners.

Submissions are accepted from April 1, 2022, until October 1, 2022.

For questions, contact Tonya Hays, Youth Playwriting Chair, or Sarah Grammar, Adult Playwriting Chair.

Playwriting Contest Guidelines

Submit original works HERE

Playwriting – 10 Days to Play Resource

BLAXPLOTATION
2022-04-22 19:30
We’re encouraging everyone to come dressed in your grooviest 1970s fit so you can take pictures on the red carpet and step into the BLAXPLOTATION world with us!

“Drinks on Me” by Prince Duren is a compelling play set in the 1970’s that explores the dynamics of relationships and the measures individuals will go for the deep affection of love and money.

Trap
2022-05-04 08:00 - 17:00, 2022-05-06 19:00 - 21:30, 2022-05-07 19:00 - 21:30 | St. Martin High School, 11300 Yellow Jacket Road, Ocean Springs, Mississippi, 39564
By Stephen Gregg. Every person in the audience of a high school play falls unconscious – every person but one. Using interviews with witnesses, loved ones, first responders, and the investigators pursuing the case, the theatre ensemble brings the story of the strange event to life, documentary-style.

The Legend of Georgia McBride
2022-05-17 19:30 - 2022-05-21 19:30
The funny, heartwarming comedy centers on Casey, a young, broke would-be-songwriter in small-town Florida, who finds out his wife is pregnant just as he loses his job as an Elvis impersonator at the local bar. When the club-owner brings in a B-level drag show to boost attendance, Casey, desperate for cash, gets an unexpected shot at stardom- and if he truly wants to man up for his wife and child, he’d better learn how to walk comfortably in high heels.

Spring Theatre Workshop
2022-05-21 10:00 - 15:00
Sustainable Design on a DimePresented by: Shannon Robert, Clemson University/Warehouse Theatre

Upcycling, Recycling, and Repurposing Materials:Learn about the movement to keep live theatre out of landfills and oceans, how to green your practice, and source in environmentally responsible ways. Will discuss Broadway Green Alliance, tips and tricks on creating high impact looks while minimizing negative environmental impact.

DetailsSaturday, May 21, 202210:00 – 3:00 pmWilliam Carey CollegeHattiesburg, MS

(CEUs will be available. You will get information for this at the workshop and will pay Mississippi State University directly.)

Click HERE to register today.

Southern Regional Social Hour
2023-07-29 04:30 - 18:30
Join Olivia Dunwoody for sips and eats at MTA’s Southern Regional Social Hour!

We’ll meet at Woody’s Roadside in Gulfport, MS.

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/NHD9acYoB1scDygw7

MTA Board Meeting
2023-07-29 09:00 - 15:00 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College – Harrison County Campus, 2226 Switzer Rd,, Gulfport, Mississippi, 39507, United States
The next MTA board meeting is scheduled for July 29 from 9:00 – 3:00 pm at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College – Harrison County Campus.

We will have a Southern Regional Social Hour that begins at 4:00 pm at Woody’s Roadside in Gulfport!

Central Regional Social Hour
2023-08-05 05:00 - 19:00
Join Stacy Howell & Juniper Wallace for sips and eats at the Central Regional Social Hour.

We’ll meet at Good Bar in Jackson!

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/NHD9acYoB1scDygw7

Northern Regional Social Hour
2023-08-05 05:00 - 19:00
Join Tonya Hays for sips at eats at Moe’s Original Barbecue in Starkville, MS!

RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/NHD9acYoB1scDygw7

Don't Miss Theatre Oxford’s Production of "The Exonerated' on September 8 and 9
2023-09-06 08:00 - 17:00
Six Compelling Stories About Death Row Survivors Offered in Theatre Oxford’s Latest Production

Sixty-year-old Delbert Tibbs is an old soul from Chicago, a seminary dropout,military veteran, radical, poet, and death row survivor. He’s also a Black man whohappened to be on a highway near a small Florida town soon after a man was killedand a young woman raped. Both were white. Enough reason for the cops to arresthim.

“This is not the place for thought that does not end in concreteness,” narratorDelbert Tibbs tells us in The Exonerated. “It is dangerous to dwell too much onthings. To wonder who or why or when to wonder how – is dangerous. How do we,the people, get outta this hole, What’s the way to fight?”

Delbert Tibbs’ story is one of a half-dozen told in Theatre Oxford’s production of TheExonerated at the Powerhouse Arts Center Saturday, September 8, at 7:30 p.m., andSunday, September 9, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. A panel discussion by TuckerCarrington, the founding director of the Mississippi Innocence Project, and CliffJohnson, the director of the MacArthur Justice Center, will follow both eveningproductions.

The production is made possible by the support of Frye | Reeves Attorneys at Law,the Mississippi Arts Commission, and Yoknapatawpha Arts Council.Authored by Jessica Blank and Erik Jenson, The Exonerated shares true stories ofwrongfully convicted survivors of death row. Directing the Theatre Oxfordproduction is theatre veteran Felipe Esteban Macias.

The stories tell of resilience, faith, and post-traumatic stress. They range fromracially motivated arrests and convictions of a hippie falsely accused of murderinghis parents to a mother who innocently catches a ride with a driver who will kill twopolice officers before the ride is over.

“We have six wonderful stories wrapped up in one play,” Macias says about TheExonerated. Taken from interviews, letters, transcripts, case files, and public records, the storiesoffer sobering insights into the nation’s criminal justice system and capital punishment.

“The Exonerated” won the 2003 Drama Desk and Outer Critic’s Awardsand also received the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Championof Justice Award.

Tickets will be available at the door and seats can be reserved athttps://oxfordarts.com/theatreoxford.

The Powerhouse is located at 413 South 14th Street in Oxford (on the corner ofUniversity Avenue). Parking is in the back near the water tower. To learn more aboutTheatre Oxford, visit our website (theatreoxford.org) or follow us on social media(@theatreoxford).

MTA Fall Teacher Workshop
2023-09-08 12:00 - 2023-09-09 16:30
Save The Date for MTA’s Fall Teacher Workshop, September 8-9, 2023, on the MGCCC – Harrison County Campus. Enjoy learning from the masters of playwriting, puppetry, EDI in the classroom, and more! View the full schedule of events!

Contact Olivia Dunwoody at secondary@mississippitheatre.org for more details.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Theatre Oxford's Production of "The Exonerated"
2023-09-08 19:30 - 2023-09-09 19:30 | The Powerhouse, 413 South 14th Street, Oxford, Mississippi, United States
Taken from interviews, letters, transcripts, case files, and public records, the storiesoffer sobering insights into the nation’s criminal justice system and capital punishment.

“The Exonerated” won the 2003 Drama Desk and Outer Critic’s Awardsand also received the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Championof Justice Award.

Tickets will be available at the door and seats can be reserved athttps://oxfordarts.com/theatreoxford. The Powerhouse is located at 413 South 14th Street in Oxford on the corner of University Avenue. Parking is in the back near the water tower. To learn more aboutTheatre Oxford, visit our website https://theatreoxford.org or follow us on social media, @theatreoxford.

Intent to Participate Form Due for MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival Student Drama Competition
2023-09-15 00:00 - 23:59 | Coahoma County Higher Education Center/Cutrer Mansion, 109 Clark Street, Clarksdale, Mississippi, 38614
On behalf of the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival (MDTWF) held every October in Clarksdale, Mississippi, you are invited to participate in our annual Student Drama Competition to be held on Saturday, October 14, 2023, starting at 9 am at the Coahoma County Higher Education Center/Cutrer Mansion, 109 Clark Street, Clarksdale.

Read the latest copy of the Invitation to Participate.

The Invitiation to Perform & Registration forms can be found HERE. The Intent to Participate form is due back to us on September 15, 2023 and the Registration is due back on September 29, 2023.

The material performed must be from a Tennessee Williams play (full-length or one-act). Students are judged on acting ability, movement, voice (such as how audible and articulate they are), memorization and stage presence. The form and this letter should give you all of the information that you need to know to participate, but feel free to reach out to me if you need any additional information.

In closing, please know that we have a wonderful and impactful weekend planned that I know you will enjoy; however, we do not have our schedule posted yet. We are still finalizing the details and hope to have it up on our website by September 1, 2023. To receive email updates and see additional information on festivals past, go to our festival website, https://deltawilliamsfestival.com/.

Thank you for all the work that you do every single day for students around the great State of Mississippi. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Very best regards,

Jen Waller, Director

Submit Your DramaFest Letter of Intent
2023-09-15 08:00 - 2023-10-01 17:00
DramaFest Letter of Intent

Get ready to fill out your DramaFest 2023 Letter of Intent. We will be open to receive submissions starting September 15, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. By submitting this form, you indicate your intention to register as a performing school at a Mississippi Regional DramaFest this year.

Registration Form Due for MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival Student Drama Competition
2023-09-29 00:00 - 23:59 | Coahoma County Higher Education Center/Cutrer Mansion, 109 Clark Street, Clarksdale, Mississippi, 38614
On behalf of the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival (MDTWF) held every October in Clarksdale, Mississippi, you are invited to participate in our annual Student Drama Competition to be held on Saturday, October 14, 2023, starting at 9 am at the Coahoma County Higher Education Center/Cutrer Mansion, 109 Clark Street, Clarksdale.

Read the latest copy of the Invitation to Participate.

The Invitiation to Perform & Registration forms can be found HERE. The Intent to Participate form is due back to us on September 15, 2023 and the Registration is due back on September 29,2023.

The material performed must be from a Tennessee Williams play (full-length or one-act). Students are judged on acting ability, movement, voice (such as how audible and articulate they are), memorization and stage presence. The form and this letter should give you all of the information that you need to know to participate, but feel free to reach out to me if you need any additional information.

In closing, please know that we have a wonderful and impactful weekend planned that I know you will enjoy; however, we do not have our schedule posted yet. We are still finalizing the details and hope to have it up on our website by September 1, 2023. To receive email updates and see additional information on festivals past, go to our festival website, https://deltawilliamsfestival.com/.

Thank you for all the work that you do every single day for students around the great State of Mississippi. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Very best regards,

Jen Waller, Director

DramaFest Registration Now Open
2023-10-01 08:00 - 2023-11-01 17:00
DramaFest Registration is now open!!!

Competing and observing schools are welcome to register.

Complete the following Jotform: https://form.jotform.com/232307723031141

#MSDoesGreatTheatre

Register for MTA 2024
2023-10-10 08:00 - 2023-12-15 17:00
The time has come to talk of many things…. including registration being open for MTA 2024!!!

Before registering, Visit https://mississippitheatre.org/registration/

*Pay close attention to the instruction videos for each category. These videos and organization tools were designed to assist you.

For additional questions, please contact your MTA division chairs.

When you are ready to register, please visit https://mississippitheatre.ludus.com/

Registration

Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival
2023-10-12 00:00 - 2023-10-14 23:59
This year’s Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival features Williams’ iconic Delta movie, BABY DOLL, starring Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach, and Karl Malden.Williams combined the stories of his short plays 27 WAGONS FULL OF COTTON and THE UNSATISFACTORY SUPPER into the BABY DOLL screenplay, which was directed in 1955 by Elia Kazan in Benoit, Mississippi.We look forward to welcoming Artists and Scholars from around the country for the 31st annual Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival which features panels, performances, parties, and porch plays!The festival will once again be held the same weekend as the Deep Blues festival, so if you are coming from out of town, we recommend booking your accommodations as soon as possible!Here is a list of local hotels, motels, and B&B’sWe will be in touch with more programming updates as we get closer.Sincerely, Jen Waller, Festival Director

Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival
2023-10-12 08:00 - 2023-10-14 17:00
October 12-14 | 2023 Festival focus: BABY DOLL

This year’s Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival features Williams’ iconic Delta movie, BABY DOLL, starring Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach, and Karl Malden.

Williams combined the stories of his short plays 27 WAGONS FULL OF COTTON and THE UNSATISFACTORY SUPPER into the BABY DOLL screenplay, which was directed in 1955 by Elia Kazan in Benoit, Mississippi.

We look forward to welcoming Artists and Scholars from around the country for the 31st annual Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival which features panels, performances, parties, and porch plays!

The festival will once again be held the same weekend as the Deep Blues festival, so if you are coming from out of town, we recommend booking your accommodations as soon as possible!

Here is a list of local hotels, motels, and B&B’s: https://www.visitclarksdale.com/stay-all

Visit https://deltawilliamsfestival.com to learn more

We will be in touch with more programming updates as we get closer.

Sincerely,

Jen Waller, Festival Director

Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival Student Drama Competition
2023-10-14 09:00 - 17:00 | Coahoma County Higher Education Center/Cutrer Mansion, 109 Clark Street, Clarksdale, Mississippi, 38614
On behalf of the Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival (MDTWF) held every October in Clarksdale, Mississippi, you are invited to participate in our annual Student Drama Competition to be held on Saturday, October 14, 2023, starting at 9 am at the Coahoma County Higher Education Center/Cutrer Mansion, 109 Clark Street, Clarksdale.

We offer trophies to student winners and prize money to the winning theater programs.

This year, we have recruited Layla Young of Storyworks Theater Company (https://www.storyworkstheater.org/who-we-are) to serve as our coordinator for the Student Drama Competition. We would love for your school theatre program to participate this year.

For 31 years now, our festival has celebrated the life, work, and legacy of one of the greatest American playwrights of all time, Tennessee Williams.

Williams was connected to Clarksdale through his maternal grandparents, the Rev. and Mrs. Walter E. Dakin, and spent his summers here as a child. In his memoirs, he wrote that his grandparents were “the source of the greatest support and kindness” to him. His affection for them is reflected in his frequent references to Clarksdale and the MS Delta throughout his works.

During our festival, we bring together professional actors, Williams scholars, English/Humanities experts, students from around the State, and Williams enthusiasts from around the world. We strive to offer our visitors a weekend filled with learning, sharing, and fun.

We are also pleased to share that our festival is always free and open to the public. The dates for the 31st Annual MS Delta Tennessee Williams Festival are October 12-14, Thursday through Saturday. This year, we are focusing on the film Baby Doll and the two plays that inspired it: The Unsatisfactory Supper and Twenty-seven Wagons Full of Cotton.

Our goal is for the Student Drama Competition to be a mostly in-person event, but we are considering a virtual option for those schools that cannot make the journey to Clarksdale. Let us know if that is something you are interested in.

Read our latest Invitation to Participate.

The Intent to Participate & Registration Forms can be found HERE. The Intent to Participate form is due back to us on September 15, 2023 and the Registration is due back on September 29, 2023.

The material performed must be from a Tennessee Williams play (full-length or one-act). Students are judged on acting ability, movement, voice (such as how audible and articulate they are), memorization and stage presence. The form and this letter should give you all of the information that you need to know to participate, but feel free to reach out to me if you need any additional information.

In closing, please know that we have a wonderful and impactful weekend planned that I know you will enjoy; however, we do not have our schedule posted yet. We are still finalizing the details and hope to have it up on our website by September 1st. To receive email updates and see additional information on festivals past, go to our festival website, https://deltawilliamsfestival.com/.

Thank you for all the work that you do every single day for students around the great State of Mississippi. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Very best regards,

Jen Waller, Director

What the Constitution Means to Me
2023-10-24 19:00 - 2023-11-05 22:00
Fifteen-year-old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions held across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful, and achingly human play, author Heidi Schreck resurrects her teenage self to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives. This powerful play is a love letter to our constitution, giving it new life and imagining how it will shape the next generations of Americans.

What The Constitution Means to Me will be presented in the Hewes Room with general admission seating.

Show Times and Tickets:Tuesday, October 24 at 7:00Wednesday, October 25 at 2:00 & 7:00 (Sold Out)Thursday, October 26 at 7:00 (Sold Out)Friday, October 27 at 7:00 (Sold Out)Saturday, October 28 at 2:00 & 7:00Sunday, October 29 at 2:00 (Sold Out) & 7:00

Tuesday, October 31 at 7:00Wednesday, November 1 at 2:00 & 7:00Thursday, November 2 at 7:00 (Sold Out)Friday, November 3 at 7:00Saturday, November 4 at 2:00 & 7:00Sunday, November 5 at 2:00 (Sold Out) & 7:00

Tickets: $35/$30 Senior/Student/MilitaryRecommended for ages 14+.Content Advisory: What the Constitution Means to Me contains adult language and themes that may not be suitable for all ages.For content advisories, call 601-948-3533.

Visit https://newstagetheatre.com

Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence
2023-11-06 18:00 - 22:00 | Mississippi State University McComas Hall
You are cordially invited to this free event at McComas Hall! This is a project of Lillian Bingham, an education major, through the Theatre for Young Audiences class at Mississippi State University. She will be moderating the talk back which will include an officer from the highway patrol as well as a counselor. Visit https://enoughplays.com

It's a Wonderful Life, the Live Radio Play
2023-12-15 10:30 - 12:00
Parkway Heights United Methodist Church in Hattiesburg, MS

Duration: 1 hr 30 min

Public · Anyone on or off Facebook

Legacy Actors Theatre Experience, in partnership with Petal Arts Council and in conjunction with Parkway Heights UMC Youth, presents “It’s a Wonderful Life- the Live Radio Play” adapted by Joe Landry.

Friday, December 15th, two performances only: 10:30 am for Seniors Adults (over 65) and 7:00 pm for general admission.

George Bailey dreams of leaving his childhood home to travel the world, but through a series of unfortunate events, his troubles become so heavy that he contemplates ending it all! Enter Clarence, his ‘apprentice angel’, who shows Goerge what life would be like if he had never been born. This classic play is set in a 1940s radio station with actors and sound effects and for one day in December 2023, you can experience that.

Seating for the morning show is very limited- please email to reserve seats: redheadactingup@yahoo.com Ticketing for the 7 pm showing will be released at a later date. All tickets are $20 and can be purchased with cash at the door one hour before curtain.

LIVE Festival Schedule Overview
2024-01-04 08:00 - 2024-01-11 17:00
LIVE Festival Schedule Overview

The LIVE Festival Schedule for MTA 2024 can be found here. It is tentative and subject to change.

MTA 2024
2024-01-11 08:00 - 2024-01-14 13:00
The MTA 2024 Annual Theatre Festival will be hosted on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Harrison County Campus. The event will feature the 10-minute festival, individual events, the Secondary Theatre Festival, the Community Theatre Festival, Playwriting, various workshops, and more!

Join MTA for Theatre Afternoon
2024-02-05 01:00 - 16:30
Mark your calendars and join us for the first-ever Theatre Afternoon, part of Mississippi Arts Week, and Arts Day at the Capitol. We want ALL theatremakers to attend. This is our very own time to shine!

The top two schools and the top two community theatres to advance from MTA 2024 are invited to connect with legislators at this arts #advocacy event so that our legislators will see why we are so invested in this craft. We’ll meet at the Mississippi State Capitol Rotunda in Downtown Jackson on Monday, February 5, 2024, from 1:00-4:30 pm!

Southeastern Theatre Conference
2024-03-13 08:00 - 2024-03-17 17:00
https://setc.org/

SETC is the largest network of theatre practitioners in the nation. We connect our members to training, jobs, and resources at all experience levels.

Member services include access to:

Collegiate Auditions and Interviews

Professional Hiring Companies

Grants, Scholarships, and Awards

Online and In-Person Training

Design and Performance Competitions

Conferences and Networking

Publications

Events and More!

Not a member? Click HERE and join SETC today!
