MTA 2026 State Festival
The Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts
January 15 – 18, 2026 – Oxford, MS on the Ole Miss Campus
The Mississippi Theatre Association State Festival is a four-day event that includes college auditions, scholarship opportunities, one-act play festivals, theatre for youth festivals, individual events for high school students and adults, and workshops. MTA Festival is the one time each year that theatre-makers of all disciplines from across the state can gather together and celebrate each other’s work. Join us for MTA 2026! Mississippi Does Great Theatre!
REGISTER HERE September 1
HOTEL LISTING COMING SOON
THE 2026 SCHEDULE WILL BE POSTED IN JANUARY
Tickets for the public will be available at the registration desk in the Grand Lobby of the Ford Center on the Ole Miss Campus.
Festival Passes will be available for $25 for the weekend. This will include play passes and workshops only. This pass does not include adult or youth socials.
Day Passes/Block Passes will be available for $10 per day. This will include play passes and workshops only. This pass does not include adult or youth socials.
Join GroupMe for General Announcements
This is where you will find the school registration information for the 2026 MTA Annual Theatre Festival. The organizational school registration deadline will be December 18, 2025!
Purchase order numbers must be turned in at this time. There will be no refunds after the December 18, 2025 registration deadline.
Code of Conduct
All students attending the MTA State Festival must sign a Code of Conduct form. This is to ensure that all participants are aware of theatre etiquette and behavior expectations throughout the regional and state theatre festivals. The Code of Conduct Form can be found HERE.
The Ford Center Floor Plan, Stage Layout, & Tech Rider Coming Soon
2026 Ford Center Video Tour Coming Soon
Ad Sales/Sponsorship Packages
The link for information on MTA’s Ad Sales/Sponsorship Packages can be found HERE.
Resources for Junior & Senior Auditions
Tips for College and University Auditions
This video link HERE explains what colleges are looking for in their top high school recruits at MTA.
Portfolio Pointers
David Carter, Theatre Department Chair at Mississippi University for Women gives pointers on how to create a portfolio for students auditioning for technical theatre in this video link HERE.
How to Mark Sheet Music
This video link HERE walks auditionees through the process of marking sheet music for a live audition.
Sample Audition
This video HERE shows sample auditions for the MTA College & University auditions.
Monologue only – 60 seconds
Monologue + song – 90 seconds
MTA Scholarship
$500 to a deserving high school senior who intends to pursue a theatre degree at a Mississippi college or university. The link to register can be found HERE.