Walter Trumbauer High School Theatre Festival

The Walter Trumbauer Festival has provided quality training and performance opportunities for Alabama theatre students at the high school level since 1940. The educational impact of this event is substantial. The festival consists of 30 individual events, a one act play festival, a studio theatre one act play festival—all for 9th through 12th grades, as well as scholarship auditions and college screening for high school seniors and junior college students. Students qualify for the state competition by earning a rating of “superior” at one of seven district festivals. At all levels of competition, students receive critiques from qualified teachers, professionals and theatre practitioners, allowing them to improve their theatrical skills. The state festival kicks off with the scholarship audition session on Thursday evening. High school seniors and junior college students compete for four $1000 ACT Scholarships. Friday and Saturday events culminate in an Awards Ceremony where trophies, plaques, medals, and other awards are presented to recognize outstanding work in technical categories and performance areas. Two one act productions are chosen to represent Alabama at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in the spring.

Trumbauer 2026

KEY DATES

September 1 — District Registration Opens (5:00pm)
October 14 — District Registration Closes (5:00pm)
November 7 — District Trumbauer Festivals
November 9 — State Registration
November 12 — State Registration Closes (5:00pm)
December 4–5 — State Trumbauer Festival at University of Alabama at Birmingham

Click Here for Guidelines, Registration and More

Trumbauer 2025

Alabama Conference of Theatre Showcases State’s Premier Talent at 2025 Trumbauer High School Festival

The Alabama Conference of Theatre (ACT) proudly concluded its 85th annual Walter Trumbauer High School Festival this December, celebrating the exceptional artistry, technical skill, and dedication of high school theatre students from across the state. Hosted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) on December 5–6, 2025, the state-level competition served as the pinnacle event for Alabama’s high school theatre programs.

The 2025 festival welcomed approximately 2200 students representing over 120 high schools. These young artists qualified for the state event after competing in one of seven district festivals held throughout Alabama in November. The state competition featured over 1,500 individual events, including acting, musical theatre, and technical design, alongside 50 group performances, 12 studio shows, and 14 one-act plays.

The festival recognized several outstanding productions with the “Best in Show” distinction in the One-Act play category. These top-tier productions included:

Albertville High School: Lafayette No. 1, directed by Sara Argiro.
Baldwin County High School: The Last Mile, directed by Darren Butler.
Cullman High School: Suite Surrender, directed by Wayne Cook.
Lee High Performing Arts Magnet: A Monster Calls, directed by Mirji Campolongo
Sparkman High School: Dark Road, directed by Emily Allred.

A highlight of the 2025 festival was the selection of top-tier productions to represent Alabama at the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) in March 2026. Cullman High School secured the “Best in Show” title for the second consecutive year for their one-act production of Suite Surrender, directed by Wayne Cook. Baldwin County High School (performing The Last Mile) as also been selected to represent Alabama.

The Studio Theatre category also showcased exceptional talent, with “Best in Show” honors awarded to:

Hoover High School: Backspace, directed by Nancy Malone.
Saint Luke’s Episcopal School: Brian the Comet, directed by Hannah Grace Smith.
The Altamont School: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, directed by Reid Watson.

Notably, The Altamont School and Hoover High School have both been selected to advance to SETC with their Studio Theatre productions.

“The Trumbauer Festivals are a cornerstone of ACT’s mission to support theatre education across Alabama,” said Allison Upshaw, PhD., ACT Past President. “These events provide students with a platform to explore their creativity and connect with peers who share a love for the performing arts”.