AACT YouthFest 2025 at The Des Moines Playhouse

The American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) is excited to announce YouthFest 2025, a national festival that showcases the next generation of community theatre talent. YouthFest will take place June 22-24, 2025, at the Des Moines Playhouse in Des Moines, Iowa. This event will feature seven youth theatre companies from across the country, giving young performers the opportunity to showcase their work, connect with peers, and learn from theatre professionals.

For the first time, AACT YouthFest is scheduled separately from AACT’s national festival, allowing for longer performances, more youth-focused workshops, and interactive activities tailored to young artists. Performances will be adjudicated in an open forum designed to encourage learning and growth in a supportive environment.

Participating YouthFest productions are:

• Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR – Landmark Community Theatre (Thomaston, CT)

• Avinash – Ebong TheatriX (Bethesda, MD)

• Runaway Princess – Central Park Players (Grand Haven, MI)

• Mac Beth – Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette (Lafayette, IN)

• Dark Road – Northern Starz Center for the Performing Arts (Ramsey, MN)

• Lost Girl – Clark Youth Theatre (Tulsa, OK)

• In the Tank – Terrace Playhouse Youth Theatre Troupe (US Army Garrison, Ansbach, Germany – video entry)

The public is invited to attend YouthFest productions. For more festival information, visit aact.org/youthfest-2025. Show passes can be purchased online starting May 1, 2025 at aactfest25.ludus.com

AACT gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Jack K. Ayre and Frank Lee Ayre Foundation, which provides travel and housing funding to ensure youth theatre companies from all backgrounds can participate in YouthFest.

AACT Helps Theatres Thrive by offering resources, networking, and support to more than 7,000 theatres across the United States and its territories, including U.S. Military theatres overseas.