Festival Events
Chapter Select
Chapter Select is an Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) program that spotlights outstanding school productions through one-acts or cuttings that celebrate student performance and storytelling. At the Montana Thespian Festival, active Thespian troupes may apply for a Chapter Select slot during Festival registration. Productions chosen as Montana’s Chapter Select may qualify to advance and be showcased at the International Thespian Festival (ITF), representing our state on the national stage.
Participation at the Montana Festival
Apply for Chapter Select as part of Festival registration (no separate form).
An additional participation fee is required.
Chapter Select entries are adjudicated using the current ITF Chapter Select rubric.
This rubric and process differ from the adjudication used for other one-acts at the Montana Festival.
Entries must be presented as simply staged one-acts or cuttings from full-length productions.
Pathway to ITF
Productions chosen as Montana’s Chapter Select may be nominated to advance to ITF the following June. Please note:
Only productions from troupes planning and able to attend ITF will be considered.
ITF costs are approximately $1,000 per person (not including travel).
Strict adult-to-student chaperone ratios are required at ITF.
Troupes must show proof of means (fundraising plan, budget, etc.) for ITF attendance before final Festival registration and paying the Chapter Select fee.
Important Notes:
ITF and Chapter Select guidelines, adjudication rubrics, and attendance requirements are subject to change each year.
Always review the official EdTA resources for the latest details:
Backstage/Tech Challenge
The Backstage Challenge, also known as Tech Challenge, is a timed technical theatre competition designed to showcase your troupe’s creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills behind the scenes. Teams rotate through a series of surprise prompts and practical challenges — from cable coiling to quick changes — using only the materials provided.
This event emphasizes collaboration, quick thinking, and the hands-on skills that make live theatre possible. It’s a fun, high-energy way for technical theatre students to shine — and top teams will take home trophies to celebrate their achievements!
Check here later for the list of Backstage Challenge categories this year.
Tongue Twisters & Death By… Scenes
Looking for a little extra fun at Festival? Don’t miss our Tongue Twisters and Death By… Scene events on Saturday! These lighthearted competitions are all about creativity, quick thinking, and having a good time.
Who can participate? Each troupe may have up to two students total (one for each event, or the same student in both).
How to sign up: Students cannot register on their own. Your troupe director must approve and sign you up. Directors should include participants during final Festival registration, or they can add names in person at Festival check-in.
Whether you’re performing or cheering on friends, these events are always a Festival favorite!
Thespys®
The International Thespian Excellence Awards—known as the Thespys®—give students the chance to be recognized for achievement in performance and technical theatre. Students may present monologues, songs, scenes, designs, and other theatre work for adjudication using national standards.
At the Montana Thespian Festival, students can earn feedback, ratings, and the possibility to qualify for the International Thespian Festival (ITF). Registration for Thespys is completed by troupe directors on behalf of individual students.
🎭 Friday Night Performance: Can’t Drink Salt Water
After the Festival banquet, enjoy a special performance presented by the Montana Repertory Theatre.
Can’t Drink Salt Water, a new play by Lummi playwright Kendra Mylnechuk Potter, tells the story of a mother’s search after her daughter goes missing, alongside the journey of a young woman arriving at Bethel House, an evangelical shelter for survivors of sex trafficking. The play explores love, loss, identity, and the lengths we go to when faced with the unthinkable — while also holding space for hope, joy, and profound resilience.
About the Playwright:
Kendra Mylnechuk Potter is a Montana-based theatre artist, filmmaker, and educator whose work often centers family, community, and cultural identity. Her storytelling blends raw honesty with deep emotional resonance, making her a powerful and important voice in contemporary theatre.
Content Advisory: This performance includes adult language and sensitive subject matter related to sex trafficking and trauma.
To review the preview scene in advance, please email ChapterDirector@mthespians.com.
For further questions about the production and content, please contact Michael Legg at Michael.Legg@MontanaRep.com.
A Note from Michael Legg, Artistic Director of the Montana Repertory Theatre:
As part of the statewide Thespians Festival, Montana Repertory Theatre will present Can’t Drink Salt Water in the Montana Theatre on Friday, February 13th. The show features the work of professional actors, designers, and artists from across the country, and showcases Native artists from over a dozen different tribes.
As you can imagine from the subject matter, the play contains adult language and situations, including one instance of a brief but frank description of sexual assault. We are providing that scene for your review. Please note, however, that the play also contains a full measure of hope and joy, as well as some incredible theatrical magic. We don’t want you to carry away the impression that these pages are representative of the work as a whole — it’s simply the scene we felt would be most essential to preview before attending with students.
Should you have any additional questions or concerns about the show or its content, please don’t hesitate to contact me at Michael.Legg@MontanaRep.com.
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All attendees may choose to opt out of attending the performance if they feel it is not appropriate for their students or personal comfort levels. Please note that Festival fees are not itemized, and we are unable to provide partial or prorated refunds for individuals or groups who choose not to attend the show.