Kennedy Center Theater Festival Brings Drama to Abilene Downtown

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 21, 2020

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Michael J Burnett
Region 6 Chair, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival
325‐812‐4155, kcactf6chair@gmail.com

HELPFUL LINKS:
www.kcactf6.org
https://www.kennedy-center.org/#main_content
ACVB News: http://www.abilenevisitors.com/media/press-releases

ABILENE, Texas – The Abilene Convention Center will be center stage this week as hundreds of college students hit town Sunday to participate in the Region 6 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, which runs through Thursday.

It’s the second year for Abilene to host the five-day festival, which includes 840 university theatre students and instructors from all over Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma, who network, share knowledge and hone their craft.

The group first met in Abilene during 2019 as part of a two-year contract secured through the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau. The 2019 conference went so well, the group extended their commitment to three years, so locals can count on the group to return in 2021, too.

Each festival brings $820,000 to Abilene hotels, restaurants and businesses.

Region 6 Festival Chairman Mark Burnett, a former theatre professor at Angelo State University, says he’s happy to show off Texas to the group.

“I think sharing our part of West Texas is always a positive experience,” Burnett said. “I also want to give a shout-out to the ACVB for their help, as well as the university instructors at McMurry, Abilene Christian and Hardin-Simmons universities.”

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is part of a national organization that celebrates the educational and creative process of university and college theatre, and this regional festival is one of several hosted throughout the United States.