Bucks County Playhouse to Celebrate 56 Years of Student Theater Festival

Nearly 800 students from schools across the region will converge at Bucks County Playhouse to sharpen their performance skills and perform for one another at the Playhouse’s 56th Annual Student Theater Festival, April 15-18 and April 22-25. The festival performances are open to the public.

Originally known as Dramafest for one-act plays, the Student Theater Festival has evolved into a multi–week celebration showcasing talented student performers from all over the region. Students perform on the historic stage, take workshops to develop their knowledge and skills in the arts and receive feedback from theater professionals.

Twenty-six schools from sixteen counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are set to participate. From Bucks County: Central Bucks East High School (Buckingham), Central Bucks West High School (Doylestown), Harry S. Truman High School (Levittown), Main St. Theater Co. (Yardley), Pennsbury High School (Fairless Hills), and The Solebury School (New Hope). From Delaware County: Garnet Valley High School (Glen Mills). From Northampton County: Northampton Area High School (Northampton). From Schuylkill County: Pottsville Area High School (Pottsville). And from Montgomery County: Springfield Township High School (Springfield Township).

Schools representing New Jersey include the following: from Ocean County - Carl W. Goetz Middle School (Jackson), Manchester Township High School (Manchester Township), and Ocean County Performing Arts Academy (Lakehurst); from Essex County - Cedar Grove High School (Cedar Grove) and Our Lady of Peace School (New Providence); from Hunterdon County - Delaware Valley Regional High School (Frenchtown), Hunterdon Central Regional High School (Flemington), and Voorhees High School (Glen Gardner); from Bergen County - Fort Lee High School (Fort Lee); from Monmouth County - Freehold High School (Freehold) and Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (Rumson); from Mercer County - Lawrence High School (Lawrenceville); from Morris County - Mount Olive High School (Flanders); from Passaic County - Passaic Valley Regional High School (Little Falls); from Somerset County - The Pingry School (Basking Ridge); and from Sussex County - Pope John XXIII Regional High School (Sparta). 

“Being involved in the theater and coming to the playhouse is an incredible morale booster for our young actors. They work very hard and are very proud of what they can accomplish on the stage. When their work is recognized by theater professionals during adjudications, and they receive both constructive and positive feedback from their peers it completes their validation. It also gets them excited about starting the next production,” said Gina Chiloan, teacher Neshaminy High School.

For more than half a century, young artists have come to New Hope to present their school productions on the historic stage, adding their names to a long list of extraordinary theater artists who have performed at the Playhouse including Robert Redford, Grace Kelly, Justin Guarini, Jessica Walters, John Tartaglia, Ben Fankhauser, Angela Lansbury and hundreds of other artists.

“Everywhere I go, I seem to meet someone who has performed at Bucks County Playhouse during our annual Student Theater Festival. I've met people in NYC, Philadelphia, and once waiting to board a plane in Chicago,” says Michaela Murphy, Director of Education. “We love welcoming new students to the festival, by performing with their schools on our stage, they become a part of Playhouse history.”

For more information on the 2024 Student Theater Festival, visit BucksCountyPlayhouse.org

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