VIDEO: Mississippi Theatre Association Holds Annual Festival

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Dozens of actors are showcasing their skills on stage for a competition.

More than 500 regional high school students hit the Missisisppi University For Women’s campus to show off their best stuff.

“We have something for all levels of theater,” said Executive Director Stacy Howell. “From theater for the youth through the professional division. It starts on Thursday and we have college and university auditions. Then, on Friday, we have theater for the youth some secondary school performances and then we also have on Saturday community theater performances.”

The Theatre Association has been around since the 1950’s. This annual event is hosted in different venues throughout the state. Association President Tim Matheny says it took a lot of effort to get the festival up and going this year.

“It’s something that really kind of takes multiple people doing multiple things,” said Matheny. “It’s a great effort to try and get such a large festival going.”

Sage Wyland is a high school junior and has a knack for the arts.

“I chose poster design because I really love Sweeny Todd,” said Wyland. “I just though it would be a really interesting choice to make because I really do like designing posters and designing in general.”

She says it was by pure chance that she fell in love with the art of theater.

“Actually it was an accident. It was an alternate class and it got put on my schedule and I was like, ‘ugh I don’t want to be in theater my freshman year’ and then I was like ‘I’m in love with this’ and so I joined competition theater and here I am I’m in love with it.”

Howell says the training the students receive is important but the most important thing is keeping theater alive in communities throughout Mississippi.

“It’s absolutely incredible just to have a theater in your community.” “It brings everyone from all walks of life together with some sort of common interest a common goal.”