Troy University will play host to the 69th Walter Trumbauer Theater Festival Friday and Saturday.

This is the fifth time the university has hosted the festiva,l and more than 1,300 high school students from across the state will compete in individual and group events.

The Trumbauer Theater Festival is made possible through a grant from the Alabama Conference of Theater and provides opportunities for high school students to compete in an educational environment, to network and to be exposed to different types of theater.

“The Trumbauer Theater Festival is a great opportunity for these theater students to visit a major university and learn more about the theater program,” said Jenny Meadows, Department of Theater and Dance marketing and public relations. “It also is an opportunity for Troy University to recruit some of the most outstanding theater students in the state. Many of those who have competed at the Trumbauer Theater Festival here now attend Troy University and our theater program has grown because of it.”

Awards are presented to groups and individuals and the most prestigious of the awards is the One Act Award.

The winner of the One Act competition will perform at the Southeastern Theater Conference in Lexington, Kentucky in the spring of 2010.

“The One Act competition is an opportunity for all aspects of a production, from the stage manager to the actors on stage, to come together and work together,” Meadows said. “The competitors in One Act will tell the full story but it won’t be as long as the play. The One Act competition is for a smaller set so it’s easy to travel with.”

Some theater groups could be invited to participate in the Thespian Festival International, which is high recognition.

Performances will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the Claudia Crosby Theater and there will also be competitions at the Trojan Center Theater. All are open to the public and there is no admission charge. For information call 808-6142.

or stop by the Trojan Center information booth on Friday and Saturday.

“We invite everyone who enjoys theater to attend,” Meadows said. “I think many people will be surprised by the work these high school students produce. They put a lot of effort and energy into their work and it shows.”