We are looking for people who are willing to respond to high school Full-Length and Showcase productions and to recommend whether or not they should be selected for performance at the Festival. This requires the assistance and expertise of many people.  A responder may be anyone with expertise in theatre.*

Respondents will be asked to attend a performance (free of charge, of course) between August 22 and November 14 at a school near their home. After the performance, they will meet with the cast, crew, and director for a post-show discussion, and later complete a written response. 

If you want to be a respondent (and we hope you do), you can Volunteer to be a Production Respondent or email the Associate Directors for Play Selection at playselection@ihstf.org for more information.

You are encouraged to complete the Respondent Certification Process. Though there might be a respondent workshop over the summer, the next scheduled certification class will be held at the next Festival. 

The Festival Play Selection Committee responders strive to keep ownership of the art in the hands of the artists. It is not the place of play responders to re-create your art for you. By making meaningful statements, answering the artist’s questions, and asking questions, we can help the artists to discover within themselves what needs to be done to take their art to the next level. Every school’s theatre program has different strengths and weaknesses. With this philosophy, we believe one can give and receive truly effective feedback.

Please contact the Associate Directors for Play Selection if you have questions:

Jordan Richey and Brett Kalker

playselection@ihstf.org