Maine Student Acting Competition

Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast

Thanks to middle school teacher Jason Bannister for providing this post.

The first ever Maine Student Acting Competition will be held Saturday, April 30, from 9-5 at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast. The middle school acting and singing tournament is the brainchild of Jason Bannister, English and Drama teacher at Troy Howard, as well as the drama club advisor.

The Maine Student Acting Competition offers students the opportunity to perform scenes, monologues, and musical theater numbers in front of an audience, compete against their peers, and receive constructive feedback on prepared theatrical material. The goal for participating students is to find their talent, strengths, and weaknesses and to be another tool to help them grow as theatre artists.

The participants compete in 2 rounds of up to six events. They are ranked in each round, and the top ranked competitors move on to the finals, which is performed, on stage, in front of everyone. It is a great opportunity for kids, who love acting and singing in front of a crowd, to pick their own material and share their talents to the world!

This is the first year of the MSAC. Jason Bannister has spoken to over 20 middle schools along the mid-coast, from Bangor to Tenants Harbor. While
there is an overwhelming interest in competing in the future, this year’s
tournament will see Belfast, Bucksport, Lincolnville, North Haven, and
Medomak compete in individual and team events (complete with trophies and bragging rights). With the success of this year, Bannister hopes more
middle schools will gather together their young, enthusiastic actors and
singers and register to compete next year!

If you would like to learn more about the Maine Student Acting Competition, you can contact Jason Bannister at Troy Howard Middle School (207-338-3320 x118) or email him (jbannister@rsu20.org). You are also
welcome to attend the competition and see what it’s all about! (it’s free)

Directions to Troy Howard Middle School
From Rt. 3 in Belfast get on Route 1 as if you were headed south toward
Rockland. At the intersection of Route 1 and Route 52 (This is where
AthenaHealth/Hannaford are and there is a traffic light) turn right and
head down Route 52 about 1 mile. The school is on the right just after the
YMCA. From the South on Rt. 1 the intersection of 1 and 52 is the first set of lights in Belfast. Turn left at intersection and school is about a half mile on right after the YMCA.