MCTFA is the official Maryland State affiliate of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT.) AACT is divided into ten regions, nine in the US, and the tenth consisting of US Military Bases overseas. Maryland is part of AACT Region II, which consists of Maryland, DC, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. For more information about AACT, please visit their website: aact.org.
The First Maryland Community Theatre Festival was held in January of 1986 at Montgomery College, Rockville, and was produced by Col. John Moser (Ret.). At the festival, he asked for volunteers to help continue this work, and the Board of Directors established the Maryland One-Act Tournament Association the following year. In 1991, Col. Moser left the board, and the Association took on its current name, establishing itself as the Maryland State affiliate of the American Association of Community Theatre.
Since then, the festival has moved around the state, utilizing various venues. In even-numbered years, when there is no National Festival, the Eastern States Theatre Association (Region II of AACT) promotes new plays by holding an Original Works Festival as part of the Regional Festival. However, Maryland has always promoted and encouraged new work. Several Maryland playwrights whose work premiered in the State Festival have won National and International acclaim over the years.
While MCTFA and ESTA host a festival every year, AACT holds its National Festival every other year, in odd numbered years. AACTFest 2025 was held in June in Des Moines, IA, and the festival in 2027 is scheduled to be held in Rochester, MN. In even numbered years there are conferences, theatre trips, and an AACT-Hosted International Festival in Venice, FL. AACT also sponsors multiple events during the year, including educational conferences, open chats with vendors, meetings, and other events to support theatre and the arts.