High School Theatre Festival

The Fulton has hosted a statewide high school drama festival since 1986. Each year, drama students from across Pennsylvania bring 30-minute excerpts of a production to the Fulton's main stage to share with other high schools and to receive constructive criticism by a panel of area professionals. The day also includes a professional performance and/or workshop for all participants and the awarding of certificates of merit. An engraved plaque that hangs in the historic opera house marks the "Beth Bash" Award for outstanding achievement by an individual or school. A past winner is Jonathan Groff, Tony-nominated star of Broadway's Spring Awakening, who both directed and performed at the Festival for several of his formative years, and went on to act in Fulton productions before embarking on his New York career.