Each year, the eight regions that comprise the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) hold a Critics Institute. The Critics Institute was established to assist in elevating the level of arts criticism and to provide writers the opportunity to grow and learn at the same pace as other theatre artists, whose work they review, interpret, and critique. To accomplish this, KCACTF sponsors workshops at each regional festival where students write daily critiques of plays, which are then discussed in detail with mentors and peers in round-table sessions.

The process is simple and the rewards are many. If you are interested in criticism, contact your Regional Chair to find out the name of the Critic Institute Coordinator. He or she should be able to answer any questions you may have. Participation is open to any student with experience in writing and an interest in criticism.

At the regional festival, you will usually study with a professional critic, who will teach you the tenets of writing responsible theatre criticism in a very supportive environment. During the course of the festival, student critics see most of the performances, and write about many of them (number to be determined by the regional coordinators). Then, in round table format, each member of the Institute, guided by the professional critic and/or the accompanying Coordinator, discusses the critiques. If feasible, the critiques will also be posted publicly soon after the performance. Like professional reviewers, members of the institute will learn that they are held accountable for their writing in a public arena.

After the Institute is concluded, one writer is chosen from each region to advance to the National Festival at the Kennedy Center in April. There the critics selected write reviews in a more advanced setting, not only responding to plays at the National Festival and in Washington, but also studying with a variety of critic mentors such as Bob Mondello from NPR and Trey Graham from City Paper. From these eight critics, at least one writer will be chosen by O’Neill Critics Institute director Dan Sullivan to attend the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center Critics Institute during its national playwriting conference (usually June-July), where he or she will study with leading professional newspaper and magazine critics from across the United States. Such critics include Michael Feingold from The Village Voice and Linda Winer from Newsday, among others.All expenses will be paid.
The Critics Institute gives promising writers the opportunity to examine and evaluate professional critiques, and to respond creatively and responsibly to the shows that have advanced to the regional festival. Past participants have usually been pleased with the community established in four days of challenging, but rewarding writing. Many have even claimed that they learned as much in these four days of writing, critiquing, and analyzing as they do in a semester long class.

Students interested in writing, criticism, and even literary management are encouraged to contact their regional chairs or consult the websites for information about Critics Institutes in their area of the country.