The festival, being held in the Center for the Arts through Sunday, will showcase five of the finest productions submitted by academic institutions in New York State, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

This is the second time in three years that UB is hosting the regional festival. The university was selected from among many other sites because of the quality of the venue, organizers said.

In addition to performances chosen by the KC/ACTF National Selection Team, the festival will include workshops and seminars covering a broad range of topics in theater-performance technical practice. It also will feature the presentation of KC/ACTF awards, scholarships and fellowships, for which several UB students have been nominated.

The Kennedy Center Festival serves as a catalyst to improve the quality of college theater throughout the United States and to allow theater departments and student artists the opportunity to showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KC/ACTF respondents. Its supporting organization has grown into a network of more than 400 academic institutions.

Productions selected for performance at this year's festival will be staged in the Mainstage theater in the Center for the Arts. They are:

– "Falsettos," a Broadway musical to be presented by Suffolk Community College at 8 p.m. today

– "Specks," a new, student-written-and-directed production by Rob Shimko, to be presented by Hartwick College at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow

– "The Striker," Caryl Churchill's newest script, to be presented by C.W. Post and Long Island University at 8 p.m. tomorrow

– "Wits' End," another new, student-written-and-directed production by Kate Chell of Ithaca College, to be presented at 12:30 p.m. Saturday

– "The Kafka Project," a piece with music and movement conceived by Professor Devon Allen in concert with her students, to be presented by Muhlenberg College at 8 p.m. Saturday

The first official festival event will be the final round of the Irene Ryan Foundation Scholarship Competition, which recognizes outstanding acting students. This year, six performers from UB's 1997 productions have been nominated.

Registration for the festival is $55 per person and includes admission to all performances, workshops and seminars. Tickets can be purchased by calling 645-ARTS. For more information, call Jeff Wilson at 645-6898 ext. 1318.