The eighth annual Bothell High Dramafest One-Act Festival, featuring eight one-act plays, will take place Oct. 30-31 in the Northshore Performing Arts Center (NPAC).

More than 75 student actors will perform during the two-day festival. The plays are directed by nine seniors selected last spring by theater-arts teacher James Wilson.

Before the plays debut on the NPAC stage, though, the casts spent almost eight weeks rehearsing. Ten days before the festival, the plays were judged by a panel of theater professionals. Valuable feedback was given to each of the directors to help them improve their play before the festival begins.

The highest scoring plays will be presented during “Best of the Fest” at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30-31. The remaining plays will be featured during “Rest of the Fest” at 2 p.m. Oct. 31. One production will be awarded Best Play honors during an awards ceremony held after the Oct. 31 evening performance.

The winning play’s cast will reprise their roles at the Washington State Thespian Festival in Ellensburg in March 2010. There they will compete against other high-school one-act plays to compete and perform at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb., in June 2010.

As part of Dramafest, the BHS Thespian Society will host a canned-food drive benefitting Hopelink in conjunction with the national “Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat” campaign. Boxes will be set up in the NPAC lobby for non-perishable food and consumer items both days.

The BHS Theatre Arts Booster Club will also host a silent auction Oct. 31. Proceeds from the auction benefit the program’s productions throughout the season.

Tickets for each performance of Dramafest are $5 for students with ASB cards; $8 for adults. Doors open for ticket sales one hour prior to show time. Audience members are welcome to come dressed up in costumes for all performances.

The NPAC is located on the Bothell High campus at 9180 N.E. 180th St.