Applications are sent to selected schools and available online at www.ahstf.org/application-proccess.  All applications must be completed online, accompanied by supplemental materials to include at least 1 letter of recommendation, photos, reviews/articles, clips of performances and any additional information you feel would be valuable for our Board of Advisors to review.

Completed application packets are forwarded to our Board of Advisers, made up of respected university professors, legacy directors, and other theatre professionals. Our BOA ranks the applications based on the following criteria: most recent bodies of work, honors and awards, technical ability, community involvement, philosophies, and letters of recommendation. Top ranking applicants are invited to represent their communities at the Festival Fringe.

There is no obligation for you if you apply. Applying is free. This an opportunity to assess your program and to receive acknowledgment on the work you have done as an educator.

You will have four public performances as part of the Fringe. Performances can be no more than 90 minutes. You will have 15 minutes to load-in and 15 minutes to strike. 

Fringe is a celebration of the offbeat and unusual, but we encourage directors to bring shows that play to their students' strengths. Triple threats? Bring a musical! Have students with the chops for the classics? Consider Shakespeare! Many of our companies bring original and devised work, too! Whatever reflects your community and your students' talents is best.

AHSTF provides companies with centrally located, quality Fringe venues which include a stage, adequate audience seating, and basic lighting and sound. Some props (i.e. chair, bed, table, lamp) can be rented for an additional cost in Edinburgh. Unit sets and area staging work well. Travel light and keep it simple.

In a sense, yes. Each company will engage with a team of professional technicians throughout the year prior to and during the AHSTF experience in Edinburgh. Our experienced technical team will support you on the ground, but you will need to provide student or chaperone technicians to actually run your show.

The FAM Tour is a FREE one-week tour to Edinburgh for AHSTF accepted directors to experience AHSTF and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe first-hand during the summer prior to their schools’ participation. This tour usually happens early August. As a director planning to attend AHSTF, this will be an invaluable experience - one you should not miss!

A group usually consists of students (performers, running crew, designers, and technicians), the director, and both teacher and parent chaperones. Participating students should be in high school, or of high school age. Rising Freshmen and recently graduated seniors may also attend, if your school allows. The average size for an AHSTF group is 15-30. However, we have had groups as large as 100, and as small as 3 participants perform with AHSTF. 

From performance to tech rehearsal, optional theatre workshops, and immersive cultural experiences, AHSTF offers true experiential learning. Additionally, FREE high school and college preparatory credit is available for students (after their completion of online coursework), and professional development points are awarded to directors.

AHSTF’s full-time staff coordinates every aspect of the program, while our partnership with WorldStrides provides the travel, touring, and performance logistics that make the experience possible.

As part of the WorldStrides family, AHSTF combines exceptional theatre education with industry-leading travel expertise and insurance protection to deliver a high-quality, worry-free educational travel experience.

That support extends from dedicated account management to an experienced team on the ground in London and Edinburgh - including guides, coach drivers, technicians, and on-site logistics staff - so directors and students can focus on what matters most: the theatre.

AHSTF is backed by WorldStrides, the leader in student travel for 55+ years. AHSTF provides 24-hour WorldAssist support, and on-site offices in both London and Edinburgh. Your group’s safety is our primary concern, offering the peace of mind you should expect. The combined experience of AHSTF and WorldStrides, in safely moving large numbers of students across the globe, is second to none.

In 2026, AHSTF companies produced:

Dracula, Hippolytos, Cry-Baby The Musical, Legally Blonde Jr, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Legend of Rags, Play On, Horse Girls, The Hobbit, Terry Pratchett's Mort, R&J: The Lost Children of Verona, The Marvelous Wonderettes '58, Anne of Green Gables, Sin Eaters, Imogen Up the Mountain, Animal Farm, Zombie Prom, The Insanity of Mary Girard, The Moon, The Last Stop, A Volume of Smoke, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Opening: A Dessert Place, The Little Prince