The Mississippi Theatre Association's Board of Directors have appointed Kelly Norris, the Biloxi High School theatre teacher, as Southern Region Secondary Festival Chairperson.

Her duties will include creating and organizing workshops for Mississippi theatre teachers, attending board meetings, supervising at regional and state festivals and serving as contact person for questions teachers in the southern region might have about upcoming festivals.

“I am very honored to have been appointed to this position,” Norris said. “I attribute it not only to my efforts but the efforts of my theatre students as well. I believe the BHS Drama Department is respected throughout the state.”

The southern secondary festival, also known as Dramafest, will be in Hattiesburg on Dec. 5-6. Seventeen schools from the southern region will perform timed plays on both days. The plays will be adjudicated and awards will be given Saturday evening. Five schools will advance to the Mississippi Theatre Association's State Festival in Natchez Jan. 14-18, 2009. In addition, five schools will advance from the northern region. Plays will be performed, adjudicated and awarded with the first place school advancing to the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Birmingham, Ala.