The 87th annual Maine Drama Festival is set for March 8 and 9, at nine regional competitions from Saco to Caribou.

More than 1,500 students at 78 high schools across Maine will present plays ranging from the classics to student-written pieces.

The schools will compete in two classes: Class A (more than 500 students) and Class B (less than 500 students).

At each of the regional competitions, a panel of three judges will decide which performances will advance to the State Finals scheduled for March 22 and 23.

The Finals for Class A will be held in the Strom Auditorium at Camden Hills Regional High School. The Finals for Class B will be held at Ellsworth High School.

The Outstanding Performance at each State Final will be invited to perform their show at the New England Drama Festival in Cranston, Rhode Island, April 15-17.

The performance schedule for each of the regional sites will be available on the Maine Drama Festival Facebook page facebook.com/medramafest/.