I’m a living testament to the fact that I am not the only teen on earth with this affinity for the smack-dab-middle of America. The International Thespian Festival, annually held at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, is a wonderland for young theatre lovers. For one whole week I was the farthest and longest I’ve been from my home and family, on a totally new college campus, baring my talents and school name to a score of strangers. And it immediately felt as though I fit right in.
4 comments:
I greatly appreciated this article. Theatre is one of the few arts that isn't always practiced in a high school setting and for students to have the opportunity to meet and perform with people who love theatre -- it's an experience unlike any other.
It's exciting to read an article on this and reflect on the impact that the International Thespian Society had on my high school experience. Entering the district and state competitions was a massive part of my school's culture, and many of my greatest high school memories were spent in Tampa at the Florida State Thespian festival (the largest state thespian festival in the U.S.) meeting other kids from around the state who may not have been the finest quality performers at such a young age but had an absolute passion for the art. I wish the culture around the festival was as strong in other states as it is Florida, because I definitely would love all high school students around the country to have the same number of positive theatrical experiences that I had because of state thespians. In that case, the international festival sounds like a great opportunity for those who don't have large state festivals.
I had a very similar experience when I was in high school. My school participated in 2 levels of the International Thespian Festival. Districts, which my high school normally had the honor of hosting, was an amazing experience to have. Not only for the actors and signers who filled the stage, but the technical are given a real chances to shine and network with other students that enjoy the life back stage. Some of the best technical experience and collaborations while trying to work with in the constraints of the rules and regulations of the festival. I also got the chance to feel what it is like to be a 'road house theatre', in the since that I helped managed the ins and outs of may shows coming through our theatre. But nothing compares to the experience of going to the state level of the Thespian Theatre Festival. To be able to travel to a town and be emerged among hundreds of like minded people is an unforgettable feeling.
The International Thespian Society was one of my favorite parts of my high school experience. During my junior year of high school I, along with 10 of my classmates, founded our school's first every Thespian troupe (Go 7964!!). New Jersey was too small to have any kind of district level competition, but attended NJ ThesFest just like the author of this article that year and have every year since then. During that time I served as our troupe's treasurer and helped organize our 45 minute Chapter Select piece as well as competing in the always thrilling Tech Olympics. Those two weekends I made friends from high schools all over my state and was able to create work that I was really proud of with my friends. My troupe also sent a handful of students to nationals in Nebraska every year, though unfortunately I had conflicts both of the years I was eligible. Thespians is something that I think every young theatre kid should be able to experience, as it was both incredibly fun and really brought my theatre department together
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