Tuesday, June 18, 2019

The Importance of the International Thespian Society


Often, students who are drawn to theatre are not involved in the main -stream high school programs, clubs, or sports teams.  It was for this reason that I chartered a Thespian troupe in my second year  building the Tri-School Theatre Program and years later reactivated a dormant troupe in my current position at Santa Margarita Catholic High School.  

When I began teaching,  I knew very little about the International Thespian Society.  The Thespian Honor Society formed the center of the program and created a focus.  By rewarding quality work with a point system, the Thespian Society gave me a structure by which to organize the program.  We established a group of officers and developed a constitution. The student officers were given the responsibility for communication, planning and executing social activities and philanthropic work and for tracking members’ the points.  The International Thespian Society elevated the program immediately because of its well -designed point and ranking system. Students achieve various levels of honors based on the number of hours of quality work. The fact that the International Thespian Society is recognized by colleges and universities as the only honor society for secondary school theatre students gave me a story to tell  students and  parents.  

Initiating new members in a dignified ceremony instilled pride in the work. By being a member of the International Thespian Society, students joined a multi-faceted organization with a long-standing traditions. We developed a potluck to celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of the students. This event quickly grew into a formal awards banquet in the spring. 
Parents love nothing more than to see their children recognized.  

For the T.O.P. practitioner, it is important to establish criteria that is in line with the educational theatre philosophy of the program.  Developing self-esteem in students is a priority.  I have seen students lives completely transformed by their involvement in the International Thespian Society.   It is the equivalent of an academic honor society for theatre arts. 

FESTIVALS


I believe taking students to one or two specific educational theatre festivals provides a growing experience on a number of levels.  A theatre community is like a family.  We come to know one another well and as a T.O.P. practitioner we see the potential in our students and strive to nurture their abilities. However perspective is a good thing.  If a student wants to pursue theatre in college or as a career, there is great value in providing opportunities to test themselves in a larger talent pool.  Some festivals provide adjudicated events for monologues, musical theatre, dance and duet scene work.  This kind of experience teaches students to:
1.    select appropriate audition material
2.    conform to time limitations and requirements
3.    understand how they perform under pressure
4.    benefit from written critique by other educational theatre professionals

The other great value in attending an educational theatre festival is that theatre students discover their “tribe.”    In a traditional high school setting, theatre students can feel like the proverbial “square peg in a round hole.”  In a festival setting, they meet other students who are creative, passionate, and like themselves.  There is no greater feeling than to belong and to be accepted for who you are. Theatre festivals create a safe environment where friendships, alliances, and support systems are formed. 
For programs with a Thespian Troupe, I recommend attending the state festival.  Usually this process is frenetic and overwhelming especially for newer teachers. I recommend not trying to do it all the first year. Take a small group and observe, ask questions, and get to understand the various opportunities. Once you have conquered your state thespian festival, I would suggest going to the International Thespian Festival.www.schooltheatre.org 
This is a much bigger undertaking because it requires travel and therefore, fund raising, chaperones and a week of your summer.  
Is it worth it? I would have to say yes. A week-long immersion for students to take workshops, see productions done by other high school programs and to compete in Individual Events based on their qualifying at the state festival is one of the best learning experiences a high school theatre student can have! 







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