Senior Emily Douglas stood backstage, clutching her script, listening as voices from dozens of schools echoed through the hallways of the state Thespian Festival, a reminder that she wasn’t just representing herself, but her entire troupe.
Every year, theatre students, known as thespians, gather at the state Thespian Festival to connect with peers, explore postsecondary theatre opportunities and sharpen their craft through hands-on workshops. The multi-day event brings together students from across the state for performances, education and networking that extend far beyond the stage.
“I’ve been taking students to festivals for over a decade,” Co-Chapter Director Emily Mokrycki said. “I think there are so many valuable things that happen at the festival. Number one, the community with students from other high schools from across the state — just seeing other people are doing what you do and supporting each other in your work.”
Along with the sense of community, students had access to educational workshops and college representatives, giving them a glimpse into potential futures in theatre.
“There are also so many educational workshops and colleges that you can connect with,” Mokrycki said. “It’s just a really amazing networking opportunity that you can take with you for the rest of your career in high school and beyond.”
One of the festival’s biggest opportunities is the chance to submit a Thespy, formally known as the International Thespian Excellence Award. Students may submit technical, acting, or dance pieces that three adjudicators judge, each providing feedback for growth. Performances are rated fair, good, excellent or superior, with superior-rated entries advancing to callbacks and a potential showcase performance on the festival’s final day.
This year, two students from Burke’s troupe advanced to callbacks: senior Emily Douglas and junior Keely McNabb-Harbert.
“I submitted a Thespy to grow more comfortable in my acting skills as well as to practice more for monologues,” Harbert said. “I also wanted the potential opportunity to show off my skills in front of other people.”
Harbert performed a cut monologue from Between Mars and Me by Rose Helsinger, choosing it for its emotional range.
“I chose this because it was full of very intense emotions,” Harbert said. “I wanted to show the different emotions I could portray.”
Earning a superior rating came as a surprise.
“I was kind of nervous when I saw that I got a superior on my monologue,” Harbert said. “After other people found out, they were really happy for me. I was excited but also really nervous.”
Beyond individual performances, students also had the opportunity to participate in the All-State Play, “Trap” by Stephen Gregg. The production tells the story of a high school theatre audience that mysteriously falls unconscious — except for one girl.
Sophomores Mae Gleason, Radio McCune and Sophia Alday were cast in the show, facing the challenge of performing alongside students from across the state with no prior rehearsals. With only three days at the festival and limited total rehearsal time, the cast assembled the show under intense pressure.
“The first time the full show was run was roughly an hour before the performance,” McCune said.
McCune, who played Norma Pike, described the experience as both thrilling and overwhelming.
“I was pretty excited to be able to have this opportunity,” McCune said. “It was extremely stressful. I was terrified, but it went well considering we only had about seven or eight hours of rehearsal time.”
Despite the stress, the experience proved rewarding.
“It’s much better to rehearse with people,” McCune said. “But it went well, and I was really excited to be part of it.”
