INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN SOCIETY

The 'International Thespian Society' is an honorary organization for high-school and middle-school theatre students located at more than 3,600 affiliated secondary schools across America, Canada, and abroad. The mission of ITS is to honor student excellence in the theatre arts. It is a division of the Educational Theatre Association.

Contents

Student involvement

Festivals

External links

Student involvement

The ITS inducts high school students active in theater each fall, with members earning points towards a higher status.
The 'International Thespian Officers' are student leaders, elected annually at the Leadership Conference - a training event for leaders at the troupe, state, and international level held at the International Thespian Festival. There are six ITO offices: a Chair/International Liaison, an officer from each of the four Thespian regions of the USA, and a Publications Editor-Webmaster-Secretary.

Festivals

Festivals are held annually, both at the state and national level. The season culminates with the International Thespian Festival, held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln each June.
At "Festival", the ''Regional Play Marathon'' showcases troupes qualifying from their respective State Thespian Festivals. ''Main Stage'' is where adjucators watch shows from the various middle and high school groups in front of an audience of about 3,000, in the Lied Center for Performing Arts. There are auditions for national cast productions, usually to premiere the school edition of a large Broadway show (Ragtime and Hairspray), as well as individual events, such as mime, monologue, musical duets, costume design and set design.
Workshops and play marathons fill the daily schedules of Thespians, while dances and themed chaperone dinners occupy the evenings.
There is also a Jr. International Thespian Society (or Jr. ITS) for Middle School in grades 6-8. There are special competitions these Junior Thespians can compete in for District (a portion of the state you live in), State, National, and possible International. The IEs (individual events) include Solo Pantomime, Duet Pantomime, Monologue, Duet Acting, Ensemble Acting, Solo Musical Theater, Duet Musical Theater, Small and Large Group Musical Theater, Scene Design, Costume Design, Short Play writing, and as of the 2007-2008 year Marketing Design. There are also One Act plays in the competitions.

External links

★ EdTA/ITS Home Page

★ Website of the International Thespian Officers