One week ago I had the pleasure of attending the Tennessee State Thespian Conference, and it was a marvelous time! Although there was a "Scooby-Doo" theme of "Mystery at Thescon" it was no mystery that the spirited thespians attending at an absolute blast. With about 1,000 people, plenty of workshops, shows, and karaoke the weekend had a great sense of theatre education.
When EdTA rep Reuben Van Kempen and I arrived at the conference site we were given a very fun tour on a golf cart. The excitement really began with opening ceremonies where the troupes showed no restraint in expressing their theatre spirit. That night there was also a performance of the comedic murder mystery play "Any Number Can Die." It practically had the audience rolling in their seats with its clever jokes. I had the honor of speaking in front the audience before the show, and I was welcomed with happy energy that could match the excitement at opening ceremonies.
The next day I had the opportunity to teach both my leadership workshop and my NAPS workshop twice. It was so wonderful to share my knowledge with the amazingly open-minded students that attended. It always fills my heart with joy to get to know thespians more through my workshops. It's a great way to further connect with theatre geeks, my favorite people in the whole world.
Saturday evening proved to be a ball because of the a karaoke night with all the thespians at the conference. Honestly, I could not imagine a better group of people to spend a karaoke night with. It was such a positive and encouraging atmosphere, and everyone was there to have fun. When the night came around it was time for closing ceremonies. Three scholarships were given out at the ceremonies. It was so touching seeing the reaction of everyone there as these students were given money towards pursuing their theatre dreams. There's nothing like the support you get from the theatre community.
Truly the conference was a fabulous one. Tennessee really had a very spirited atmosphere. After the closing ceremonies I overheard one girl say "Aw, this is my last Thescon!" One could tell she was sad it was over, but was clearly happy it happened. That is what is really amazing about live theatre though, it only happens in the moment. I believe everyone at the Tennessee Conference really took the time to enjoy themselves and live in the moment.