Open Forum

A complete digital version of the printed program for Thespian Festival 14 has been posted in the digital Dramatics section of this website. You can access it here.

The way the Festival schedule is organized has been substantially changed this year, so whether this is your first Festival or you’re a seasoned veteran, we recommend you spend some time now getting familiar with how it works.

The schedule is divided into two tracks—Blue and Yellow, each built around parallel bills of the twelve main stage shows. Each troupe will be randomly assigned to one of the tracks when they arrive at the Festival. This year’s Festival program has two complete versions of the daily schedule. The blue schedule begins on page 31; yellow on page 45. (Of course, you won’t know which Festival track you’ve been assigned until you get to Lincoln. It doesn’t really matter; both offer a full Festival experience, and a few minutes with either schedule will give you an idea of the rhythm of the thing.)

The two-track schedule is built around the main stage shows in the Lied Center and Kimball Hall, each of which will be performed twice (or, in the case of some Kimball shows, three times). Although there are many common schedule elements that are shared by the two tracks, the main stage schedule for each, and some of the meal times, are unique. Everything else is elective. No matter which track you are on, you’ll have an opportunity to make choices that will fill your day with theatre.

There are three main reasons for the change to a two-track schedule:

1. To make it possible for every Festival delegate to have an opportunity to see every main stage show in both the Lied Center and in Kimball Hall.

2. To increase the event’s attendance capacity, eliminating the need to turn away students and teachers who want to attend.

3. To offer Festival delegates the maximum possible number of choices in workshops, Chapter Select and Freestyle shows, special events, and Late Night activities.

Here’s the scoop on important features of the schedule:

Lied Center main stage shows. There are eight of them, and each is performed twice. A seat is reserved for you at one of those performances on the Blue or Yellow track, depending on your badge insert color.

​Kimball Hall Festival Choice main stage shows. There are four of these, and they are performed multiple times. These shows are ticketed. You will need to choose a performance time that fits your schedule track and pick up a ticket at the Festival office off the Lied Center lobby. There’s a good chance some of these performances will sell out, so we recommend you get your tickets early.

Meal times. The starting and ending times for dorm lunches and dinners are adjusted on some days to accommodate scheduled events.

Workshops. There are many more workshops than in past years, scheduled in twenty-four sessions throughout the Festival week. Workshop descriptions and a workshop session schedule begin on page 57.

Chapter Select and Freestyle Theatre shows. Performances are scheduled in the Howell and Carson theatres in morning, afternoon, and evening sessions.

Off the track. The content of each schedule track reflects the expectation that everyone will attend scheduled performances in the Lied Center. For that reason, elective events like workshop sessions and Chapter Select and Freestyle shows that occur at the same time as one of your Lied Center performances are not shown in your schedule track. You may, with your troupe director’s permission, choose to attend a workshop or a show in the Howell or Carson theatres instead of a scheduled main stage show.

Auditions, Tech Challenge, Individual Events. In some instances there are partial overlaps of main stage shows and these electives. The sessions run several hours or at multiple times, and there will be plenty of time for you to enjoy the main stage show and still participate in the elective event.

Alternate Lied Center seating. If you have to miss a Lied Center performance, you may ask the Festival office to try to seat you at the other performance of that show. The Festival staff will attempt to accommodate seating change requests, but may not be able to do so. Staying on your schedule track is the one sure way to see all of the main stage shows.