OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKlahoma Thespian Festival was a blast this weekend! When I arrived, I was introduced to the first ever Oklahoma State Thespian Officer board. These students were leaders within their troupe and specially selected to represent their state this year. They kicked off their festival with an awesome skit and even invited me to appear as the “Senior Camp Counselor.” I helped present the “Get to’s” (rather than rules) for the weekend, and then we were off! Earlier that morning, students had presented their I.E.s with the hopes of being selected to perform at the International Thespian Festival, but now it was time to relax. Thespians attended a multitude of workshops, put on by professionals from across the U.S.!
My first workshop was with the troupe directors and sponsors of festival, along with the amazing EdTA representative, Ms. Lynn Jensen. These adults shared about their experiences in their state and their desire to give students every opportunity possible. It was fun to give a student’s opinion about the various topics, while learning about the incredible departments in Oklahoma. We wrapped up the meeting with a discussion about ITF, and I was reminded just how excited I am for Internationals this June! I can’t wait to see many of my Oklahoma friends again!
After the teacher meeting, I met up with Thespians as they learned how to use their bodies, rather than their voices, to portray a story. This workshop had students working with new friends to explore the possibilities of a wordless scene. Then, I sat back and learned about the unique structure of one school’s theatre class as they write, cast, and direct a one act! By the time dinner rolled around, Thespians had made new connections and were excited for what the rest of festival had in store.
That night, the audience was full of anticipation as the I.E. Showcase performers were announced! This was Oklahoma’s first I.E. Showcase and the student’s were very excited for the selected fellow Thespians. Next, each school had the opportunity to take ten minutes in front of the delegation to give little summary of their year. We rocked out to All Shook Up!, cried in The Crucible, and even laughed with a lip sync of Shrek the Musical’s “Freak Flag”! After each performance, Thespians in the audience were given the opportunity to ask questions about each school’s year! The night wrapped up, and everyone was pumped for the day ahead.
Saturday was full of workshops! I taught four sessions in a row and loved every minute. Bridging the Gap had a combined over 80 attendees and broke the Bridge Game record! Oklahoma Thespians officially hold the record with just 50 seconds. Ohio, get ready to rise to the challenge! NAPS came next. The Oklahoma students shared their ideas, situations, and, of course, elevator speeches! Thank you to everyone who attended my workshops. I was able to help wrap the weekend up by leading Minute to Give It, and Oklahoma Thespians raised $257.21- that’s about a dollar per person! Huge thank you again to everyone who donated. I was honored to conclude the entire festival with a thank you to the Oklahoma Thespian Chapter and “I hope to see you all in Lincoln!” So make sure, when you’re in Nebraska, to stop me and say hi. Thank you, again, Oklahoma Thespians for a wonderful weekend! 