On the evening of January 6th, a Wednesday, I sat in a crowded airport with my Pippin scarf wrapped around my neck while my headphones hung in my ears playing the song "Magic to Do" from the very same show. I was feeding the excitement I had from waiting to leave for the Missouri State Thespian Conference, which had the theme of "Magic to Do." With over 2,000 delegates attending, what a magical weekend it would end up being!
Thursday morning marked the beginning of the weekend. I was sporting my Pippin shirt in spirit of the conference's theme. I got to help the STO set up Missouri's silent auction table, which was raising money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. As soon as everything was put into place thespians began to bid on the various items. It was fun seeing everyone get so excited about theatre merch as well as being eager to donate to such a wonderful cause. Shortly after this, I had the opportunity to speak at opening ceremonies. At opening ceremonies anyone could tell that Missouri was ready for a fabulous weekend of theatre education.
The rest of the day I spent helping out where I could, working the silent auction table, and meeting a plethora of new thespians with a variety of different personalities. It reminded me of how amazing theatre is, bringing so many different types of people under one passion.
Thursday evening I got to experience my first Shakespeare play, Hamlet. I was blown away by the quality of production the high schoolers had created. Furthermore, the character Hamlet was played by a girl, and she definitely killed it. The talent the techies and actors displayed was phenomenal, and you could see their passion burning in their bellies as the play carried on in front of an enthusiastic audience.
The next day I had the opportunity to teach my leadership workshop bright and early. Despite it being 9:00am, the thirty or so thespians I had in attendance were ready to learn with open minds. It is always one of my favorite parts as an ITO to share my workshop with thespians, and I was happy the thespians there were willing to share their leadership stories with me. My connection with the thespian community is always strengthened when I share my workshops with the people I live to serve.
That evening all the delegates gathered to watch another Shakespeare production, Much Ado About Nothing. With a clever 1960s twist, the comedy was bringing the house down. The high schoolers who clearly had worked hard on the production were very impressive in all their talents. The show left your face wet with tears of laughter, and your soul hungry for more.
The next day proved to be just as exciting as the last two. For me, it begun with teaching my arts advocacy workshop. It never fails to inspire me to see the determination thespians have for using the arts to make a difference in their own communities. As the day continued, I was able to take a quick peak at the improv olympics. The students involved were incredibly hilarious, and had an intelligence beyond their years for good comedy.
Soon after the olympics I had the opportunity to meet Broadway actor Kyle Dean Massey. Mr. Massey has portrayed several roles on Broadway including Fiyero in Wicked and Pippin in Pippin. He offered two Q and A sessions, and spoke at the closing ceremonies. It meant so much to the thespians that he was there, more than happy to offer his advice and to share his story. I have to admit, I was a bit starstruck, but he was very kind and humble when I escorted him backstage for closing ceremonies. He was truly inspiring.
As the day was coming to an end, I was able to teach a Junior Thespian Leadership workshop. The students who attended offered a plentiful amount of energy, and were eager to grow their blooming leadership skills. My heart was filled with joy seeing such passion already instilled in the younger students. It was an honor to work with them.
I left Missouri with a new energy, giving me a perfect start for the new year. Magic was done as the state conference. The Missouri Thespians further instilled my belief that theatre has the power unite so many people with so many differences, establishing as sense of understanding and empathy for all who experience it. That is the true magic of theatre.