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One of the International Thespian Officer's main goals for the year is to expand the use of Community. We highlight the different state chapter events each month by asking a few questions. We hope this sparks creativity when you're planning your next event!

Our latest tour stops included: Indiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Maryland, New Mexico and Louisiana!

General Information

How many people attend?

●       “On average we have about 750 attendees, but we are hoping to grow this year!”

-        Elizabeth Flynn, Indiana STO

●       “ Last year we had 600, but we’re expecting 800 attendees this year!”

-        Joy Wood, Alabama STO

●       “Roughly 800-1000 students from Tennessee attend our conference. With our new location we're getting more and more students each year.”

-        Natalie Russell, Tennessee STO Chair

●       “There were 800 Thespians this year!”

-        Brent Silverstri, Maryland Junior STO

●       “About 20 schools; 350 people.”

-        Adriana Medina, New Mexico STO

●       “Usually the festival count is about 600 Louisiana Thespians.”

-        Jill Engel, Louisiana Representative

Where is it held?

●       “This year it will be held in our central location which is University of Indianapolis.”

-        Elizabeth Flynn, Indiana STO

●       “Samford University in Birmingham”

-        Joy Wood, Alabama STO

●       “Middle Tennessee State University!”

-        Natalie Russell, Tennessee STO Chair

●       “It’s held at Tuscarora High School!”

-        Brent Silverstri, Maryland Junior STO

What makes your conference unique?

●       “There are spontaneous dance parties and there is always a gigantic game of ninja going on. It's so great!”

-        Elizabeth Flynn, Indiana STO

●       “Our conference has a very unique theme this year. We chose to do "The Thespian Games" which is a spin off of the hit series "The Hunger Games." This theme has allowed us to show our thespians multiple traits involved in theatre such as costuming, acting, stage combat, makeup, etc.”

-        Natalie Russell, Tennessee STO Chair

●       “We heavily focus on the education aspect of theatre and less on competition.”

-        Joy Wood, Alabama STO

●       “We have a trash costume contest throughout the festival and we also let our junior and sophomore STO help!”

-        Brent Silverstri, Maryland Junior STO

●       “ New Mexico's conference is unique because our themes always focus around creating a tight-knit community. For example last year was "theatre=" and people got to choose what theatre meant to them. This year our theme is "choose your own adventure", and this is the chance for New Mexico to display their diversity”

-        Adriana Medina, New Mexico STO

●       “Since Louisiana is a place where the art of theatre isn't as prominent as other states, the Louisiana Thespian Festival is something that a lot of troupes look forward to each year. The camaraderie between the students who attend is something to be admired. We are always seeing new faces at festival because we are constantly recruiting students who express an interest in the art of theatre into our society. I'm sure that most troupes would agree that this is a place where the thespians can find people with their same passion and feel at home.”

-        Jill Engel, Louisiana Representative

What is the most challenging part of organizing your state event?

●       “We struggled for a while about what to do and how we can have STO candidates put their leadership skills in action. So, just basically figuring out new and fun ways to spend extra time at festivals.  We're all very excited for our conference and we have a lot of new and exciting things planned!”

-        Elizabeth Flynn, Indiana STO

●       “Communication, because it's the job of the STO to tell the thespians about events, time changes, locations, pretty much every aspect of the festival”

-        Joy Wood, Alabama STO

●       “The most challenging part would have to be picking the perfect theme that everyone can enjoy and organizing where the workshops would be.”

-        Natalie Russell, Tennessee STO

●       “Having to get the school to fit our needs of space and comfort.”

-        Brent Silverstri, Maryland Junior STO

●       “The most difficult part of organizing festival is figuring out how to merge all of the wonderful ideas into one, and making them coexist.”

-        Adriana Medina, New Mexico STO

●       “The most difficult part of organizing the conference is connecting with the other board members who live all over the state. Even though it's difficult, it allows you to get to know lots of other schools and thespians all over Louisiana”