This past weekend I got the wonderful opportunity to attend Georgia Thespian Conference for the third time and this last time has truly left a mark on my heart that I will never forget.
Being a STO and an ITO I got the opportunity to really delve into the conference from behind the scenes. I got to see what all the teachers saw and what all the students saw. I got to see everything. Georgia is unique in so many ways. Here, we have really made an even plane on the importance of all aspects of the conference. No one thing is greater than the other. Everything is held to the same HIGH standard. We've managed to make the perfect balance of competition and fun in one conference. In addition to all the greatness that happened in Georgia, I think bringing the Lincoln Experience definitely spoke for itself! $4,000 raised all in the name of getting an underprivileged school to International Thespian Festival this summer! I've never been so proud in my life!
Georgia is also extremely organized! If there is ever a crisis, it is handled quickly and quietly, though I must say those crisis come seldom. The adults that volunteer their time for us student Thespians are both selfless and motivating. Whether you belong to a certain director or not, they are going to help you get SOMEWHERE. It seemed as if all the workshops were extremely popular and taught with the intention to teach and enjoy!
The troupes that brought shows treated all the borrowed stages and auditoriums with great respect and that courtesy for the theater is all owed to the wonderful directors that teach those students. I want to thank my STO board, Emma Adams, Ellen Everitt, Matthew Reindl, Robert Rome, Candace Shirley, and Duncan Berg for being my driving forces in the planning of this conference. I especially thank Mr. Paul Hampton and Mrs. Kimberly Staples for their continued support and direction. They keep me grounded and motivated!
Georgia has done it again. Though this will be a hard conference to top, I can’t wait to hear about the next. Somehow they’ll find another way to change more and more lives! I’m grateful to have been a part of it!