Maryland’s State Festival stormed Towson University’s beautiful Center for the Arts for the first time in a big move to a larger venue and expanded festival. With storm warnings in the forecast, the preparations to get the festival ready plowed ahead to welcome 800 Thespians from across the state for their two-day festival. With goodie bags for every troupe and director created by the adult board and assembled by the MTO (Maryland STO), everyone was ready to go!
Chapter Director Dorothy DeLucchi welcomed both Blue and Gold tracks to kick off the events of the weekend. Students headed out to workshops featuring guest artists such as Kelsey Hall, Program Associate at Young Playwrights’ Theater, an educational theatre nonprofit in Washington D.C. teaching Character and Creative Storytelling to Make-up for Stage and Screen taught by industry pro H. Piper Crawford, among dozens of options every session for actors, technicians, designers, playwrights, and musical theatre. Students waited eagerly in the common spaces in between events to catch their breath, even eating at the dining hall on campus for delicious eats, another bonus for being at a university site.
One of the amazing things I saw at Maryland’s conference is the team of adults and students who worked together to create a seamless experience for everyone there. In the midst of running the festival, everyone needed to work out a contingency plan in case schools in various districts cancelled evening or weekend activities due to snow, sending some schools back home early. Good thing, too! Sure enough, several schools had to go early, but not without first having the chance to perform due to the creative new schedule. All the while having fun, too!
Boy, did I have a great time watching so many terrific shows! I had the privilege of being the Main Stage Adjudicator for Maryland’s one-acts and working with a team to select their Chapter Select. With so many excellent productions, it was a difficult choice. Here’s one of the shows, The Imaginary Invalid, which was selected for Best Costume Design. Each venue included announcements from MTO and a host board member as the tech liaison, all of whom made any nervous Thespian at ease, even while being timed for set up, performance, and strike.
Students also interviewed for scholarships, competed in IEs, visited with colleges and vendors, and were entertained one night by Bob, the Hypnotist, and a crowd favorite! He had Thespians on stage and in the audience mesmerized.
Closing ceremonies showcased performers, announced scholarship and award winners, and sent many tearful Thespians back home with smiles only possible after a friend-filled theatre education-centered weekend. Congratulations to all Maryland Thespians for a great weekend!
Many thanks to troupe directors, chaperones, TU staff, and others who volunteered their time to make such an amazing event come together. I want to give a special shout out to Chapter Director Dorothy DeLucchi, MD Thespians State Board and MTOs, and ITO Rep Shaila Seth (pronounced Shy-lah!) with whom I served over the weekend, for having such a successful event!