It's that time of year again, scholarships, college selections, and maybe your last International Thespian Festival! Oh no!!!!!!
Well this time last year, I was in your shoes. I'm here to tell you don't worry, you can still be involved in Thespians, theatre, and advocate for the arts even when you're not in high school. So let me give you some tips on being an alumni and continuing to help out other fellow theatre students in your area.
1) It doesn't have to be over. So often you'll hear alumni saying "I wish I could do more theatre, but there's just no time." let me just make it clear... YOU CAN STILL BE INVOLVED IN THEATRE. Just because you're not involved in a mainstage show or one act doesn't mean that you're not involved. THere are plenty of ways to get involved. Such as emailing a community theatre and asking if they need ushers, volunteer for community theatres in your area, or maybe just ask someone where you can go see a show. Do you see a trend here? Community Theatres are an alumni's best friend. Just having that little piece of theatre can keep your theatre brain intact as you go through other life transitioning things.
2) You're a Thespian for life. Just because you graduate doesn't mean that your Thespian ID all of a sudden expires. You can still help. All it takes is just one email offering some assistance with conferences or other things. Volunteering and helping can do wonders for Thespians who are there at the conferences. You're giving back to the Society that was a part of your high school career. WIth your help, you can better the experiences of those individuals there and let them have the experience you had with thespians. But all you have to do is offer your assistance and look for opportunities.
3) Sign up to be apart of the EdTA Community or become a Pre-Professional Member. Becoming a part of the EdTA Community could open up so many doors for you. You can network with other passionate educators/professionals, learn some tips and tricks onstage, or just read what's new in the Theatre Community. Becoming a Pre-Professional member can also greatly benefit you, whether you're a Theatre Education major or not. When you become an EdTA Pre-Professional member you get access to the community, a fancy induction card, subscription to Teaching Theatre Magazine, plus another subscription to Dramatics Magazine (Don't lie, I know you miss them). But definitely take that into consideration. It's a great thing to have.
One last thing! Whether you decide to take some tips or not, just know that you'll always be welcome to the theatre community because theatre has in some way impacted all of our lives. There's a little bit of Rachel Berry in all of us. Plus we will never forget the lyrics to "Seasons of Love", "Defying Gravity", or "Seize the Day." Plus we can still fangirl over the perfection of Idina Menzel and Sutton Foster.