Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending Florida State Thespian Festival 2016, and it was incredible. I touched down in Tampa on Wednesday, March 16 and headed downtown to meet up with EdTA Director of Chapters and Communities Diane Carr once again before heading to the conference. The theme was "The Final Frontier," and there was a fun Star Trek flavor strung throughout the festival. I spent the afternoon working at registration alongside the fabulous and dedicated student Work Crew before heading backstage at the beautiful Straz Center to speak at opening ceremonies. That evening during Minute to Give It, the generous and giving group of Florida Thespians raised $2,018 for the Send A Troupe to Thespian Festival Grant; how absolutely incredible is that?!
The next morning Diane and I trekked to the Tampa Convention Center together to set up an International Thespian Society booth in the vendor hall. We got to speak to loads of amazing Thespians there, and I even got to meet up with some great friends from Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.: Democracyworks essay contest winner Salwa Meghjee and her twin sister, Samah!
That evening we stopped for dinner, and then I went with Salwa and Samah's troupe to see a mainstage production of Almost, Maine and I cannot even begin to describe how impressed I am with Florida Thespians' amazing level of talent.
Saturday I taught 2 sessions of "The Psychology of Leadership" and 1 session of "N.A.P.S." As always, I was incredibly touched and moved by how dedicated and hardworking the Thespians in my workshops were, and I cannot wait to see where the future takes them.
My N.A.P.S. workshop this time around was particularly special however, because this time I got to teach alongside my great friend, Salwa! Teaching the workshop with Salwa was a phenomenal experience, and I cannot even begin to express what an amazingly poised and intelligent advocate for theatre education she is. It was truly an honor to share the N.A.P.S. session with her.
That evening we attended closing ceremonies, and said our goodbyes to friends new and old alike. I would like to give a huge thank you to everyone who helped make the festival a success, from the Florida adult board, to the student Work Crew, to the district representatives and my fellow EdTA rep Diane Carr who I had a pleasure serving with. I hope to see some wonderful Florida Thespians at ITF this summer in Lincoln!