Iowa Thespian Festival

IOWA THESPIAN FESTIVAL

The Iowa Thespian Festival provides over 1,000 Iowa high school students with a unique opportunity to gather in one place to view, celebrate, critique, refine, and defend theatrical visions. Students will be able to apply the tools and techniques they have learned in the classroom to both performance and technical theatre contests that require oral defense in front of a judge. Students will also have the chance to view three full-length performances within 48 hours, which will provide a means of critiquing production values from a variety of different high school programs. The chance to identify the strengths and weaknesses in other productions helps students learn different techniques to apply to their own performance work.

A unique attribute of the Iowa Thespian Festival is the chance for theatre technicians to work with one another, presenting designs to college professors and learning new skills. This is not something afforded to our quality student technicians in other activities, as most theatre-based activities focus on performance work rather than design work.

Additionally, students may self-select enrichment opportunities. Every student will have the chance to attend two of 30+ workshops taught by high school and college instructors from around the state. Senior students will have the option of auditioning in front of a panel of representatives from a variety of college theatre programs with the chance to earn scholarships for college. Two of Urbandale’s students will also be able to attend a Leadership Luncheon, a training program designed for student leaders from each Thespian troupe around the state.

NOTE: Individual Event competitors and College Auditionees must have a mock performance/audition with an audience at some point the week of the Festival.

Our anticipated schedule for the weekend:

Thursday, November 9th


5:00pm Meet in the East Parking Lot between the school and the stadium.

EAT DINNER BEFORE ARRIVING

5:30pm Depart from Urbandale High School

7:50pm Arrive at hotel in Cedar Falls.Check In; Final Reviews of pieces or free time.

11:00pm Room Lockdown (you are not to leave your room after this time)

11:30 Lights Out


Friday, November 10th

7:30am Wakeup Calls (or door knocks)


7:45am Meet for Breakfast in the dining area.


8:40am Van pulls out of the parking lot. Make sure you are on it and ready to go!


9:00am Registration at UNI (Gallagher-Bluedorn)


9:30am Gallagher-Bluedorn House Opens


10:00am Iowa Thespian Festival Opening Ceremonies (Gallagher-Bluedorn)


10:10am Main Stage Performance #1: Lend Me a Tenor: Mount Vernon #1470


12:30pm Gold Group: Iowa Filmworks (SW-Theatre)/Blue Group Lunch


Leadership Luncheon: (Two Leader Students Hope and Aspen): (CAC 108)


1:30pm Gold Group: Lunch (Piazza)/Blue Group Iowa Filmworks


2:00pm Choose Your Own Adventure: Attend the Individual Events Competitions, 

(It would be helpful to support your peers at their performances) 

Studio Theatre pieces, and/or Tech Challenge. See Schedule Below:



STUDIO THEATRE SCHEDULE at Strayer-Wood Theatre mainstage




TECH CHALLENGE at West Gym


6:00-8:00pm College Scholarship Applicants: College / Thespian Scholarship

“Audition Passport /Activity” (GBPAC Lobby)

THIS is your first-impression time with colleges. You MUST complete this  activity to audition tomorrow morning to ensure all college representatives meet all candidates. BE OPEN-MINDED to colleges you may not have anticipated being interested in! Pro-tip: Wear your college audition outfit so you are easy to recall tomorrow morning.(Arrive 15-20 minutes - or more - before your audition time. The Festival plans to move ahead of schedule if

possible. 


6:00-6:45pm Gold Group: Iowa Thespian Improvworks (SW Theatre)/Blue Group Dinner


6:45-7:30pm Gold Group: Dinner (Piazza)/Blue:Thespian Improvworks (SW Theatre)


7:30-8:00pm Gallagher-Bluedorn House Opens


8:00-10:00pm Mainstage Performance #2: Game of Tiaras: Lewis Central #51503


Thespys Competitors: Check in lobby for results during 

intermission; some of you may be invited to perform in a Showcase on

Saturday!


10:15-10:30pm Dismissal to Vans and drive to Hotel


11:00pm Lockdown in Rooms


11:30pm Lights Out - College Auditionees  have an important morning. Give them

their focus and rest, please!


Saturday, November 11th

6:30am Wake-Up Call (Breakfast in lobby)


7:30am Meet in lobby; turn in hotel keys to a chaperone in the lobby after all

members of the room have collected all items out of the room (who will check you off a list)


7:45am Board Bus with ALL belongings. Do not make us wait for you; we

MUST get college auditionees to campus EARLY.

Knapp checks out of hotel

8:00am A director goes with College Scholarship Auditions (GBPAC Jebe Hall)


8:30am House Opens (Gallagher-Bluedorn)


9:00-10:45pm Thespy Award Showcase: (GBPAC): 

COLLEGE AUDITIONEES: Check Scholarship Callback List (GBPAC Lobby)


11:45-1:30pm Knapp goes to Troupe Director Meeting (Curris Business Building 003)


11:00-11:20pm All-State Staged Reading (GBPAC)


11:45-12:30pm Gold Group: Lunch (Piazza)/Blue Group Studio 4 (Strayer-Wood Theatre)


12:50-1:35pm Gold Group: Studio 5 (Strayer-Wood Theatre)/Blue Group Lunch (Piazza)


2:30-4:00pm Thespian Scholarship Callbacks: IF you are called back for a

scholarship, your callback will occur during this time (GBPAC Jebe Hall)


1:50-2:40pm Workshops – Session #1 (various rooms) - Read workshop

descriptions on page 10 of THIS THESPIAN FESTIVAL PROGRAM (hope to be up soon)

Recommended: Attend one performance and one technical workshop


3:00-3:50pm Workshops – Session #2 (various rooms) - Read workshop

descriptions on the app)Recommended: Attend one performance and one technical workshop


3:45-4:15pm Gallagher-Bluedorn House Opens


4:15-6:45pm Mainstage Performance #3: Big Fish:School Edition - Pleasant Valley #856 


6:45-7:15pm Closing Ceremonies (Gallagher-Bluedorn)

Thespian Scholarships will be announced at this time


7:20pm Board Van for trip home(WE SAY “THANK YOU” WHEN DISMISSED.)

Bring money for food as we will be stopping at an area that has several food options in Cedar Falls before we head home.


9:50 pm Estimated arrival at Urbandale

I’ll have you call your parents when we’re passing Ames  

IOWA THESPIAN FESTIVAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION

THESPIANS: Those students who have been inducted into the Urbandale Thespian Troupe #8416 will benefit from early bird registration as a perk of earning Thespian status.  Your early-bird registration window is Monday-Friday, September 2nd – September 6th. 

NON-THESPIANS and Thespians who did not register early: We will accept registrations in two tiers.

TIER #1: Non-Thespian Seniors interested in auditioning for college scholarships and 9th-12th grade students committed to competing in an Individual Event may register in the second wave. You may register after 3:30pm  on Friday, September 6th.  

TIER #2: Non-Thespians who would like to attend as a spectator but not as a participant in an Individual Event or College Scholarship audition may fill any remaining slots. Your registration window is Monday-Thursday, September 11th-15th. Registration closes at 5:30pm on September 29th or when all 32 spots are filled (whichever comes first).

The 2023 Iowa Thespian Festival will be held November 10-11, 2023 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

You need to complete ALL of the steps below to register for the Iowa Thespian Festival:

The first 32 people to complete all steps and submit all forms/payment will be able to attend.  Thespians, I recommend you take advantage of early-bird registration to claim your spot.

Please email Mr. Knapp at knapps@urbandaleschools.com with questions.

Want to follow along with whether Mr. Knapp has received your registration in time? Click Here