Frequently Asked Questions

What’s a “Thespian”?

Once upon a time in Ancient Greece, a brave soul decided to break apart from the traditional “Greek chorus” and say a line by himself on stage. His name was Thespes; he is known as the first actor. A Thespian is a theatre aficionado, named in honor of Thespes. A Thespian Festival is, therefore, a theatre festival! You become a Thespian through active involvement in theatre; at Urbandale, you can become a Thespian after you earn 10 letter points in the first semester and 10 for the next semester or 20 letter points in a year (which means you could be a Thespian as soon as the end of your 9th grade year!)

If I’m not a Thespian, can I still go?

YES! In fact, you can earn letter points by attending and competing, which will help you become an Urbandale Thespian sooner!

Why should I go?

It’s a unique opportunity to be submersed in theatre, with the chance to learn from those that do it better and those do it differently. It’s a celebration of theatre with hundreds of high school students that love what you love. It’s an intense master class experience where you will learn new skills and refine old ones. And – it’s fun. 

What if my family can’t afford to attend?

Have your parent email Gallegos to discuss the options.

How do I know if I get to go?

Gallegos will keep a list of registrants listed in the order in which they turned in items. There will be a link to the document on this site that will be updated in real-time; you can check to see how many spots are available with this link. Once all 52 spots are taken OR registration closes on Wednesday, 9/27, he will email all confirmed registrants.

What if I’m person #53?

Then I am so sorry and I hope you get to join us next year. We will not keep your money. In the event someone cannot attend, we will offer you their spot since you’re next in line.

It’s held on a college campus? Is it safe?

YES! The Festival keeps the program organized and heavily supervised. Seating at all performances is assigned, students wear visible name badges the whole time, and there are signs posted all over campus to point people in the right direction. Campus security aides with supervision of the Festival. Additionally, the Festival estimates that it has one chaperone in attendance for every 10-15 students.

My brother/sister/cousin/friend/etc. attends UNI. I can see them, right?

Actually – probably not. We will be on a tight schedule from sun-up to sun-down; students will not be permitted to break away from the group. Under no circumstance should a student ever be at a dorm.

I realize it’s good practice to turn off cell phones during performances – but how do my parents reach me in an emergency?

The Thespian Festival does ask audience members to turn off phones during performances; students should not be texting, on social media, etc. However, those students attending will be given Gallegos' cell phone number; parents, you may use this number to reach your student at any time if they do not answer their phone.

Wait, so we miss school?

Yep. But those students who attend will be asked to collect all of their make-up work ahead of time and are responsible for catching up on any missed information. You’re students first and Thespians second!

Can anyone compete in the Tech Challenge or the Individual Events Showcase?

If you’re willing to put forth the effort, sure thing. We can send two groups of 4-7 techies to the Tech Challenge. Anyone can compete in the Individual Events Showcase Preparation is up to you! The Showcase is an extra $15.00 fee per event (which would raise your registration fee to $145.00).

I want to compete for a College Scholarship. What do I do?

Tell me you want to audition on the Google Form. Then, read pages 9 and 10 of the Official Registration Packet – http://www.iowathespians.org/festival/2014/2014%20Iowa%20Thespian%20Festival%20Registration%20Packet%20-%20Final.pdf – (skip the rest – it’s written for the teachers, not the students) to become aware of the presentation guidelines for performers, technicians, and theatre educators. Gallegos will contact you with further scholarship registration information in October when it is posted by the Iowa Thespian Festival.