Thespian Festival Opportunities

There are so many unique opportunities for your students to participate in at Kansas Thespian Festival! Read below for more. 

• Five Mainstage Shows! Schools from across the state of Kansas apply to have judges come and adjudicate their musicals or play throughout the school year. The best five shows are chosen by these judges to be performed at Thespian Festival. All attendees get free admission to all five of the shows presented at Kansas Thespian Festival! 

• Workshops: Each day, there are tons of workshops available for students to attend! Many of these workshops are run by guests from all over the country who specialize and work in professional theatre venues. Workshops can range from technical skills like stagecraft techniques, stage lighting, sound design, etc. to script writing, or acting skills like acting, improv, blocking, directing, or even stage combat! 

• Individual Competitions: One of the biggest opportunities for students comes in the opportunity to compete! Students can choose from over ten different events to rehearse and perform for judges to earn a score. Students who earn a Superior score qualify for International Thespian festival! 

  • • For more information about Thespy events, check here or the tab above! 

• Senior Auditions: Seniors can audition for scholarships from one of over 40 attending colleges by performing or presenting a portfolio to them all at once! Students can also audition for or apply for a scholarship given directly from Kansas Thespians (Mrs. Baldwin won the Theatre Educator scholarship in 2018!) All seniors are eligible to sign up for or prepare an audition with a small fee. 

  • • For more information about Senior Auditions, check here or the tab above! 

• Late Night Activities: On the Thursday night of Festival following the first show, there is a fun opportunity called Late Night Events! During these events, students compete in teams against other schools in events like Competitive Improv, Charades, Quiz Bowl, Creative Costumes, and more! Teams who win get recognized at the Awards Ceremony and bring a trophy home! 

• Lobby Displays: Each year there is a contest of lobby displays that showcases the events your school participates in based on the theme! 

• College Fair: There is a college fair on each day of the Festival where students can visit for a callback or discuss their theatre programs and offerings. 

• Honor Troupe: One of the most important opportunities for students it the chance for Ottawa High School's Thespian Troupe #8841 to become an Honor Troupe. This is only open to schools who attend festival and make your troupe stand out among the state! It allows for alternate funding for your program, encourages scouts to come and view your program, and grow the number of students in your program! Honor Troupe classifications are Bronze, Silver, and Gold based on the activities and documentation of your Troupe's involvement throughout the year. In 2025, Ottawa High School received Gold Honor Troupe! 

• One Act Competition: Schools can bring a one-act play that competes against other one-acts from participating schools. Each one-act performs for an audience during a workshop slot throughout the festival. The winning one-act gets the oppportunity to perform at International Thespian Festival! 

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