Our troupe is part of the International Thespian Society, which means we participate in the District and State competitions it is affiliated with. To prepare for these competitions, we form our IEs, individual events, and our teacher chooses who gets to present those to the judges at the District competition in November. This competition typically takes place at another high school nearby, and you will get to meet a bunch of other theatre kids from the area as well. "IEs" range from solo or monologue performances to duet acting scenes or large group musicals, and then to a variety of technical events, including costume design, playwriting, or even student directing a scene. There is truly an event for anyone, and getting to present it and have it reviewed at a competition is an amazing experience. If you get a Superior on your District event, you are eligible to bring it to the States competition and go through the same process there. 

States is our biggest trip as we head to Tampa to take part in the Florida Thespians Festival, competing alongside other schools. If you get a Superior on your event at Districts, you are eligible to bring your event to States. During our States trip, we will go see other schools' one-acts, IEs, and main stages, which are always amazing. States is a great opportunity to see the best of Florida's high school theatre programs, and it is an honor to go down there yearly to participate.

Fortunately for our troupe, we are also able to take part in the Applause Awards at the Dr Phillips Center. This competition is the regional level for the Jimmy Awards, the largest high school theatre competition, which happens in New York, and many of the winners go on to Broadway. The Applause Awards sees all the shows in the area and chooses the candidates who could possibly go on to the Jimmys. It is extremely fun and highlights the incredible talent we have in our area.

We put on multiple productions throughout the year, including our musical, play, and cabaret. Auditions for these are open to all, and audition information is always posted on our social media. While the musical and play are full productions that will take more commitment, cabarets may be better for those with less time who just want to perform a single song, monologue, or even in a group or duo. Whatever you choose to do, there is always a role open for you, whether that's on stage or backstage!

When you are a junior or senior who is interested in doing theatre after high school, we take part in an event called the Florida Theatre Conference, aka FTC, at the beginning of the year. During this event, you are able to talk to and audition for a whole panel of colleges, get callbacks, and receive scholarships for their schools. At FTC, there are also workshops to take part in; it's just a great event for anyone interested in continuing theatre once they've graduated.

We have monthly meetings on the last Wednesday of every month! During these meetings, we meet in the theatre classroom, and our officers discuss all the events and opportunities to look forward to for the following month. These meetings are open to everyone, so if you're simply interested in the troupe, there's no harm in stopping by! However, these meetings are extremely important to attend if you would like to be inducted thespian of Troupe 850! 

Another important thing to attend to achieve this would be our troupe's workshops! They happen all throughout the year and are open to anyone as well. These workshops will give interested students knowledge about the theatre world, including workshops on everything from dance to tech to theatre after high school.

For the parents, we have an amazing Head Booster Parent, Mrs. Nagy, who sends out monthly newsletters to parents and students in the troupe, updating them on all our troupe's activities and accomplishments. It is also where we typically post links inviting parents to sign up to assist in events that Troupe 850 is putting on. As a part of our officer board, we have our booster liaison (Harper Fisak), who is here to answer any questions parents may have throughout the year.

For any Questions, comments, or concerns, please email a troupe representative at wptroupe850@gmail.com. You can also DM our Instagram for more information at @troupe850. Thank you, and enjoy your school year!!