Texas Thespians Junior Festival Dates for 2025 ! 

Junior Festival - North

October 18th, 2025

The OC 
​680 Innovation Blvd, Forney, TX 

Junior Festival - South

December 13, 2025

Klein Collins High School 
20811 Ella Blvd. Spring, TX 

Junior Festival - Central

February 7th, 2026

East Central High School
​7173 FM1628, San Antonio, TX 

Junior Festival Details

WHO CAN ATTEND?
ANY Texas 6th-8th grade theatre teacher, director, or administrator with 6th-8th grade theatre (or theatre loving) students. All students must be registered and accompanied by an adult sponsor. International Thespian Society chartered troupes AND schools with no official chartered troupe can attend. 

COST?
Registration $60 per attendee
Texas Performance Events and Thespy National Qualifying Events - $20
Texas Design Events- $5/ participant

WHAT DOES THE REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDE? 
Each registered attendee receives a Junior Festival shirt, lunch, and access to all festival programming.
​
DO CHAPERONES HAVE TO JUDGE OR TEACH A WORKSHOP? 
Chaperones and directors may teach 2 workshop sessions to earn complimentary registration.
All schools will need provide: 1 judge for Technical Design and 1 judge for Performance events
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Typical Junior Day Schedule 

Director Resources and Forms

​Click HERE to join our Texas Thespians Director mailing list.
Click HERE to Register as a
GUEST ARTIST 0r JUDGE
2023 - 2024
Texas Thespians W-9
Junior Festival Security Protocols and Rules

Junior Event Descriptions

ALL-STAR TROUPE DISPLAY


All-Star Troupe Display is a FREE event included with your registration. 
​
While participation in All-Star Troupe Display is not mandatory, it is a huge part of the festival day experience and we encourage your Troupe to participate. ​​
The Troupe Display will be rated by a panel of judges according to their content, creativity and originality.
  • ​​We will provide a space for you to set up. 
  • We cannot guarantee electricity, please bring an extension cord if your presentation contains digital media or lighting.
  • Your presentation can be anything that depicts your troupe's activities for the past year.
  • All display items must fit on the table and may not be higher than five feet (5'0").

W.I.P.S. - Works in Progress

  • We encourage EVERY troupe to submit.
  • Do you have a song, dance, acting piece(s), or a National Qualifying IE Piece you would like to have adjudicated? You may send solo performers, ensemble only, or bring your full cast - anything on or off book that shows a glimpse of what you are working on and where you are.
  • One entry per troupe; if there are additional time slots that open up after registration closes, they will be offered to schools who may wish to submit more than one participant 
  • Entry fee is $20
  • You will have 7 minutes to perform (all performances will be watched by the WIPS adjudication committee) followed by a 5 minute feedback session directly following the performance. 
  • Dress Code: Professional Dress!.
    • This is a great way to get direct feedback and try out what you have!
    • If using music: Bring your own pre-recorded track on a phone or other music playback device.
    • A sound system will be provided with an auxiliary jack and a dongle for iPhone.
    • Storage is not available before your time; all pieces should be brought in during your performance time and must leave with you.
Pre-Adjudication for scenes from UIL One Act Play, Festival, Main Stage, or Classroom productions.

Junior Festival Thespys

Each school may enter a total of ten (10) Thespys at a live Junior Festival. Each student may enter only ONE event. These events are not awarded with trophies. Students/groups receiving a Superior score will qualify for Nationals and
​receive a national qualifier pin. 

Junior Festival Live Thespy's ​

One pagers updated August 9th

We offer seven (7) Thespy categories on Junior Festival Day.
  • Monologue 
  • Solo Musical
  • Duet Musical 
  • Group Musical 
  • Duet Acting
  • Group Acting
  • Musical Theatre Dance - Solo, Duet, Group​

Virtual Thespy's

All other Thespy I.E.s will be offered through the Texas Thespian Virtual Competitions. Virtual competitions are NOT included in your Junior Festival Registration. Virtual competitions will open on November 2023.

Junior Festival Performance Events

SOLO MUSICAL LIP SYNC
A school may enter unlimited individuals in this category.  An individual will lip sync to a song from a published musical that they have chosen to perform with.  Students are allowed to use props, and they MUST provide both their music and music playing device. Students cannot make any noise themselves.  Sound system will not be provided; students should bring their own device and speaker. Choreography, synchronization, creativity, costumes, and props are key judging criteria.  Music must be school appropriate and approved by team directors or coaches in advance.  Performance consists of one song that is 3-7 minutes long. A memorized introduction stating the School, Troupe, Musical, and Song Selection is required. THIS IS NOT A NATIONAL QUALIFYING EVENT. 
GROUP MUSICAL LIP SYNC
A school may enter ​unlimited teams in this category. Each team will be adjudicated as a whole, with each group receiving a certain score. A group of two to twelve (2-12) people will lip sync to a song from a published musical that they have chosen to perform with.  Students are allowed to use props, and they MUST provide both their music and music playing device. Students cannot make any noise themselves.  Sound system will not be provided; students should bring their own device and speaker. Choreography, synchronization, creativity, costumes, and props are key judging criteria.  Music must be school appropriate and approved by team directors or coaches in advance.  Performance consists of one song that is 3-7 minutes long. A memorized introduction stating the School, Troupe, Musical, and Song Selection is required. THIS IS NOT A NATIONAL QUALIFYING EVENT. 
IMPROV CHALLENGE
A school may enter one (1) team in this category. The team will be adjudicated as a whole, with each group receiving a certain score. A group consists of 2-6 students. Teams will randomly draw the Improv topic from their judge prior to their performance. For each competition, students should show ability to create story, character, and perform utilizing the rules of improv.  All improvised scenes will last a total of 2-5 minutes. There will be a Prelim and a Final round; winners will be announced at the Award Ceremony. 
READER'S THEATRE
A school may enter one (1) team in this category. The team will be adjudicated as a whole, with each group receiving a certain score. A group consists of 2-12 students. Teams will perform a published book or script that they have prepared prior to Festival.  For each competition, students should show ability to create story, character, and perform utilizing staging, movement and ensemble.  Scripts are allowed to be used during performance if they are in original form, or held in folders or binders. Students will perform the text as written. Students are allowed to use props, costumes, and chairs- but there is no music (either live or recorded) or additional set pieces allowed. Interpretation, creativity, ensemble work, characterization, movement and voice are all key components in the judging criteria. Performance consists of one song that is 3-7 minutes long. Winners will be announced at the Award Ceremony. ​

Junior Festival Theatrical Design

A school may enter unlimited teams per design category. A design team should consist of 1-4 students. The team will be adjudicated as a whole, with each design receiving a certain score. These are NOT National Qualifying Events. 

Team Design Prompt - LINK
Back to the Future: The Musical by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis
Back to the Future: The Musical Prompt Resources

Costume Design

Create an original costume design for TWO CHARACTERS given the prompt. The team should create a complete design including: research, script/text justification, initial sketch, rendering, and complete/final design rendering. ​

Hair & Makeup Design

Create an original makeup and hair design for TWO CHARACTERS given the prompt. The team should create a complete design including: research, script/text justification, initial sketch, rendering, and complete/final design rendering and if possible: application of design on a model. ​

Scenic Design

Create an original scenic design for the prompt. The team should create a complete design including: research, script/text justification, initial sketch, rendering, and complete/final design rendering and if possible: application of design on a scale model (or in a shoe box).  ​

Mask Design

Create an original mask design for the prompt. The team should create a complete design including: research, script/text justification, initial sketch, rendering, and complete/final design rendering and if possible: application of design on mask template or form.

Poster Design

Create an original poster design and playbill for the prompt. The team should create a complete design including: research, script/text justification, initial sketch, rendering, and complete/final design rendering. Students should use standard poster-size poster board or print a standard poster after creating a digital design.  

Prop Design

Create an original prop design for the prompt. The team should create a complete design including: research, script/text justification, initial sketch, rendering, and complete/final design rendering and if possible: application of design in a 3D Model or actual constructed prop. 

Team Design Challenge 

A school can only enter one (1) team in this category as a team of 2-4. The team will be tasked to create a design from a selected show; the prompt will be released the day of Festival. Students will have 45 minutes from the official start time to complete this design and construction challenge; It will take place during Session 4 and students' work will be judged as a concept/final product. In addition to Texas Thespians provided construction materials, students will be given specific instructions the day of festival on collecting other materials for their design.

Tech Team Challenge


​The Tech Challenge is a series of events that are designed to test your knowledge of basic skills that every technician should have. The combination of team and individual events underline the principle that theatre technicians do not work alone and an ensemble that works together to accomplish the given tasks makes the production successful. In technical theatre both time and accuracy are critical to a successful outcome. As artists we demand excellence in the tasks we are given, but as technicians we also have to perform the tasks quickly and efficiently so as not to disrupt the production process.

The Tech Challenge consists of 4 events, individual and team (or pair) events. These events represent the basic skills that every technician should possess to be well-rounded theatre professionals. There shall be a team score sheet carried by the teams for their results from the judges.

Tech Team Playland is included in registration. Winners are announced at the Closing Ceremony Awards Celebration
You will select your students who will represent your school/troupe the day of Festival. 


All participants MUST wear closed toed shoes on the event floor.  If the judges determine a student is not wearing appropriate footwear, the student will not be allowed to compete.

Events MAY include a selection of FOUR of the following:

Knots – (Individual Event). Two people per team can try this event, and each gets one try
Lights – (Team Event). Two people per team with one try. 
Sew a button – (Individual Event) Two people per team can participate in this event, and each gets one try.
Costumes – (Pair Event) One pair from the team;  - one try.
Set Design – (Team Event)  - one try.
Fold a drop – (Team Event)  - one try.
Cable Relay - (Team Event) - one try.

Junior Festival Board

Click the headshots below for contact email

Alexis Gette

Junior Festival Director

Baxter Chaney

Programing Chair

Jacob Thomas

Tech Playland Chair

Johnathan Hubbard

Competition Events Chair