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Curtains Close on TIOSM 2021

3/31/2021

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By: STO Karis Klammer, Montgomery HS, Troupe 5986
and STO Gabriel Brock, Goose Creek Memorial HS, Troupe 8132


March 2021 was exciting! Theatre in Our Schools Month has been a fantastic success! Schools from all corners of the state participated in TIOSM festivities; thespians participated in challenges and activities posted on the Texas Thespian socials, advertised shows, and supported other troupes. Not to mention all of the advocacy that was done by thespians this month. 

Over the past 31 days, thespians across the state succeeded in implementing every part of A.R.T.S (A - Advertise, R - Reach Out, T - Teach, S - Social Media) into their advocacy. Every single troupe has made Texas Thespians proud. They took these four simple letters and brought awareness to their departments and theatre as a whole in the state. 

Our goal for March was to get TIOSM declared in 10 cities. However, we did not get 10. We absolutely blew our goal out of the water! Theatre in Our Schools Month was declared in 31 CITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS!! 
 
So now you must be thinking “what can I do with all this information I’ve learned this month?” Even though the curtains are closing on Theatre in Our Schools Month 2021, the lessons you’ve learned this month have equipped you to continue the spirit of TIOS month for the rest of the school year and beyond that! Continue to support other troupes and the arts in your community, continue to create, and most importantly continue to advocate for theatre arts and everything that makes your program what it is. Yearn to leave your troupe and theatre in your community better off than when you first star.  

March 2021 has been one of the most successful Theatre in Our Schools Months ever! Your work exceeded every expectation. You have raised awareness about the impact of theatre education, drew attention to the need for more theatre access for all students, and supported school theatre programs in need. Even though the curtains are closing on TIOSM 2021, thank you to everyone who contributed to making this the best Theatre in our Schools Month we could ask for! 

Stay Tuned,
Your 2020 and 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers
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Connecting with the ARTS

3/31/2021

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By: STO Gabriel Brock, Goose Creek Memorial High School, Troupe 8132; STO Talya Hammerman Ridge Point High School, Troupe 7678; STO Folarin Oyeleye Foster High school Troupe 7961

We have reached the final week for Theatre In Our Schools Month! While the moment may be bitter-sweet, seeing as we are coming to a close on the month, hopefully, you’ve enjoyed these past three weeks advertising, reaching out, and teaching. This week, we’re focusing on social media and its relationship to theatre. Social Media is an ever-important aspect of theatre culture, and it ties in the other three points of ARTS:

Advertising 
  • Provides more ways of advertising your shows and troupe events
  • Interactive and always to a diverse audience
  • Advocate at the personal, troupe, school, and even state/national levels.
  • Showcases theatre to the new generation of young thespians

Reaching Out
  • Provides thespians with an outlet with other thespians and troupes and building a local theatre network
  • It makes communicating with representatives, legislators, theatre professionals, and others involved in the arts easier.
  • A great way of advocating to a broader audience
  • It is interactive; you can comment on/support other troupes, connect with local troupes/alumni, and so much more!

Teaching
  • It helps provide a wider spread of educational resources (such as articles or anecdotes from industry professionals) to those who may not have access to them locally.
  • Create and share not only theatre educational videos but recordings of monologues, scenes from plays/musicals.
  • Diversifies the education thespians receive by exposing them to multiple ideas, stories, circumstances, etc.
  • Social media has created an outlet for the arts to be better distributed, allowing students to learn more about the arts from younger ages, allowing them to develop their potential.  

Challenges
  • Utilize social media and the skills you’ve learned over the past month and complete these four challenges;
  • Post 5 emojis that describe your current show on your social media story and see who can guess it right! 
  • Repost graphics promoting shows happening in your community. If no performances are happening at the moment, you can repost anything theatre-related.
  • Comment on five theatre socials media pages (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  • Create a Graphic for your troupe and share it with us by tagging @TexasThespians on on any platform.
    
Have a phenomenal rest of your Theatre In Our Schools Month, and continue to use the skills you’ve learned over the past three weeks throughout the rest of the school. Hope to see you all again next year!

Sincerely,
Your 2020 & 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers
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Go Teach!

3/17/2021

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By: STO Piper Daniell, Midway High School, Troupe 4770, and STO Gentry Phillips, Springtown High School, Troupe 1494

​Texas Thespians proved time and time again that theatre not only serves as a means for thespians to embrace their creative selves but also proved to be a place where everyone is involved. Whether we are techies, directors, or actors, we all have a place to teach others about what we do in theatre and about how that has shaped us as people. 
For Theatre In Our Schools Month, Texas Thespians shared an acronym many of us can easily relate to: A.R.T.S. 
This week is Teach! For so many of us, theatre has been our safe place and an area where we feel free to be ourselves. However, many thespians don’t realize what theatre taught them until they stop to reflect. Not only does theatre teach us about ourselves, but being in theatre and advocating it allows every thespian to teach others about the importance of the arts. Below are some statements from STO’s about what theatre taught them, along with what it has taught our wonderful director, Nicole Morgan.

STO: Campbell Lemons, Chair
What is something theatre has taught you about yourself?: Theatre taught me to trust myself even if I am unsure of the outcome and to always take the opportunities that come up.
How has theatre impacted the way you work with others?: It helped me to better understand different ways of thinking creatively and bettered me as a performer, leader and person.
How has what you’ve learned in theatre impacted you outside of the theatre?:The main thing I have taken away from theatre is how to advocate. Not just advocating for the arts, but advocating for myself. Advocating for yourself is something that I have relied on throughout the college application process and more.

STO: Annie Bailey
What is something theatre has taught you about yourself?: I learned that I struggle with eye contact but I have gotten much better at doing it and not feeling uncomfortable.
How has theatre impacted the way you work with others?: I am empathetic and more apt to consider what motivates the actions of others rather than rushing to be upset over small things. 
How has what you’ve learned in theatre impacted you outside of the theatre?:
I have learned lots about time management and public speaking skills. I say a lot less “ums” than I used to. 

STO: Elisa Pedraz Sanchez 
What is something theatre has taught you about yourself?: Theatre taught me that I am stronger and more confident than I think. It takes a lot of courage and training to stand up in front of a crowd and perform and before I joined theatre I never thought I would be able to do something like that someday. Theatre taught me how to be confident in my own skin and rock all of the things that make me different. It also made me a stronger person because of all the people I was surrounded by and all of the challenges I went through to get to this place. 
How has theatre impacted the way you work with others?: Absolutely! Before doing theatre I HATED doing any kind of team work activities but theatre taught me that I can't do everything alone. Like with shows, it takes a whole team to put on the show and it would be impossible for one person to do that by themselves. Theatre taught me how to collaborate with my peers, how to express my ideas better and how to listen to other people's ideas. Theatre impacted my work ethic positively!
How has what you’ve learned in theatre impacted you outside of the theatre?:Theatre in general taught me how to be more confident and that is something that is absolutely necessary in the real world because that is the way you portray yourself. It taught me how to be true to myself and how to fight for the things I believe in even if the path might be rocky. It made a huge impact in my life by teaching me there is always beauty even in the darkest places.

Thespian Board Director: Nicole Morgan
What is something theatre has taught you about yourself?: Perseverance 
How has theatre impacted the way you work with others?: I learned to listen more.
How has what you’ve learned in theatre impacted you outside of the theatre?:It gives me confidence to tackle the problems that will arise and know that I can do things as needed.

No matter what theatre taught you, always remember how much we can teach others through the work of the arts. With March being Theatre In Our Schools Month, take every opportunity to better educate others about the significance of the fine arts and how it enriches our lives.

Go teach!
You 2020 & 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers
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Your Guide to Reaching Out

3/10/2021

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By: STO Brenna Kenney, Rouse High School, Troupe 7679

​   It is week 2 of the greatest month of the year, Theatre In Our Schools Month! We have loved celebrating this month with you all and we can’t wait to MARCH into this second week! As you know, last week we dived into advertising, the first part of the acronym A.R.T.S.! This week, we are reaching out! There are many different ways to reach out, in your school, community, and even state level!

Reaching out in your School
Advocating in your school is one of the most simple ways to begin your advocacy journey! You can put up signs around your school to advertise shows, support other organizations by going to sports games or showcases, advertising your shows and activities through announcements, posting on social media, and so much more! All of these ideas can bring awareness to your department and the benefits of theatre in your school!

Reaching out in your Community
Once we are recognized in our schools, the next step we can take is advocating in our communities. This doesn’t mean parading down the streets of your town in full costume and makeup, but asking to advertise in local businesses, write newspaper articles, invite influential people to your shows, or volunteer to do community service. These ideas only scratch the surface of how you can gain support from your community, and we can’t wait to see more of your ideas!

Reaching out on the State Level
This may sound daunting, we get it, but it is not as scary as it sounds! Advocating on the state level brings a greater awareness to all the hard work, time, and energy we put into this thing we love so much: theatre! Reaching out on the state level can look like keeping open lines of communication with elected officials, or even getting Theatre In Our Schools Month declared in your city/town, so we can gain a better stepping stone moving up to the state level. This is one of the most important steps on our journey to advocacy in our state and we would love for you all to join us!

  We can not wait to see how your troupe reaches out! Stay tuned for more advocacy tips and tricks throughout the month of March, and REACH OUT to us on social media!

Happy Theatre In Our Schools Month, 
Your 2020 & 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers
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Admire? Adopt? No, Advertise!

3/3/2021

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By: STO Lia Graham, Texas High School, Troupe 2526

That’s Right! You guessed it. We’re talking about the A in ARTS advertising! There are so many ways to advertise for your theatre and events, so let’s get started!

There’s no one way that's better. All advertising is good advertising. Whether through your school newspaper, radio, posters or flyers, simply spreading the word is enough. With that being said, it’s your turn! Find new inventive ways to advertise your show. Reach out to your school and community personally. Need some ideas to get the creativity flowing? We have you covered! 

  1. Hand out flyers at a busy store. 
  2. Hold a meet and greet with the cast. 
  3. Contact local radio stations. See if they’ll advertise your show on air.
  4. Write to administrators and/or janitorial staff inviting them to your show. 
  5. Ask for your show information to be announced on your school’s news services.
  6. Have a social media drawing for free show tickets or a signed poster.

If you need more ideas, check out our “Advertise” video on Instagram! This is your time to put your leadership skills to the test. If you feel your troupe’s advertisement falls flat, CHANGE IT! You have the power to push ideas into action for the better of your troupe. Step up and make the change.

We believe in you,
Your 2020 & 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers
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Marching into TIOSM

3/1/2021

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By: STO Lia Graham, Texas High School, Troupe 2526

The time has come for (drum roll please) THEATRE IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH! It’s the one time of year when schools have a reason to shine the spotlight on theatre and hopefully find ways to incorporate theatre in core classes. This month, we’re focusing on the A.R.T.S. (obviously). 

A- Advertise 
R- Reach out 
T- Teach
S- Social Media

Sound familiar? If you attended leadership day or our advocacy workshop you may have been introduced to A.R.T.S. We will be diving into this acronym over the next 30 days providing your troupe and you with ideas, tips, and activities to grow your advocacy skills and spread the benefits of theatre! 

Add a little bit of spice…

We have prizes!! Below, you will see the first ever Theatre in our Schools Month Bingo! Each square has a fun activity for you to do throughout the month of March, and bring your troupe together to complete challenges to increase participation. Depending on how many rows you complete, you could win gift cards, Texas Thespians Merch, and most importantly, Ducks!! 

Take our ideas and make them your own. Take independence to make this year the best Theatre in our Schools month ever! Stay updated with A.R.T.S on our blog and social media. Let the advocating begin!

See you soon! 
Your 2020 & 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers
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