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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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By: STO Lia Graham, Texas High School, Troupe 2526
Happy Valentine's Day! We hope you are enjoying this day full of love with your special someone or (even better) a cuddly pet. Grab a sheet of paper and something to write with and get ready for Dusty’s Valentine Adventure: Mad-libs edition. Before you start, below is a list of nouns, adjectives, verbs, and more that you will make up and then fill them in to the story. Copy and paste the story below to a doc to fill it in with your words, and share your stories with us on social media! Remember to keep it fun and clean! You will need… adjective ending in ed Verb name of a restaurant Item of clothing Noun Verb Adverb Type of car Verb Verb Adverb Type of food Adjective Plural noun Name of an STO Number between 1-49 Big number Adverb Exclamation Happy adjective Plural noun Verb ending in ed Adverb Dear Duck Diaries, Tomorrow is Valentine's day and I am absolutely (adjective ending in ed)! I can’t wait to take my (verb) date to the fanciest restaurant in town, (name of a restaurant). Her name is Puddles, and her feathers are so soft. Yesterday, I went to the Texas Thespian website and bought her all sorts of merch like a (item of clothing) and a (noun)! I just know she’s going to (verb) when she sees what I bought her. -(adverb) Dusty the Duck Dear Duck Diaries, Today’s the day! I am going to pick Puddles up with my (type of car) at 6:00 sharp for our date! However, the STOs have invited me to lunch, and I couldn’t tell them no. I will not stay too long because I don’t want to (verb) my date. The last time I hung out with the STOs, we played hide and go (verb) for 7 hours! They sure do love their games. -(adverb) Dusty the Duck Dear Duck Diaries, Holy Moly! I’m going to be late! After eating (type of food) with the STOs, they wanted to play a (adjective) round of Theatre In Our (plural noun) Month board game. Little did I know that STO (Name of an STO) would suggest we play the extended board game where we try to get the whole nation to declare March as Theatre in our Schools Month and not just Texas. After the first round, we got (number between 1-49) which wasn’t enough for these overachievers so we played (big number) more rounds until we finally got all 50 states to declare March as Theatre in our Schools Month. It’s 5:45, so I think I can get there right on time. Wish me luck! -(adverb) Dusty the Duck Dear Duck Diaries, (Exclamation)! My valentines date with Puddles went (happy adjective)! I arrived right on time to present her with a bouquet of (plural noun) along with her bundle of Texas Thespian merch. When she came to the door, I almost (Verb ending in ed) because of how beautiful she looked. I must be the luckiest duck on Earth. -(adverb) Dusty the Duck Whatever your plans are for this love-filled day, make sure to eat plenty of chocolates and sweets. Don’t forget to share your stories with us! With much love, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Lia Graham, Texas High School, Troupe 2526
For us thespians, long rehearsal hours and theatre jargon is just what we’re used to. To an outsider, however, our gibberish warmups and unique traditions might seem a bit bizarre. Whether it be playing in the pit or making dance numbers look easier than they are, students in other organizations don’t always get the recognition they deserve but immeasurable in value. Here are a few ways that schools in Texas incorporate other organizations in their musicals. “For our school musical, we always have the school’s chamber orchestra play in the pit. It is quite a surreal experience to have live music while performing and get to meet members of other groups.”
“Inclusivity is something we have truly focused on. We usually have choir and orchestra participate in the school musical, and it helps people to realize how a team is supposed to work. This year, in our production of Godspell, not only were most of the cast members in both choir and theatre or just choir, but the choir director helped with the musical direction. This helped the theatre students gain new friends, make meaningful connections, see how other organizations do things, and what it means to truly collaborate.”
“At my school we incorporate other organizations by having the band play the score for us, and the choir director helps with vocals. By doing this, we build a bond between the programs, especially since some kids are a part of at least 2 of these, and a form of mutualism is created.”
“We have a big musical every year where students from theatre, choir, and dance all come together to create a beautiful show! We love getting to support one another throughout the year, but we love musical time when we can all work alongside one another!”
Whatever purpose they serve in our musicals, we are so grateful for the dancers, singers and musicians that join to create beautiful works of art. Thank you from the 2020 and 2021 board. Keep advocating! Your 2020 and 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Lia Graham, Texas High School, Troupe 2526
Happy New Year!!! We hope that you had fun, stayed safe over the holidays, and are ready to go this spring! We are very excited to hear about all that you are doing and want to remind you to visit your backpack from the State Festival to continue to learn and grow. Last semester, troupes around Texas participated in both the Leadership Days and Texas Thespian Leadership Academy. Troupes submitted evidence of growth through community outreach, troupe activities and so much more as they worked to be recognized! However, only a few troupes shone bright enough to be recognized as 2020 Fall Honor Troupes. Congratulations to the 2020 Fall Texas Honor Troupes:
These troupes will have banners and plaques sent to the school. Please be on the lookout. If your troupe participated in the fall but did not complete all of the tasks, you may still work toward the honor by completing the tasks. Our first live Zoom Meeting will take place on Monday, January 25th at 7pm. See your director for meeting details to join us! We are so excited to see our Thespians continue to rise to the occasion and BE THE LEADER! For questions about the Google Classroom, please contact Michelle Nguyen. For questions about Leadership Academy Meetings, please contact Roshunda Jones. Any other questions, please contact Nicole Morgan. We hope to see you and your troupe as you grow and learn more about being a Leader. Happy New Year, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Lia Graham, Texas High School, Troupe 2526
Whether you’re singing O holy Night, Here Comes Santa Claus, or Hanukkah oh Hanukkah, the holidays are the most joyful time of the year. The STO board has taken the time to share with you our sweetest and funniest holiday memories, unique family traditions, and what we want to see under the tree. Share with us on social media what your answers are! STO: Alyssa Favorite holiday: New Years Favorite holiday meal: I really like ham & green bean casserole but if i could i would solely eat Watergate salad for my holiday meal Sweetest holiday memory: A really sweet memory I have is Christmas my freshman year when my grandpa, who doesn’t really ever show emotion got me a really sentimental necklace & when I saw it I cried & ran into his arms. It was the first time I’d ever seen him cry so it’s a memory I hold close to my heart. STO: Annie Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: Turkey and all the sides Unique family tradition: At christmas we sing carols as a family before presents and it’s very nice, despite everyone being very bad The carols are typed out on papers and the aggie war hymn is one of them. STO: Avery Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: My favorite holiday meal is a Christmas ham with the classic sides like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and rolls. Unique family tradition: One of our Christmas traditions is my family has a stack of holiday books that we always read each and every Christmas Eve before we go to sleep. My parents originally started it so my sisters and I could get some practice reading out loud as kids, but the tradition kinda just stuck. Some of the books we read are The Polar Express, The Night Before Christmas, and a few verses from the Bible. STO: Bradyn Favorite holiday: Halloween Favorite holiday meal: I would probably say Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday meal! Everything at Thanksgiving is just so good! What do you want for Christmas? What do you want for Christmas: I just wanna celebrate being healthy and well during such a crazy time. I hope everyone out there is also staying safe and healthy and finding ways to celebrate a much different Christmas than usual! STO: Brenna Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: Do Christmas cookies count as a meal?? Unique family tradition: Every year my dad and I have a Christmas Movie Marathon where we watch Christmas movies every night for two weeks leading up to Christmas! STO: Caleb Favorite holiday: Halloween Favorite holiday meal: Christmas Eve Doughnuts Favorite holiday memory: : After Christmas Eve Dinner was done, my sister and I drove back to my moms house. My sister blew her engine in her car in the middle of nowhere. It was hours before a tow truck came and for us to get picked up. I got a lot closer to my sister, and we are better siblings to one another. STO: Campbell Favorite holiday: Mardi Gras Favorite holiday meal: KING CAKE. Funniest holiday memory: One time, while in a Mardi Gras parade, I went to throw beads and accidentally swung backwards first and whacked my mom in the face. If you know what being hit with a Mardi Gras bead is like, you know it was a bad situation to be in. (It wasn’t funny then, but definitely funny now!) STO: Cody Favorite holiday: Valentine’s day Favorite holiday meal: Key Lime Pie and Cookies Favorite Holiday Memory: When I got my first trampoline for christmas, I was so excited and filled with joy; that was probably the best gift I’ve ever received. STO: Elisa Favorite holiday: Halloween Favorite holiday meal: My grandma’s turkey Sweetest holiday memory: Doing face masks in matching pajamas with my family STO: Jackson B. Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: Christmas cookies are the best. Unbeatable. Funniest holiday memory: We went and saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens together as a family. My little sister slept through the entire 2 hour film. The loud music, spaceship sounds, laser rifles. None of that had any effect on her. We left and asked if she liked the movie: “I thought it was kind of boring” STO: Jackson L. Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: Macaroni and cheese on thanksgiving What do you want for Christmas? 1 million dollars STO: Jarrett Favorite holiday: Halloween Favorite holiday meal: Tofurky, Ham, and stuffing Funniest holiday memory: This year, my grandma used wrapping paper that my aunt used last year and stapled it to a gift bag. STO: Lia Favorite holiday: Tooth Fairy Appreciation Day (jk it’s Easter) Favorite holiday meal: My world-famous Marshmallow Pumpkin Pie Sweetest holiday memory: I love the memories I have of waking up after a restless sleep to peak out of my room in the morning at the presents. My mom always makes sure to catch my brother and me on video wrapped up in our blankets, drowsily opening presents from Santa. STO: Megan Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: Pumpkin Pie Sweetest holiday memory: My family all flying to my grandparents house to surprise them for Christmas STO: Piper Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: Hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies! What do you want for Christmas: The ability to do theatre with no masks or shields! STO: Tyler Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving Favorite holiday meal: Stuffing 😤 What do you want for Christmas: I hope everyone has a great Christmas this year with all of the negative things that have happened this year. Let’s let Christmas bring us together, end this year on a good note, and have a great 2021! STO: Victoria Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: We usually get takeout food, so takeout food. Funniest holiday memory: One time one of our dogs climbed onto the fireplace (it wasn't on) and accidentally knocked down the stockings in the process. Staff: Mrs. Morgan Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: Traditional Italian family meal of pasta Funniest holiday memory: Frozen pipes with 43 people at our house and we had to crack the pool ice to bring in buckets of water to flush the toilet. Staff: Mrs. Jones Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving Favorite holiday meal: Turkey, smoked ham, dressing, mustard greens, potato salad, yams and chocolate pie Funniest holiday memory: Family was outside barbequing, and my mother was bringing some food in the house. A raccoon followed in behind her, and everyone was running around the house trying to catch it. Staff: Mr. Allen Favorite holiday: Christmas Favorite holiday meal: Turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, pecan pie Sweetest holiday memory: The first Christmas I spent with my wife was very special. Staff: Mr. McCoy Favorite holiday: Labor Day Favorite holiday meal: Stuffing- or fudge Funniest holiday memory: The time my aunt was so proud of the lemon meringue pie she made for her father. She went to show it to him, tripped on the carpet and smashed the entire thing into his lap. As 2020 comes to a close and 2021 opens new doors, the STOs wish all Texas Thespians a very happy new year! Happy Holidays, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Lia Graham, Texas High School, Troupe 2526
Pets. They help us get through some tough times and entertain us constantly. This year, the STO’s had the opportunity to bring their pets to festival! From Calico cats, Bulldogs, and bunnies, the STO’s pets made appearances in workshops and gained attention from thespians all over Texas. Here are the Official Pets of the STO Board! STO: Bradyn Pet’s name: Oliver Breed: Shih Tzu Age: 14 years! “He's basically blind now, so he just stumbles around now and again. He'll bump into a wall or bark at a door where nobody's at, but when he gets excited, he likes to run around and play with our other pets. This was like last week, he barked up at me to let him up on my bed, and when I did, he cuddled right up next to me, which he never used to do.” STO: Megan Pet’s name: Piper Breed: Bulldog Age: 8 “She got stung by bees because she was trying to eat them, so her face was very puffy. When I would leave for school, she used to sit on my backpack and try to intervene by getting my backpack so I wouldn't leave.” STO: Piper Pets’ names: Pancho and Cisco Breed: Airedale Terriers Age: 5 “They tried to eat the sprinklers. When I’m sad they guard me when I sleep. One time they both escaped from our yard and after searching for them for two hours we found them in the garage eating their dog food. Whenever I’m taking them for a walk and a stranger walks by, they start to circle me to protect me.” STO: Annie Pet’s name: Casper Breed: Maltese Schnauzer Age: 9 “We went on a vacation, so she angrily pooped in the foyer on the tile so it was easy to clean, but at the front door where it’s a statement. She freaks out during the rain so she comes into my room (I am her favorite) and she gets under my blankets, it’s very cute.” STO: Brenna Pet’s name: Allie Breed: Mixed but mainly Catahoula Age: 3 “Allie is a VERY crazy dog and super fast too, like literally sprints faster than Usain Bolt. So over the beginning of quarantine, we took her on walks/runs almost three times a day sometimes. We decided to have a little inside joke that we were training her to be a sled dog lol. When we first got her, she was super shy, and one day during the summer, she literally just laid at my feet for like 3 hours. It was so cute. Now she is rambunctious and never stops running.” STO: Lia Pet’s name: Noodles Breed: Dwarf Lionhead bunny Age: 3 “Noodles likes to chew things, and I was holding her one time wearing my favorite dress. Within seconds she had chewed two penny sized holes in the dress. I was not happy with her to say the least. I also have to watch her very carefully because she’s almost blind. She falls off my bed a lot, but she’s like a cat: lands on her feet every time.” STO: Alyssa Pet’s name: Sky Breed: We’re waiting to get her DNA test back because her & her brothers/sisters came from a rescue & only one of the parents are known but they’re a mix of Shepherd & Border Collie Age: almost 4 months “A funny memory is difficult because this little pup is CRAZY, but the funniest thing she does is she gets in the way ALL the time, like seriously I think she does it on purpose. She trips us up all the time and is so nosey. We got my pupper from a rescue, and the day we picked her up from the foster mama, she was so cuddly with me. The whole ride back home she clung to me & would NOT let go.” STO: Campbell Pet’s name: Dixie Belle aka “Ditty” Breed: Jack Russell Terrier Age: 9 “Dixie is what I would consider an icon. She does everything on her own time and sometimes it can be very comical. For instance: I have a heated blanket and when she lays on it my mom has to pick her up after because she will not move. When we were looking for a dog, we went to a shelter in Houston. We said we wanted to see her, and when they brought her into the meeting room, she jumped on all of us and uncontrollably licked us. She knew we were her family before we did. WE LOVE DIXIE!!” STO: Cody Pet’s name: King (M) and Venus (F) Breed: Pitbull Age: 10+ “They tore up my workout bench, but one time I fell asleep on them in my backyard. I was so comfortable, and that’s when they were small. I just felt the love from them, and I felt so safe in that moment.” STO: Avery Pet’s name: Bebe Breed: Tuxedo cat Age: 6 “She always shoves her face in my face when I’m taking pictures of myself crying. She always cuddles with me when I’m sad. Bebe will perfectly fit herself into the crook of my arm and just lay there till I feel better- she’s like my unofficial therapy cat.” STO: Victoria Pet’s name: Her full name is Coraline, but we mostly call her Cora. Breed: Calico cat. Age: 1 “A funny memory with her is one time she was leaping around my bathroom and eventually fell into the toilet. My favorite memory with her is how every night she comes and lays with me for a while. (It's not necessarily a singular memory, but it's still something really sweet that she does).” STO: Jackson B. Pet’s name: Rookie Breed: Poodle Schnauzer Age: 6 “He somehow escaped the house for 2 hours. Then we heard barking at our front door, and he's just sitting on our porch waiting to get back in. He had gotten extremely sick, and we had to take him to the vet. We found out he was diabetic, and he wasn't bouncing back. We were going to sign to put him down, but the pen would not work; we decided to give it one more day. The next day he had the same amount of energy he did when he was 2 years old. It was amazing! STO: Elisa No pet :( “I want a Corgi because they are small, cute, sassy (like me) and I love their cute little butts. I would name my Corgi Cheddar.” STO: Jackson L. No pet :( “I would want a Dalmation because they’re super cute, and I would name him Spots.” STO: Jarrett No pet :( “I would want a Mini Dachshund, and I would name it Ollie Purr.” Did you attend workshops with your pets? We want to see! Send us pictures of you and your pets through instagram. If you don’t have a pet, what would you want? Give your pets a treat for us. Sincerely, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Lia Graham, Texas High School, Troupe 2526 & STO Jackson Barnes, Argyle High School, Troupe 6015
Hello Texas Thespians! Our final Super Saturday is upon us, and what an amazing experience it has been. We’ve seen so many of you thespians showcase your theatrical greatness for the past 2 months, and we could not be happier! However, there is one special group of people that are often underappreciated that deserve some attention. We are turning the spotlight to the techies and showcasing the incredible individual event of the Technician Quiz Bowl Challenge! We interviewed Charlie Woods, event coordinator, to get the inside scoop. What is the Quiz Bowl Challenge? “Quiz Bowl is an Individual competition. There is a morning QuizBowl session and an afternoon session and each will contain 40-50 multiple choice questions, covering a wide variety of technical theatre topics, including basic stagecraft, make-up, lighting, sound, costumes, props and design,” Charlie Woods, Tech team Challenge Coordinator said. “The sessions are created on the Quizzes program and students get points for correct answers and points for how quickly they get the correct answer. The link to each session is available for 2 hours and open to any TTVF attendee.” How do you compete in the Quiz Bowl Challenge? “Students can participate in each of the 6 quiz bowl sessions, but can only make 1 attempt for each session,” Woods said. “Students must use their last name and troupe number as their session ID. 1st and 2nd place winners from each session will advance to the finals round on Dec 5th. The Finals quiz bowl will contain more difficult questions including Theatre engineering, electronics, and problem solving questions.” Here are a few examples of the questions you might see during the Tech Quiz Bowl Challenge: In rigging " SWL" stands for ? A. Standard Weight and Length B. Safe Working Load C. Steel Weight loaded Calculate the Amperage draw of 5 LED striplights daisy chained together powered from one 120v 20A circuit. Each fixture is rated at 250 watts each. A. 10.4 A B. 9.7A C. 11.3A D. 8.5A What troupes have participated thus far? Both Jr High and High School Thespian troupes have participated. Here are some of the Troupe #'s who have participated: 7585, 1212, 1053, 4169, 8888, 0241, 311, 5872, 1790. What is your favorite part about being able to do the tech quiz bowl? “That it provides our tech students another opportunity to demonstrate their skills and talents,” Woods said. “Hopefully it challenges them to learn and develop more skills and knowledge about the tech side of theatre and to go beyond what they are learning in their classes and own productions.” What school(s) are currently in the lead? Since this is an individual competition, points are awarded to the individuals from those Troupes. Currently, the following troupes have won first or second place in the last Super Saturday Quiz Bowl sessions: 7586, 7585, 3376, 1212. The STO’s are so excited to find out the results of this incredible new event and cannot wait to experience one last Super Saturday with all of you spectacular thespians on December 5th! Wish your fellow technicians luck as they go into their finals rounds for their Quiz Bowl Challenge. As always, we would love to keep up with your Thespian adventures, so make sure to tag us on Instagram @texasthespians. Continue to keep up with us by checking the STO blog and to see what comes next after our last day of The Greatest Festival on Earth! Break all the legs, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Brenna Kenney, Rouse High School, Troupe 7679
“So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye”... but not until our last set of Main Stage Shows! Remember that Main Stage Shows are during dinner from 5:30-7:00pm in the Main Stage area of festival! For this Super Saturday, December 5, we have some outstanding performances lined up for you! “High School Musical” - Grapevine Faith Christian School, Troupe 6361 A classic childhood movie that everyone knows and loves is brought to life on stage! Join Troy, Gabriella, and the Wildcats as they break the “status quo” through catchy songs that you can’t help but sing along! “Anitgone” - Salina Central High School, Troupe 639 Antigone is the classic Greek tragedy set after the Theban civil war. Join Antigone through her acts of civil disobedience and the burial of her brother, and be sure to bring your tissue box! We cannot believe this is our last Super Saturday, but we are excited to end it with some show-stopping performances! We would love to see all of your festival activities. Be sure to tag us on Instagram @texasthespians, and keep checking the blog for more updates and fun from your STOs! Happy last Super Saturday, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Brenna Kenney, Rouse HS, Troupe 7679
Step right up and hear about our third set of spectacular Mainstage Shows! As always, Mainstage Shows can be accessed through the Mainstage area at festival during dinner time (5:30-7:00pm)!! This super Saturday, November 21, the shows are really “bringing it”! "Bring It On!” - Rouse High School, Troupe 7679 Follow Campbell throughout her senior year as she navigates a new school and competes at the National Cheerleading Championships! Through the outstanding cheer stunts and exciting songs, you also discover some good life lessons along the way! “Ghostlight” - Olathe South High School, Troupe 5006 When Gabriela Nettles is admitted to Doves Forge she starts to see and hear things that no one else does. With the help of two new friends, she tries to unravel the secret of her visions and of the tragedy that happened at the school a decade ago. Ghostlight is a comedy about ghosts, the past, and friendship. The STOs cannot wait to watch these incredible shows! Make sure you tag us on instagram @texasthespians so we can see all of the magnificent Mainstage Shows you are watching as well! Check back soon for more festival updates for our last Super Saturday on December 5! Have a great day at festival, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Bradyn Parmelly, Rockwall Heath HS, Troupe 5872
Hello Texas Thespians! At our second Super Saturday, we dove into our leadership workshop, entitled the Ringleader’s Toolbox. For those who missed this workshop, we want to share it with every Texas Thespian. Our goal is to express the many ways troupe leaders can use their toolbox and form connections to benefit their troupe in the best possible ways. In our toolbox, we have FIVE tools. These are the tools we use to run a successful and cohesive state leadership board. Our toolbox consists of blueprints, a level, a hammer, a screwdriver, and a wrench. Now, you’re probably wondering what we actually mean by these items. Don’t worry. We are about to demonstrate each of these tools and show the connections all of us can make. Hammer: We use this for our actions. As a leader, you need to mean what you say. Don’t just say things in order to get votes or approval from your troupe members or directors. We know it’s been said so many times before, but your actions will always speak louder than your words. As a leader, you need to understand that the actions that need to be taken in your troupe can not just be taken on by one person. As nice as it is to have the satisfaction of doing something all by yourself, oftentimes matters of change needed to be done in your troupe or department are too difficult to take on by yourself. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your fellow troupe members, officers, and your directors. Reaching out for help shows that you are wanting the best for your department, and you just need some extra help. Finally, you can not take action unless you use your entire toolbox. This goes along with every single tool in your toolbox, you can’t just take one tool out and expect it to fix everything, you need to use all of them together in order to reach success in your department. Blueprint: Otherwise known as our Leader’s Mission, your blueprint serves to help understand that leadership should never be self-centered. Instead, it should be focused on improving your troupe, department, and school as a whole. Always keep in mind why you’re doing what you’re doing. Are you doing it for the title, or are you doing it because you think it’s going to make your troupe better? Establishing a Leader’s Mission at the beginning of the year gives you the ability to think about what you’re doing and check if it is on track with your original plan for the year. If it isn’t, it reminds you to get back on track to make sure you’re doing what needs to be done for your troupe. Additional ways to make sure you’re following your Leader’s Mission are to always serve others before yourself, do things that help benefit the troupe as a whole, and make sure that you’re creating a brighter future for your troupe and the many thespians that will venture through your department in years to come. Screwdriver: This is your tool for communication. Communication is one of the most important things needed in your troupe. You can’t do anything unless you are open and willing to communicate with every single member of your troupe, every officer on your board, your directors, and your teacher. There are many ways to communicate. You can use Instagram, Remind, Twitter, Google Classroom, and so many more. Having communication in your troupe is incredibly important because it establishes an open line for everyone in your troupe, whether they need to reach out, if they have questions, or if they just need someone to talk to. Additionally, this allows for you to share information quicker. It gives the ability to connect with members of your department and establishes necessary equality and trust with every member. Communication is an essential way to accomplish your goal as a leader, bring an open environment to your troupe, and make everything you plan to do throughout the year that much easier. Level: We use this for level-headed leadership. A level itself is used to make sure that things are balanced and have a good foundation. You should never build things on an uneven foundation, and that’s exactly what level-headed leadership is for. Keeping a level head as a leader is required. Keeping this level-headedness allows you to make sure you’re staying on track in reaching and achieving your goals you created in your Leader’s Mission, as well as helps you lead with integrity and accountability. Not only does it help you as a person and a leader, but it also helps you feel empathetic towards other people’s situations, and shapes you more from a leader into a friend, which is a great type of leadership. These discussions that will come out of being a level-headed leader will lead you to finding new discoveries and achieving new and bigger things than you had originally envisioned. Remember, good leaders work alone, but great leaders work together. Wrench: We use this tool to tighten up all your loose pieces, or your officer board. We understand that all schools may have different boards, whether it be an officer board with titles and specific jobs, or a committee style board where everyone works together as an entire unit to accomplish things. Both of these leadership styles are phenomenal, so don’t be deterred if boards around you have officers and you are serving on a committee style board. Every board will have different combinations of positions. Some of the most common jobs include your Chair/President, Vice Chair/Vice President, Social Media Chair, Social Events Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Grade Liaisons, Historian and so many more. We touched on an agenda for your board meetings this year, and even with everything going on in our world, there are so many ways you can make meetings just as fun. Don’t make it obvious that things are different than the years prior, just dive into everything and make it no different than how it would’ve been in the years prior. Treat all events and meetings the same way but with a new, fun virtual twist. This wraps up our tools, but we also gave more information on how we can connect as leaders and opportunities Texas Thespians can attain. We also want you to know about a few other opportunities that exist. Scholarships, Grants, and ITO: You can apply for scholarships and grants, as well as apply for an International Thespian Officer, through the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) website. Under the Programs drop down at the top of the page, click the section that says “Awards, Grants, and Scholarships”, and click the “Get Started” button. Through that, you can view the dozens of opportunities that EdTA has to offer for Texas Thespian leaders. However, due to COVID-19, applying for an International Thespian Officer may be different this year, and for those who are interested in applying, make sure to check the website for updates on applying for these positions. Wildfire vs. Campfire Leaders: We also discussed different styles of leadership, as well as good and bad ways to lead. You want to make sure you are always being a campfire leader and not a wildfire leader. Campfire leaders are warm, comforting, and bring all of thespians together; wildfire leaders are controlling, demanding, and often drive members away. Also discussed were the ways a ringleader leads. Whether you are more of a slow or fast leader, or if you are task or people oriented, you are actually a combination of all four. None of these styles of leadership are above the others; you need to have a combination of all four in order to run a successful department and be a leader of all people. Poor Group Dynamics: Next, we talked about poor group dynamics and the ways that we can fix these problems. It is inevitable to face a disagreement within your department, but we have to remember that not all forms of conflict are bad. Through conflict, we can always find ways to improve. You must retain your professionalism, remember to keep an open mind and continue to stay in good character. Leaders also need to practice neutralism. As a leader, you need to face the problem at hand, not the people. Problem Solving Pyramid: As a secondary addition to conflict, we talked about our problem solving pyramid. There are five steps in your problem solving pyramid, and they go in order: define your problem, break down the parts and issues people feel or see, brainstorm solutions, work through possible outcomes, move forward to solve the best you can. After that, it’s game time! Put your solution into play, and once the problem is solved, you are able to look back and see how you grew and improved as a troupe. Connections: After this, we dove into our connections section of the presentation, where we discussed the benefits of connections with your troupe, your school, troops around you, and your community. Having connections gives you the ability to grow and expand as a troupe. It draws attention to what you’re doing as a theatre department and gives you the stepping stones to do bigger and better things, like advocate for Theatre In Our Schools Month in your hometown. The easiest ways to make connections are to reach out to businesses and companies around you. Look for mutually beneficial relationships, and reach out to those with similar interests. The worst thing they can do is say no, so don’t be afraid to throw your hat into the ring. Well, Texas Thespians, that’s it for our leadership recap! If this speaks to you, join us on December 5th to take the workshop with us live. We can’t wait to see all of you at our next Super Saturday, and we hope you have all had an absolutely fabulous time at Texas Thespian State Festival so far. Keep sending in pictures, stories, duck tales, and more. See you soon, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers |
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