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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
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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 By: STO Piper Daniell, Midway HS, Troupe 4770
Each year at Texas Thespian Festival, a large group of young Thespians aim towards becoming an STO for the following year. In order to achieve this goal, these students take on the immense responsibilities of an STO candidate. “I’d say that candidacy has helped me grow, not just as a leader, but also as a person,” said Candidate Talya Hammerman. “I have learned valuable skills, not to mention everyone is so uplifting and amazing. It’s truly an indescribable experience!” Continuing, this is an incredible opportunity for students to gain valuable leadership skills. Being a candidate has provided each and every student who has been a part of the process, an inside experience on what a State Thespian Officer takes on during the duration of festival and the many months leading up to festival. “I’ve learned so much in such a short amount of time. I will use this knowledge for the rest of my life,” said Candidate Gentry Phillips. “Candidacy is not only a good learning opportunity but a fun way to connect with others.” STO candidacy has allowed future leaders an inside perspective on how to communicate effectively, develop independence, and the result of growth in one's confidence. From candidate David Oyeleye, “Candidacy has taught me how to be more outgoing in and outside of my troupe, as well as how to bring people together”. By attending the leadership and advocacy workshops, individuals are provided with knowledge as to what Texas Thespians aim to achieve: promoting a voice for leaders, making change, and advocating for the arts. Throughout these workshops, students are taught how to better take charge among their troupe, how to advocate for the arts at a high school level, and even how to get in touch with their state representatives to better elaborate the means of theatrical education. Thank you to every candidate who gives their time to make sure festival runs smoothly. Much love, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Caleb Creech, Royse City HS, Troupe 8003
At our first ever virtual super Saturday, we had an advocacy workshop. The workshop's purpose was to teach thespians skills to become an arts advocate for your troupe and self! What exactly is an advocate? It is someone who publicly recommends or supports a cause. In our case, we want to be the best Arts Advocate we can be. When it comes to being an advocate, there’s one small acronym to help you remember what steps you need to take. A- Advertise R- Reach Out T- Teach S- Social Media Now, you may be wondering where you can advocate. You can advocate practically anywhere, but here’s some tips for advocating in your school. Using ARTS, we can effectively advocate in our school by creating posters and flyers, reaching out by inviting peers and staff to see shows, teaching yourself and others the importance of theatre, and using social media as a great resource not only for yourself but for your entire troupe! Let’s move on to how you can advocate in your local community. Ask local businesses if you can put up flyers or posters for upcoming events. Attempt to get a newspaper article written about your troupe. This is an excellent way to advocate. Make sure to get in contact with your local representatives to discuss making March theatre in our schools month in your town. How about advocating at a state level? Set up meetings with your state representative to discuss declaring March as Theatre in Our Schools Month. Work with area wide administrators and lawmakers to increase support for the arts. We also recommend that you prepare an elevator speech. This speech is used to set up a future meeting to discuss what you are advocating for. It is typically around 1-3 minutes long, concise, professional and to the point. Since we are living in a time when it’s not always best to be together, how do we make change when separated? We can use email to set up meetings with elected officials to advocate for the arts! Here’s how to write a email: We strongly recommend that when you are typing a structured email, you include the following: Your Name and Affiliation lets them know who you are and what your qualifications are. The next thing you should do is mention some accomplishments. Also when persuading the reader with your email, it’s crucial to provide statistics that will help bolster your cause. The most important thing that should go into the email should be a meeting request. This way, the entire email was worth the person's time and a line of communication for change has been started. You’ve got a meeting, now what? Make sure to consider the who, what, where, when, why and how. Who are you meeting with? Do a little background research on the person you’re meeting with. Information you research can be very helpful to you in the future. Try to find some common ground for an easy conversation.What do you want them to get from this meeting? Find the content and substance for this meeting. Where is your meeting? This one is simple. Agree on a meeting place. When will your meeting be? Make it a priority to be punctual. Why are you doing this? Find why this is important to you and apply it to the meeting. How will you do? If you come to the meeting on time with a good first impression and speak clearly with helpful statistics, it will go a long way to achieving your goal. Speaking of goals, below are goals of Texas Thespians advocacy team.
As an arts advocate, it is important to know what your goals are, so maybe take some time to write them out so you can know what you want to work towards. Hope you enjoyed this advocacy recap. If any you want to see the live presentation of this workshop, stop by the STO Corner during the 2:00pm Workshop Session at the 11/21 Super Saturday. We can't wait to see you all there! You’re never done advocating, Your 2020 State Thespian Officers By: STO Brenna Kenney, Rouse High School, Troupe 7679
“Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for”... our second set of Mainstage Shows!! Remember that Mainstage Shows are during dinner from 5:30-7:00pm in the Mainstage area of festival! For this Super Saturday, November 7, there are spectacular performances for you to see! “Aida” - Spring High School, Troupe 2532 Follow the tale of Aida, an enslaved Nubian princess, as she balances forbidden love and the responsibilities expected of her. In this modern rendition of the opera by Giuseppe Verdi, you will find this timeless story of love told through new modern music. “Celtic Tales” - Paola High School, Troupe 66 In these stories within a story set in Thomas Connolly’s pub around the turn of the century, we are taken through a story telling contest in the pub. Join Kansas thespians as they perform a taste of Irish folklore with a local twist! Wow, another marvelous set of Mainstage Shows! And you guessed it, there’s still more magnificent ones to come! Check our blog soon to learn about the next set of remarkable shows put on by Thespians across Texas and Kansas! Looking forward to seeing you all at festival, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Alyssa Suarez, Brennan High School, Troupe 7693
This year, Texas Thespians will be having a scavenger hunt on our virtual platform and what else would we be hunting for besides… DUCKS! That’s right, you’ll be on the hunt for ducks all throughout our Super Saturdays at Thespian Festival. You can collect points from these Thespian ducks as they are hidden throughout the environment, you’ll want to be sure to explore every part of the conference so as to not miss any ducks! Along with the hidden ducks, you can also earn points for attending workshops during the festival, watching main stage performances, chatting with booth reps and through so many other activities at our virtual festival! We are so excited to see you all climb the leaderboard and we wish you all luck because there are awesome prizes involved! VTTSF will be awarding prizes provided by our amazing vendors and Texas Thespians to the top placements. The top 7 attendees with the highest points will receive grand prizes! That’s right, not just three winners, not just 5 winners but SEVEN grand prizes! Just remember, these prizes are both applicable to students AND directors! The remaining prizes will be randomly drawn throughout the day on December 5th to those with the highest points. We hope you guys have so much fun with the activities in store for our first virtual festival, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Brenna Kenney, Rouse High School, Troupe 7679
Get out your popcorn and circus snacks because it is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the Main Stage shows! During dinner (5:30-7:00 pm), head on over to the Main Stage area and get ready for some marvelous Dinner Theatre performances! For this first Super Saturday, October 24, we have two magnificent productions lined up for you! “Mary Poppins” - Prestonwood Christian Academy, Troupe 6605 Join the Banks children on the adventure of a lifetime when their mysterious new nanny, Mary Poppins, shows up at the door. In the magical and whimsical tale of “Mary Poppins,” you will surely leave with a new profound sense of child-like joy! “Metamorphoses” - Katy High School, Troupe 5168 Take a mesmerizing journey through the tales of gods and goddesses like you’ve never seen before! In this tale, ancient mythology takes a new modern turn leaving you in awe throughout the breathtaking performance. Don’t these shows sound phenomenal? Great news - we still have more to come! Check our blog soon to learn about the next set of remarkable shows put on by Thespians across Texas and Kansas! We are so excited to see you all at Festival, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Avery Martin, Denison High School, Troupe 6319
Hey Thespians! Now that festival season is here, it’s time to think of some fun things that you and your troupe can do to further participate in The Greatest Festival on Earth! Decorating is a super fun way to prepare for this year’s circus themed festival. Your troupe can decorate your auditorium or classrooms with balloons, circus cut-outs, or maybe even blow-up circus animals! The circus is always over-the-top, so don’t be afraid to go crazy. You don’t have to spend tons of money to do this either; your troupe may have items in storage already! Go through your crafts closet and find ribbons to decorate with to add a little spice in your department. You can always use your sound and lightboard to create a circus atmosphere by playing circus music and displaying colored lights. Maybe have students do a circus photo challenge with props and costumes. Preparing fun and easy circus games to play between workshops or during breaks is also an exciting event your troupe can do. Games like ring toss, ball in a basket, and more are all affordable DIYs for your department to make. Not only is it an amazing way to have some fun competition within your troupe, but it also gives everyone something to do while waiting for their next workshop to begin. Setting up a small photobooth area somewhere in your auditorium or classroom is a super cute way to involve your troupe in this year’s theme. Find pieces in your costume closet to create circus outfits, take pictures, and tag the Texas Thespian Instagram to show your troupe involvement! If your troupe has a banquet or scrapbook showcasing year-long department events, this is a fantastic way to get more content for those as well! The list does not end here. There are so many events and activities that your troupe can set up for festival; don’t be afraid to get creative and maybe even a little wacky this year to be more involved. The possibilities to be a part of The Greatest Festival On Earth are endless! With much love, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Tyler Viator, Clear Falls High School, Troupe 7648
Hey Texas Thespians! I bet you're wondering what to do with all of those ribbons you received? Well here are a few ideas for you to take into consideration!
Of course, you creative types will come up with many more ways to display your ribbons! What is most important is to have fun and enjoy festival! See you November 7th, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Annie Bailey, Belton High School, Troupe 3491
So you’ve been mailed a duck. Now what? Many people have been wondering what the fate of their ducks would be, as they are an integral part of our Festival. Fear not; you’ll be receiving a trusty companion with your registration materials. Now, most years, our ducks are in search of their fellow feathered soulmate, but this year they have a unique opportunity to step out of the Gaylord and really see the sights. Of course, Dear Reader, because you're the one with working thumbs, it will be your job to document this new experience. “Oh,” but you ask, “where do they begin? What all can a little duck do in the great state of Texas (or the equally lovely Kansas and Oklahoma)?" Excellent question. To help you begin your journalism journey we have provided you with 4 prompts/challenges to make sure your duck gets a fun, fulfilling trip! 1st Saturday: The IntroDUCKtion: Give your duck a backstory! Really get to know them; you’ll be spending quite a while together. After that, create something to introduce them to everyone and get creative! Perhaps a Tiktok, a Beauty Pageant style runway video, or make a stop motion; it's up to you! Just get ready to show off your creativity and duck-based versatility. Be sure to tag your post. #TTSFDuckdiaries 2nd Saturday: Mallard Heads Town-ward: Now that your duck is fully settled, it's time for them to do some of that steppin’ out we discussed. Take your mallard and head town-ward! Document your duck in all the local haunts, be it the local coffee shop or the best spot on the beach. Whatever is local to you is what the duck needs to see. As you document your journey, collect photos and videos of your travels and post them with #TTSFDuckdiaries to be potentially featured at the end of Festival, and so every Thespian can see where our ducks have gone. 3rd Saturday: Taking a Quack at Theatre: Now, we all know why we’re here at this festival: it’s for a love of theatre. Why not give our duck pals the opportunity to take a quack at it themselves? For this challenge, you are to recreate a scene from one of your favorite plays, or musicals, with an entire duck cast. Of course, you don’t have to act out every scene (unless you feel the need to); rather you can simply pose them and photograph their excellent work. Now, don’t let it be misunderstood- these are meant to be the finest entirely rubber duck produced shows in the states, nay, the world! Don’t be afraid to pull out the scale unit set, tiny clothes, and dollhouse miniatures to really bring your scene to life! And of course, be sure to use the #TTSFDuckdiaries to make sure everyone can witness your artistry. 4th Saturday: All Hands on Duck: Ah, the final Saturday! It seems far away now, but we promise you the weekends will fly by, especially when they’re occupied with ducks and their adventurous whims. So for this last Super Saturday, we ask you to document your troupe and you participating in all of Festival, either together or apart. Ducks during IE filming, ducks learning Viewpoints, ducks reviewing their Design Competition materials, ducks auditioning for college. If your troupe or you have done the work, show it off! Get all hands on duck, and don’t forget the #TTSFDuckdiaries. Well Thespians, we hope we have given you a few ideas for you and your ducks during this Festival season. We’re excited to see all of the awesome and fun ways you think of to interact with your ducks. We can’t wait to see you all at the Greatest Festival on Earth! See you soon, Your 2020 Texas State Thespian Officers |
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