Thespian Festival Fun

by: Alyssa Poci

Willow Canyon High School Theatre Troupe 6901 attends the annu­al Thespian Conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on Friday and Saturday November 19-20.

The Thespian Conference is "a two day thespian festival at which you can unite and compete in individual events (I.E), go to workshops, attend main stage performances, and have a dance at the end, " said senior Christian Hall.

Anyone from grades ninth through twelfth is eligible to go, and the total cost for the trip is $100, which includes food, a t-shirt and the trip all together.

Every year there is a theme for the Thespian Conference; last year the theme was “Don’t Mean a Thing If You Ain’t Got That Swing”, and this year’s theme is “Welcome Home”, celebrating 30 years of Thespian Conference.

Senior Christian Hall and Sophomore Levi Eckland

practice their sword fighting in theatre class

The Thespian Conference consists of main stage productions, IEs, competitions, and workshops from improvisation to stage combat. Thespian Conference has over 118 workshop sessions, including: musical the­ater, voice lessons, juggling, sword fighting, improvising, dance lessons, the basics of magic tricks, practice for auditions, direct­ing tips.

At the woorkshops, thespians can learn more about specific traits and expand their skills, which can help with being an actor, a director or a techie.

The Tech Olympics will also be part of the workshops. Tech Olympics are where teams of about five or six people compete for the fastest times in events. A few events are knot tying, quick changes, plugging in sound systems and light adjustments.

The conference also comes with many opportunities: talent agencies come to conferences, looking for talented students that are looking for a movie opportunity. Colleges also come to observe, with over 60 auditions and a scholarship of $3,300 given away. Teen Magazine comes as well to take pictures for a story in their magazine.

Sophomore Peyton Sikorski is excited to go. "Just getting together with your troupe and meeting new people is the best. And all the workshops; it's great." Willow Canyon’s theater troupe will be competing in several events. Hall also said, “I am excited for in­dividual events and performing our group musical on the main stage.”