Fourteen students to compete in Thespian Festival

By Brighton McConnell

Brevard High’s Thespian Troupe certainly has a busy, but fun, weekend ahead of them.

Fourteen of Brevard High School’s talented theater students will compete in the North Carolina Thespian Festival, at the North Carolina School of Arts in Winston-Salem on March 15 and 16. It is a gathering of Thespian troupes from schools all over the state, where students compete in many categories involving the theater arts.

Thespians is a group of actors and actresses (called troupes) that work together to do productions, then go compete at events or festivals, such as the upcoming one. The festival has a busy schedule, with troupes arriving on Friday to perform their one act plays. They spend the night in town, and then all perform their I.E.’s (individual events) and attend workshops.

I.E.’s have various categories to submit, such as monologues, duets, scenic design, playwriting, film productions, costume designs, and even miming. Theater instructor Mary Beth Shumate said that there are around 28 individual events being submitted by the BHS Troupe members this year.

Shumate will be taking these students in the troupe to the event. “Thespian Festival is the most interactive event that I take my students to. They learn a lot while they’re there, and it’s fun,” she said. “It’s a tough competition, not really a warm and fuzzy event. It’s very constructive and incredibly exciting to see and be with students from all over the state.”

Senior Rebekah Morgan is the president of the school’s troupe, and has been in theater for four years. Though this is her first time going, Morgan expressed excitement in attending the festival. “I am a bit nervous for the actual competition, because I personally prefer using theater as entertainment and less for competition,” she said.  “But it’ll be good to get out and see what talent and ideas are around us.” Morgan said that she is looking forward to the workshop portion of the festival, where students can attends many various workshops taught by professionals in the theatrical arts. The different classes offered range from how to make gory stage makeup to how to work with special effects.

Juniors Maelin Harris and Tyler LaRowe also said that they are looking forward to the festival. “I think it’s going to be a really fun weekend! We have a really fun group going so I think we’re going to have a blast,” said Harris. LaRowe also encouraged others to become involved in theater, even if not for BHS. “It gets you closer to people in the community and meet some pretty awesome people of all ages who you share a common interest with,” he commented. “It’s a lot of fun!”

Other members of Brevard’s Thespians troupe attending the festival are Seniors Dani Little, Emma Schaefer, Stephanie Brown, Samantha Brant, Anna Curtis, Justin Smith, and Juniors Garrett Rhodes, Tucker Baney, Benjamin Lance, Andrew Winslow, and John Miller.

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