The local chapter of The International Thespian Society, Thespian Troupe 322, participated in the Missouri Thespians State Conference, held Jan. 4-6 in Kansas City. Throughout the conference, judges evaluated students in individual and group performances and set crew members on their work in designing and constructing. The conference then invites three troupes from across the state to run their latest show, where the rest of the participants get to watch their performances. 

Elected by their peers, State Thespian Officers (STOs) are responsible for planning the conference, including selecting themes and organizing workshops. In the past year, they coordinated over 20 unique sessions, contributing to the event’s popularity among theater students.

Members of the tech crew get to demonstrate their skills in managing the stage by participating in challenges where they practice organizing all assets on set, from lights to cable coils, as well as building settings for the plays. They can qualify as a team for an all-state tech crew if they are the most successful at efficiently managing their time while working. 

Triumph took center stage for Troupe 322 as seniors Elle Winings, Sabrina Whitmer and Casey Piston clinched top honors. On top of that, Junior Lucia Puerto secured a coveted spot on the set construction crew for the all-state Thespian show, ‘Sweet Charity,’ setting the stage for next year’s conference.

Seniors at the conference could audition in front of judges representing various Missouri colleges, a moment that could lead to admissions. With eleven scholarships—four in performances, three in technical education for set crew, three for theater education and one to study theater for life—on the line, these auditions offered more than just a spot in a college program. While primarily for seniors, juniors could also participate for feedback. Junior Derek Crisp received a callback from college scouts as one of five junior audition finalists in Missouri. 

“I thought it was a good opportunity to audition in front of college scouts. I got a list of schools that called me back,” Crisp said. “They had stations set up in the conference room, gave me feedback for my audition and talked to me about their program. It was valuable to see as someone considering getting into a career where I do musical theater.” 

After experiencing the conference first-hand, Crisp endorsed it as an essential destination for those passionate about acting and theater, citing the unique opportunities only in this creative gathering.

“You have to want to do it since you’ll miss two or three days of school. When I first went there, I wasn’t excited about it,” Crisp said. “But workshops, going to see all these shows, meeting new people and hanging out with my friends a lot is really fun. It’s really valuable to have that experience.”