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Community Spotlight: Amy Sando

By Ginny Butsch posted 4 hours ago
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One of the main goals for our Theatre Education Community is to help theatre students and professionals from all over connect and identify with each other in order to build resources and support the theatre education field. We shine a spotlight on a different member every other week by conducting a simple interview.   Our next spotlight is Amy Sando, drama teacher and troupe director at Douglas High School in Minden, Nevada, home to Thespian Troupe 990. Amy regularly attends the International Thespian Festival, is a bronze level contributor and always has expert advice and poses thoughtful questions to the members of Community.   Why do you ...
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Advocacy Update: April 24, 2018

By Shea Haney posted 9 hours ago
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Welcome to the EdTA Advocacy Update April 24, 2018   The Advocacy Update is where you can find current national and state news concerning arts advocacy and arts education.   NATIONAL NEWS Arts and Culture Grow for Fourth Straight Year The Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account (ACPSA) released today by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) show that arts and cultural economic activity nationwide increased an inflation-adjusted 4.9 percent in 2015. ( Bureau of Economic Analysis )   STATE NEWS Got state theatre and other arts education news you want to share? Send it to Shea: shaney@schooltheatre.org ...
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Writing a Stand-Out Educational Theatre Resume

By Jessica Harms posted 4 days ago
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In the world of theatre education, your resume is like the first round of an audition. With more applicants than positions available, this is your professional introduction and is crucially important. After serving on few hiring committees, here are some tips to keep in mind: 1. PRIORITIZE because  page one matters . Many of us have more than one page on our resume, but most job application tracking  softwares show only the first page of a resume “at a glance” to those on the hiring committee looking to peruse applicants. The top one-third of your resume is what will be scanned to determine if the hiring committee will read the rest, and that happens ...
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Community Spotlight: Christina Iman

By Ginny Butsch posted 14 days ago
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One of the main goals for our Theatre Education Community is to help theatre students and professionals from all over connect and identify with each other in order to build resources and support the theatre education field. We shine a spotlight on a different member every other week by conducting a simple interview. Our next spotlight is Christina Iman, a theatre teacher and troupe director at Ripley High School in Ripley, West Virginia, home to Thespian Troupe 1791. Christina attended Ripley as a student and is a Thespian Alum, so she has the unique perspective of watching the theatre department evolve over the years. She is a Bronze level contributor ...
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Advocacy Update: April 10, 2018

By Shea Haney posted 14 days ago
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EdTA Advocacy Update April 10, 2018   The Advocacy Update is where you can find current national and state news concerning arts advocacy and arts education.   EdTA NEWS International Thespian Festival is Moving to a New Location in 2020 The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and International Thespian Society (ITS) have experienced a strong growth trend in event participation over the past several years. More Thespians than ever are attending EdTA Thespian festivals--both in their home states and the International Thespian Festival (ITF). 2018 EdTA National Conference Registration Open Registration is now open for the 2018 ...
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Using Content Warnings in Educational Theatre

By Jessica Harms posted 16 days ago
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Theatre should be accessible for everyone, and content warnings are an essential part of accessibility as our goal is to engage, not isolate. As theatre-makers, we see the value of challenging art, but we also need to take on the responsibility of making it thoughtfully: with an eye towards accessibility and effective audience experience. Movies and television have had content warnings since 1968, and even today’s amusement park rides and funhouses have warnings. Content warnings give you a general range of content to expect and then can list specific warnings for things that are possibly more upsetting or require further thought.   As theatre-makers, ...
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International Thespian Festival Is Moving to a New Location in 2020

By EdTA News posted 20 days ago
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The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) and International Thespian Society (ITS) have experienced a strong growth trend in event participation over the past several years. More Thespians than ever are attending EdTA Thespian festivals--both in their home states and the International Thespian Festival (ITF). In order to accommodate this growth and provide more opportunities for more students, EdTA has determined that ITF needs a venue with more robust theatre capacity, and will move ITF to Indiana University in Bloomington (IU) in 2020. In 2019, ITF will remain at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Nancy Brown, EdTA’s Director of Educational Programs, ...
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Protect Yourself with a Paperwork Trail: Enforcing Your Policies

By Jessica Harms posted 24 days ago
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Being able to successfully interact with parents and students when enforcing policies is essential. Establishing and expanding a repertoire of tools to set-up and manage expectations is a critical need to support yourself in these difficult situations. Here are some valuable ways you can create a paper trail of strong communication to  navigate the enforcement of policies and procedures: Informing students of policies on their audition and crew sign-ups:  Before the show even begins, think about your most important policies and procedures that would affect a student’s ability to participate in the show. For us, the attendance policy for rehearsals and ...
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Advocacy Update: March 27, 2018

By Shea Haney posted 28 days ago
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EdTA Advocacy Update March 27, 2018   The Advocacy Update is where you can find current national and state news concerning arts advocacy and arts education.   EdTA NEWS 2018 EdTA National Conference Registration Open Registration is now open for the 2018 EdTA National Conference taking place September 13-16 at the Grand Hyatt in Denver. The annual conference provides educators with the opportunity to meet and network with their peers during an event featuring a wide range of professional development and keynote speakers. Marjory Stoneman Douglas Thespians Get National Award from International Thespian Society Thespian ...
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2018 EdTA National Conference Registration Open

By EdTA News posted 03-23-2018
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Registration is now open for the 2018 EdTA National Conference taking place September 13-16 at the Grand Hyatt in Denver. The annual conference provides educators with the opportunity to meet and network with their peers during an event featuring a wide range of professional development and keynote speakers. This year the conference will explore the profession of the theatre educator, both as teacher and artist.  We Are All Artists  will examine the intersection of classroom teaching and theatrical artistry, in workshops and keynotes that focus on how teachers and teaching artists can collaborate and complement one another's strengths ...
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2018 EdTA National Conference Registration Open

By EdTA News posted 03-22-2018
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Registration is now open for the 2018 EdTA National Conference taking place September 13-16 at the Grand Hyatt in Denver. The annual conference provides educators with the opportunity to meet and network with their peers during an event featuring a wide range of professional development and keynote speakers. This year the conference will explore the profession of the theatre educator, both as teacher and artist.  We Are All Artists  will examine the intersection of classroom teaching and theatrical artistry, in workshops and keynotes that focus on how teachers and teaching artists can collaborate and complement one another's strengths to enrich ...
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Marjory Stoneman Douglas Thespians Get National Award from International Thespian Society

By EdTA News posted 03-21-2018
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Thespian Troupe 4879 of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. was honored recently at the closing ceremonies of the Florida Thespian Festival in Tampa, with the Spirit of Thespis Award from the International Thespian Society. Melody Herzfeld, the theatre teacher and troupe director, accepted the award. Troupe 4879 has 81 members, 40 of whom participated in the Florida event.The International Thespian Society Spirit of Thespis Award is a discretionary honor that may recognize up to three schools per year that, when faced with a serious challenge, demonstrate grace under pressure. In presenting the award, EdTA Deputy Director Doug Berlon ...
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Community Spotlight: Jason Robert LeClair

By Ginny Butsch posted 03-20-2018
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Jason with cast and crew during Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers, their 2016 chapter select performance. One of the main goals for our Theatre Education Community is to help theatre students and professionals from all over connect and identify with each other in order to build resources and support the theatre education field. We shine a spotlight on a different member every other week by conducting a simple interview. Our next spotlight is Jason Robert LeClair, the drama teacher and troupe director at Beacon Charter High School for the Arts in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, home to Thespian Troupe 7444. Jason is highly involved in EdTA/ITS at the state ...
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Finalists Announced for 2018 Next Generation Works

By EdTA News posted 03-20-2018
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Next Generation Works is a suite of programs designed to promote original writing by and for high school student members of the International Thespian Society (ITS) . The programs include Thespian Musicalworks , Thespian Playworks , Thespian Filmworks , and Thespian Criticworks . Finalists are invited to attend the International Thespian Festival (ITF), where the student writers work with professional directors, dramaturgs, musical directors, and volunteer actors to present their short works before a live audience. We are pleased to announce the following finalists. Thespian Musicalworks finalist: Mitchell Huntley ...
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Update: Eleven Schools Invited to Perform on Main Stage at International Thespian Festival

By EdTA News posted 03-19-2018
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Three additional schools* have been invited to perform on the main stage at the International Thespian Festival (ITF), the nation’s leading high school theatre festival, which is produced by the Educational Theatre Association. They join eight announced earlier this year. (Complete list below.) ITF celebrates student achievement in the performing arts. The 55th event, which this year takes place June 25-30 at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, brings together more than 4,000 high school drama students and their teachers for a weeklong immersion in workshops;  interaction with colleges, industry leaders, and Broadway professionals; and opportunities to ...
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Welcome to the EdTA Advocacy Update: March 14, 2018

By Shea Haney posted 03-14-2018
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Welcome to the EdTA Advocacy Update March 14, 2018   The Advocacy Update is where you can find current national and state news concerning arts advocacy and arts education.   EdTA NEWS Rise Star Josh Radnor Kicks Off 2018 Theatre in Our Schools Month Theatre in Our Schools Month, the grassroots campaign that raises awareness of the positive impact theatre programs have on schools and the communities they serve, returns in March. ( Playbill ) Thespian Democracyworks Winner and Runners Up Chosen This year’s winner of the Thespian Democracyworks essay contest is Carol Loja, a senior at Flushing High School in New York, ...
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Looking for Greased Lightning Car

By Mark Saltalamachia posted 03-13-2018
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Looking for a Greased Lightning car to rent/purchase/borrow within a couple hundred miles of middle Tennessee. I can pick it up. Let me know at your earliest possible convenience. My number is (615) 364-7258 and my email is marks3@wcs.edu
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2018 Send a Troupe to ITF Recipients Announced

By EdTA News posted 03-09-2018
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Thespian Troupes in Iowa and Arizona will get to attend the International Thespian Festival (ITF) thanks to the Educational Theatre Association’s  Send a Troupe to Festival grant , which will cover the troupes’ travel and registration expenses. The recipients are John R. Mott High School Thespian Troupe 417 in Postville, Iowa and Westwood High School Thespian Troupe 7803 in Mesa, Arizona. This year, an additional troupe will have the opportunity to participate thanks to the generosity of Steve Houghton, the former Assistant Director for EdTA, and his wife Dawn, who now reside in Kewadin, Michigan. They made a generous donation to benefit a troupe in Michigan. ...
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Utah Thespians Move Mountains!

By Caroline Caden posted 03-07-2018
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This past Saturday, I attended Utah ThesFest! David LaFleche and I drove into Provo in awe of the beautiful mountains! We knew it would be an awesome weekend with a start like that. As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by Utah's Chapter Director Andy Hunsaker with a kind hug and then got to work! His students were setting up things and I began to write the opening ceremonies script. I double tasked and finished the very first @utahthespians Instagram post on Canva. I chatted with Melissa Peterson and Jacob Harrison on the phone the night before, and we wanted to do a scavenger hunt to amp up the new Instagram. Not long after I began to work on the script, Melissa ...
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Missin' Mississippi

By Caroline Caden posted 03-07-2018
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I am missin' Mississippi! On the night of February 22nd, I flew into Memphis, TN and drove over to Tupelo, MS with the kindest educator, Phill Milner, and his wife! We jammed to Disney tunes on the way there. Upon arrival at Tupelo High School, I saw all the STO working hard to stuff name badges and fill bags with MS Thespian items. The room was filled with laughter and smiles as I got to know everyone. I created signs for registration and listened to the STO rehearse their lovely opening number! After a night of setting up, it was time to hit the sack for the big day ahead! On Friday the 23rd, attendees began to roll in, excited for the two days of fun that ...
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