While Drama Club members, especially the lights and sound crews, help with all kinds of school events, including the “Mr. Royal” competition and the recent Mock Car Crash, there are three main drama productions each year at HSE. They are the Fall Play in November, the Spring Musical in March and the Thespian Show in May.
Of these three productions, the Thespian Show stands out. Any student with interest is encouraged to audition for the cast or crew of the play and musical, but being a part of the Thespian Show is reserved for prestigious Drama Club members who have earned the title of “Thespian,” as recognized by the International Thespian Society (ITS).
Participation in a show earns a Drama Club member “points,” with the number earned depending on their role and responsibilities in the production. According to the ITS, one point is equivalent to roughly ten hours of work. As drama students progress through high school, taking part in shows, their points accumulate. Once ten points are earned, a student can be inducted into the ITS as a Thespian. The number of shows that it will take to earn the required points varies, but can potentially be as few as two or three.
Sometimes, Thespian points can be earned in local productions as well, and the benefits of active participation in the drama community extend beyond the teenage years. Those who have earned 20-110 points are 1-10 star Thespians (each star added after every ten points). Eleven star Thespians have earned 120 points. 130-170 point earners are 12-16 star Thespians and 180 point members (1,800 hours) are International Honor Thespians.
The International Thespian Society branches from the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), a nonprofit working to promote life skills through theatre education. Since 1929, the Thespian Society has inducted 2.2 million+ members and has been incorporated in 4,200+ schools. Among celebrity Thespian alum nationwide there are some recognizable names. Notable actors Tom Hanks, John Goodman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Val Kilmer and Tony Randall are and were members of the society, along with music icons such as Madonna, Kelly Clarkson and Anthony Kiedis.
HSE’s Thespian Troupe #520 has thrived for the past 37 years, or since 1980, under our Troupe Sponsor, Mary Armstrong. New members are inducted at the end of the Spring Musical in order to audition for the Thespian Show the following week.
“I have known about the Thespian Troupe at HSE since my freshman year, when my upperclassmen friends who were Thespians at the time told me about it,” said Luke Blackburn, one of the 31 new members this year. “I was keeping track of my points, and although I wasn’t expecting to become a Thespian when I did, I was very excited! The production of the Thespian Show is a whole different experience than the other shows during the year, especially in the sense of the size of the show as well as how much less time there is to prepare for the show.”
Each Thespian receives a certificate, letterman jacket, pin and a one year subscription to Dramatics magazine, a publication of EdTA for drama students (EdTA also publishes Teaching Theatre for teachers), as well as scholarship opportunities through the association. Thespians can congregate and perform annually at the International Thespian Festival in June, and inducted Thespians at HSE are eligible to audition for the Thespian Show.
Thespian Shows are typically more “PG-13” than the other two shows each year. These shows may contain more language, mature themes, and progressive views. They are typically decorated shows of the theatre that the directors aim to execute as professionally as possible. Everyone in the show – cast and crew – are Thespians, who are held to higher standards than other Drama Club members. Since 2010, Thespian Shows have included Broadway classics like What I Did Last Summer, All My Sons, See How They Run, Marvin’s Room, When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder?, The Glass Menagerie and Noises Off.
This year’s Thespian Show opened on Broadway in 2005 and is a Tony-award winning comedy musical about the ups and downs of adolescence. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee premieres this Thursday, running May 4th, 5th, and 6th at 7:00 in the Little Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $8. Come out and support the school’s Thespians!
