Check out website for the most up to date information and follow us on our socials! Schedule a meeting with Addie and take our 2023-24 survey (similar to last year's if you completed it with updates for this year). Thank you to all who joined us for #vtff2024. Join us Jan 9-11th for #vtf2025! WINNER OF VTF Starbucks gift card for completing the survey is...Alex Perry from Lake Braddock Secondary!

We would also love to share out about your programs on our social media pages. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @vathespians so we can follow you back/keep track of your happenings. You may see your school or show featured soon. Use #vathespians for us to easily find your post!

Teacher tool of the month: Theatrefolk FREE resources for Drama Teachers

Did you know Theatrefolk has FREE resources? They have paid for but also FREEbies in the following, but not limited to, topics: Monologues for Girls, Monologues for Guys, Monologue Performance Tips, Two Person Scenes, Group Scenes, Teaching Theatre, Acting, Playwriting, Directing, Shakespeare, Technical Theatre, Classroom Resources, Costumes & more!

Join us next summer for the most amazing shared teacher experience! Forget traditional PDs, this is a lesson sharathon, teachers sharing best strategies with teachers, bonding, lesson planning, and more! Add more to your teacher toolbox and join us in August! We are looking for presenters. Here is a sample of our model lesson plan. Email Addie or colleges@vathespian.org with your interest in teaching a session or two! More information coming soon!

Consider Booktix or Ludus for your ticketing programs. Work through our referrals so we get a kickback to further more student opportunities in VA at the festival and beyond!

Interested in updating/revising the VHSL scoring process? If you would like to see this happen please fill out this form (less than five min) and PLEASE send it out to everyone in your district and get them to fill it out. VHSL is looking to get feedback, clarify the rubric/scoring, and more. Help us spread the word and be a part of the change!

Mary Faber is a graduate of the Governor's School of the Arts in Norfolk, VA. Class of 97' came back recently to speak about her work/ experiences to the current students. Some of her work includes Avenue Q, How to Succeed in Business, Parks & Rec, American Idiot, Hair, Chess, and more! Here is her IMDB, website, and follow her journey here @marybfaber!

Know an alumni doing incredible things? Email executivedirector@vathespian.org so we can brag about them and their accomplishments!

Grab one of the last spots! Traveling Players Summer Theatre Conservatories

Each cast is limited to 13 actors and 2 technicians, ensuring that every student receives

exceptional and highly individualized training. The result? Real growth, a tight and

supportive ensemble, and a 70% retention rate.

Students in grades 4-12 can audition for 2, 3, and 6-week programs that specialize in

Improv, Tech Theatre, Greek Myths, or classical playwrights like Shakespeare and

Moliere.

The National Endowment for the Arts calls Traveling Players “1 of 25 summer schools

for the arts.”

Parents say Traveling Players is, "perfect for teens who want to nurture their creativity,

build confidence, and make lifelong friends.”

Limited space remains – register for an in-person or virtual audition today.

Traveling Players planned the Commedia dell'arte workshops at VTF this year. See a highlight picture below as a reminder!

SPRING & SUMMER THESPIAN EVENTS:

-May VTO Social May 19th at 2 pm at IHOP in Glen Allen, VA

-June: Board Retreat, location Harrisonburg, VA, June 14-16th, 2024

-July: EdTA Events (see under summer opportunities below).

-Aug: 4-6th Teacher Educator Intensive & Sat. 10th VTO Training, location TBD

Sept: Registration opens, TBD

HAPPY SPRING SHOW SEASON!

Teachers:

-TEI: Thespian Educator Intensive (Richmond, VA)

- EdTA Advocacy Day/ Leadership Summit July (Tysons, VA/DC)

-Broadway Teachers Workshop Multiple Sessions July (NYC)

-Last Frontier Theatre Conference June 8th week (AK)

Students:

-Creative Stages (College Prep & Teen Show/Intensive) (Loudoun, VA) July 15th-18th or July 20th-27th

-MSA Intensive (Alexandria, VA)

-Westfield Summer Stages (Fairfax, VA) May auditions, June-July rehearsal/ performances

-IAMT Intensive (2-4 weeks, NYC) July 1st- 26th

-Open Jar Institute Intensive (1 week, NYC, includes everything) June, July, or August options (including one for tech theatre as well as college students too)

-Governor's School (by audition only) (Radford, VA)

-Thespian All-state show A Chorus Line rehearsals: weekend of May 10, June 17-19, July-Nov pick up, Dec 13-15 tech/preview shows, Jan pick up rehearsals

Check our social media accounts for EdTA, our parent organization or for VA Thespians for recent reminders and updates. Get more resources, learn more about International Thespian Society, and more! The remaining information below is a friendly reminder from previous newsletters. Follow us on Instagram: @vathespians

Email: executivedirector@vathespian.org
Website: https://www.vathespian.org/mission.html
Location: Winchester, VA, USA
Phone: 703-554-3416
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaThespians
Twitter: @thespians1

Upcoming EdTA Events:

June- ITF, June 23-28, 2024, Indiana University

July- Summit, July 18-20th, 2024 Tysons Corner, VA (Hilton hotel same as our festival venue)

September- TEC, September 26-29, 2024, The Depot l Minneapolis, MN

*Email/ director checklist coming out soon for those who have qualifying students with Thespys, etc. fofr ITF, register for Thespys by May to take full advantage. Registration opens today!

Use the most up-to-date logos , colors, fonts, etc. for a refresh and to get your branding up to speed with our new logos. Break a leg on fall auditions, productions, one act competitions, ITS inductions, first quarters, and more. Let us know how we can help support you this year!

Did you hear we have a Virginia Thespians Alumni Facebook group? Consider passing this along to your graduating seniors. So far, it is an inspiring network of over 300 professionals, who can be valuable resources for your students beyond high school. These are previous Thespians who remember what it is like to be in their shoes and many of which are happy to serve as mentors. We are creating an alumni board to also fundraise resources for students going to festival, bring in more alumni guest artists, and more! If you are an alumni, consider joining it yourself! We have many more plans in store for the alumni to partner with us to support the current as well as future generations of Virginia Thespians! Join us today!

Here is an easy step-by-step checklist for spring inductions. Use these materials as you see fit!

1. Hold an interest meeting. Ask- Who is interested in becoming inducted into ITS?

2. Share out the point application (your own copy) for students to complete with their past and current theatrical experiences for certain point values.

3. Have students fill out the Member Google form, (your own copy) for the exact information you need to collect to put them into the official ITS/ EdTA system, and pay $35 for the one-time membership fee, which lasts them a lifetime. (More materials at the bottom of the newsletter to promote and explain ITS.)

4. Hold inductions. Here is a sample outline to use. You can create your own rituals, traditions, or if you are in a pinch, it can be less than 30 minutes before school starts or before a rehearsal for example.

5. Log into your myedta account to input all of your new inductees.

6. Pay the lump sum as the director, if your students didn't pay EdTA directly. Our suggestion is to collect the money as you typically do for school events, work with your bookkeeper or boosters to cut one check to EdTA to keep it simple.

7. Hold an end of year or semester celebration to hand out the new goodies when they are delivered to the school! Here is the Thespian store for graduation regalia. If you are trying to save money, cords can be found on Amazon too.

Don't have a troupe yet? Read more about the benefits and process here! You do not need a minimum number of students now to activate/ reactivate your troupe. Get started today! Other resources on inductions from EdTA.

*Hold fall inductions so your students get inducted so they get the discounts for all events and so they can qualify to move onto nationals with their Thespys.

Here is a Google Slides PPT about Thespians to encourage students to join.

Here is a Festival Guide for students or new troupe directors.