VA Thespian Update
VA Thespians Kudos & Happenings
For those going to ITF, have a great time!
JUNE 2024: Happy Summer!
Check our 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! TEACHERS, join us in August for 2 days of learning, sharing, & more! Happy Summer!
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!
SUPERIOR PINS
I have sent pins to the following schools via mail and all others in person. Sorry for the wait and thank you for your patience as we had many officer turnovers this year!
- Christiansburg hs
- Blacksburg hs
- Goochland hs
- Mount Vernon hs
- Lafayette hs
- Jamestown hs
- James River hs
- Turner Ashby hs
- Woodbridge Senior hs
- Colgan hs
- Battlefield hs
- Narrows hs
- Spotswood hs
- Brookville hs
- Mechanicsville hs
Teacher Tool of the Month: Stage Combat Event this Month
"The Noble Blades are extremely excited to be co-coordinating for this summer on June 8th and 9th at Howard Community College in Columbia MD. The Mid-Atlantic Melee is a two day stage combat workshop, similar to others hosted across the country but the first one in this region. We're collaborating with five other professional stage combat organizations and freelancers in the Greater DC Metro Area to create a workshop that brings industry professionals together to teach stage combat to students of varying skill levels and interests. This also includes a High School Track, which is unique to this regional workshop, and not something that similar workshops across the country do." -Noble Blades
Arts Job Postings - Some may be taken by now
VA Job Postings - Public, Private, College level - oh my!
Eastern
- Norfolk- Governor's School of the Arts - TD of Theatre & Film Dept.
- Norfolk Public Schools theatre positions available
- Williamsburg, College of William & Mary, visiting Asst. Prof. of Theatre
- Norfolk State University, Associate Professor of Drama & Theatre — African American Theatre
- Hampton U., Assistant Professor of Theatre/Costume Design
- Williamsburg, Marcus Theatres, Assistant Mgr.
Northern
- Fairfax Co.- MS & HS Positions available
- Fairfax/ Vienna private Oakcrest school - part time theatre teacher
- Fairfax/ Falls Church- Moonlit Wings Productions
- Fairfax Studio - Message in Motion, Kids Dance, Cheer, & Musical Theatre (part time teachers)
- Sterling - Infinity Arts Center - Music/Theater/Dance/Art Teacher (full or part time)
- Prince William- MS & HS Positions available
- Shenandoah County- Contact Scott Schlentner, Principal at Signal Knob Middle School - skschlentner@shenandoah.k12.va.us - for more information about this position
- Alexandria- Part time lower school drama teacher (Burgundy Farm Country Day School)
- Alexandria - Little People's Creative Workshop, Preschool Dance Teacher (part time)
- Alexandria, St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School, PART-TIME SCENIC DESIGNER: SUPERVISING CARPENTER for the department
- Fairfax/ Vienna- Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts (WOTR), House Manager
- Fairfax/ Falls Church, The State Theatre, Box Office Attendant
- Loudoun County & beyond, Impact Tours & Travel, Travel Designer for Educational, To apply, please send your resume and a cover letter outlining your experience and why you are a great fit for this role to operations@impacttoursandtravel.com
Western
- Lynchburg, Liberty U. Asst. Professor in Theatre
- Farmville, Longwood U., Asst. Prof in Acting & TD in Theatre
- Alleghany - Mountain Gateway Community College, Theatre Arts Instructor
- Fauquier Co.- Liberty HS, Full time drama teacher
- Blacksburg, B&b Theatres Operating Company, Theatre staff (full & part time) or Usher/Runner
- Roanoke, Virginia Children's Theatre, Bookkeeper/ Business Manager
Central
- Harrisonburg - Fine Arts Teacher for 2024-2025 / Content: Music, Art, and Theater
- Charlottesville- University of Virginia, Theatre Technicians or Props Shop Mgr (full or part time)
- Chesterfield, Brightpoint Community College, Communication Studies and Theatre Adjunct
- North of Richmond, Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen- MT Instructor
- Richmond, Virginia Repertory Theatre, Scenic Artist and Props Apprentice or Electrics App or Managing Director or Marketing Manager
- Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Adjunct Instructor, Department of Theatre
- Richmond - ASM Global, Theatrical Electrician
- Henrico County Public Schools- JR Tucker HS looking for another full-time Theatre & Other Endorsement teacher
Know of a job posting or next year or sooner? Email the details to Addie to share in our next newsletter.
TEI 2024: Aug 4-6th, 2024 at the Drury Plaza Hotel
TEI: Thespian Educator Intensive
Looking for ticketing programs? Consider Booktix or Ludus!
Booktix & Ludus Affiliate Programs
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!
ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT: Mark Ruffalo
Mark Ruffalo from VA Beach
First Colonial troupe 3178 alumni was a Virginia Thespian!
"Mark Alan Ruffalo born November 22, 1967[1]) is an American actor. He began acting in the early 1990s and first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergan's play This Is Our Youth (1996) and drama film You Can Count on Me (2000). He went on to star in the romantic comedies 13 Going on 30 (2004), Just like Heaven (2005) and the thrillers In the Cut (2003), Zodiac (2007), and Shutter Island (2010). He received a Tony Award nomination for his supporting role in the Broadway revival of Awake and Sing! in 2006. Ruffalo gained international recognition for playing Bruce Banner / Hulk since 2012 in the superhero franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ruffalo gained nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for playing a sperm-donor in the comedy-drama The Kids Are All Right (2010), Dave Schultz in the biopic Foxcatcher (2014), Michael Rezendes in the drama Spotlight (2015), and a debauched lawyer in the science fantasy Poor Things (2023). He won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor for playing a gay activist in the television drama film The Normal Heart (2015), and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for his dual role as identical twins in the miniseries I Know This Much Is True (2020)...
Ruffalo spent his teen years in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where his father worked. He competed in wrestling in junior high and high school in Wisconsin and Virginia. Ruffalo graduated from First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach in 1986, where he acted for the Patriot Playhouse. He moved with his family to San Diego, California and later to Los Angeles, where he took classes at the Stella Adler Conservatory and co-founded the Orpheus Theatre Company.[2] With the theater company, he wrote, directed, and starred in a number of plays. He also spent close to a decade working as a bartender.[11]"
Picture below of the back of Mark Ruffalo playing Chino in West Side Story in High School.
UPCOMING EVENTS/ CALENDAR
-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. Aug. 10th VTO Training, location TBD
Sept: Registration opens, TBD
HAPPY SPRING SHOW SEASON!
How to Find out More...?
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
Congrats to our new 2024-25 VTOS & Board!
SUMMER-to-FALL OPPORTUNITIES:
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)
-VHSL Theatre, Speech, & Dance Conference Sept. 19-20 (Richmond, VA) (more info coming soon)-TEC -Theatre Education Conference - September 26-29, 2024 (The Depot l Minneapolis, MN), prices go up after 5/1! Register today for best prices!
Students:
-Creative Stages (College Prep & Teen Show/Intensive or LITE Workshop week ) (Loudoun, VA) July 15th-18th or July 20th-27th (partnered with Rock Ridge Performing Arts & Lightridge Theatre)
-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
-VTA Oct 23-27th in Richmond, VA
-VTF Jan 9-11th, 2025 for our 55th season! Stay tuned for more info!
Traveling Players Summer Theatre Conservatories
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!
Enjoy our VTF recap video!
Chapter Leadership Summit July 18-20th 2024, in Washington, D.C.
EDTA EVENTS!
Rebranding your ITS Troupe?
Virginia Thespians Alumni Group
Fall/ Spring ITS Inductions Checklist
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. Want a 2nd troupe director or someone to go in your place to Thespian events? Consider an Associate Troupe Director!
*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. Deadline to be inducted is around 4/15.
VIRGINIA THESPIAN FESTIVAL Jan 9-11th, 2025!
The Main Auditorium
The Vault Blackbox Space
The Hilton Tysons McLean Hotel Lobby
Need information to share about Thespians or VTF 2025?
Here is a Festival Guide for students or new troupe directors.