What's in store & more:

1. Early bird one act tickets come out 2nd week of November. Sales for all regular registrations open the following week.
2. Read about headliners below
3. One act tickets will be released soon! Early birds get 1 week and then everyone else registered will get theirs allocated.

**For new schools planning to attend for the first time this year, we are waving late fees during this late registration window. We understand permissions, etc. can be tricky so you have until 12/1 to complete your 3 steps: School interest survey, custom registration forms made once we get your survey, and then pay your invoice within two weeks of finalizing.

1. If you didn't do the Early Bird registration, complete the School Interest Survey.
2. Check your email for your individual registration forms to follow in the coming days.
3. Put in your approval/ transportation requests.
4. Collect all essential student information and registration fees (consider if you need hotel rooms, breakfast is included in registration for each day, lunch/ dinner on your own). Template form you can use will be emailed for your community to complete + a master Google Sheet you as the teacher/ director will complete and email in when completed.
   
5. Email treasurer@vathespian.org when your registration forms/ Google Sheets are complete so we can craft your invoice appropriately.
   
6. Book any necessary hotel rooms by visiting our "Official Hotel" page, use the booking link and code VTF25 for 1-2 rooms OR the bulk rooming template and email it to Connie.Chao@hilton.com.
7. Reserve your transportation EARLY! It can take a while if you haven't done this before. Also, try reaching out to your local/nearby schools to see if they are going and you can share a bus/ carpool. As a reminder, this conference is for both middle and high schools! Invite your neighbors to come and join us!
8. Pay your invoices via check or Quickbooks link(s) via credit card. NOTE: All non-school staff adults need background checks this year. If your chaperones have background checks from other jobs, we need email evidence of their "cleared" status. Otherwise it will be a service we provide for $4.40 a person that is NOT covered by registration fees. This is a requirement from EdTA. Also NOTE: You MUST pay your registration to be considered both for mainstage/ one act slots so we will check you have paid before you are accepted. Please email us if you have concern about this.
9. Apply for a VTF grant if your students have major financial need. These are limited each year and typically given to first year attending schools.

Stay tuned for MORE student experiences to come! One act tickets, mainstage/ ceremony assignments, announcements of performances, and more coming in October/November. Late registration is open until Dec. 2nd but prices go up for returning schools during that time.

Please reach out if we can support you/ your program in any way!

1. Updated forms to hopefully streamline and collect information.

2. Chatbot on the website to help answer questions from the get-go, on each page, but, check it out on the FAQ page if you can't find it or haven't used it before.

3. College Internship Program - bring an alum as a chaperone/ have them apply for an internship to stay involved and get volunteer hours or possibly even college credit over their winter break! Please share this out with any alumni so we can get them more involved and have trustworthy help for VTF!

4. Colleges in attendance are listed earlier. We already have over 45 colleges coming whereas this time last year we just started inviting them. We got a jump start and already have NEW programs that haven't come to VTF before!

5. Early bird specials coming out soon for those who participated in our early bird registration!

Kennedy Caughell is a Broadway performer and Voice over Artist, who was raised on a small Oklahoma ranch and is now based out of New York City. She got her BFA in Music Theatre from Elon University and shortly after graduating performed across the nation and abroad as Heather in American Idiot. Kennedy then traveled the country by broomstick in the National tour of Wicked, covering the role of Elphaba. She performed on Broadway and in the Tony Awards in shows such as Great Comet and Paradise Square, and played Carole King on Broadway in Beautiful: the Carole King Musical and led the National touring production. She has most recently been spotted playing Elsa in Frozen on several regional Disney premieres. Other regional credits include Tick, Tick, Boom! At the Kennedy Center, directed by Neil Patrick Harris, & Sonya in Great Comet at PCLO. She has a passion for developing new work, and helping the next generation achieve their dreams! Shows in development: Superyou! & Far From Canterbury. Film/TV in Law & Order: SVU, Parked For Love, and The Outlier. Twitter/Insta: @KennedyCaughell.

"The Queendom calls her "The Queen of the Castle" for her breakout roll as the original Anne of Cleves in Broadway's SIX the Musical. Brittney Mack is a Grammy Nominee, Drama Desk Winner, and 2x Drama League Nominee for Distinguished Performance. Born on Chicago’s southside Brittney had the incredible opportunity attend The Chicago Academy for the Arts College Prep High School where she majored in Music Theatre. She then furthered her training at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in L.A. then NYC where she graduated. Brittney Mack is a teaching artist and industry coach that believes there is no point in having gifts and talents if you aren’t going to share them with the world. Most importantly she is working to inspire her any and everyone who needs a little reminder that "YOU CAN DO IT!”

Teaching/Talk Back/Special Appearance credits include: How to Slay Workshop, Broadway Evolved, Broadway Sings, Broadway&NYC Tours Inc., Chicago Music and Acting Academy, International Thespian Festival, Artist and Beyond, JTF, Broadway Con 2020/2022, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre Gala,2nd Stage Theatre Gala,Broadway Theater Gala, AMDA and more. Fav credits include: Broadway: SIX (Anne of Cleves) Tour: Memphis (Networks).Kennedy Center: Spells of the Sea. Regional: SIX, Four Women(The Nina Simone Story), Music Man, Cinderella, The Wiz, Beehive, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Avenue Q, All Shook Up, Shrek, Rent, and many more. International: Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. TV: “Empire.” CEO and Founder of HowtoSlay. @BrittMack8 @howtoslayu

Michael Minarik is the sole owner and director of the prestigious musical theater conservatory, The Institute for American Musical Theatre located in NYC. Michael went to Oakton High School in Northern VA, and has had a diverse and eclectic career in the arts spanning over 25 years. He has performed on Broadway in Les Miserables, the original cast of Rock of Ages and Matilda. He has also been leads on 4 national tours including The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Phantom, Urinetown and Little Women. Michael has also performed in numerous regional theaters like Papermill Playhouse, Signature Theater, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Marriott Lincolnshire theater etc. Michael is also a Tony Nominated Broadway Producer, with Rock of Ages. Michael was the lead producer of the off Broadway hit, Fat Camp the musical. In addition to this, Michael has also had the privilege of singing God Bless America for the NY Yankees over 13 times.

Tevin Davis is an actor, singer, musician, music director, and has also have gained large attention as a comedic content creator. As a Virginia Thespian Goochland HS alumni, recently was a cast member on the last season of Survivor on CBS. Tevin is a Richmond-based artist who has said "'This island's mine.' Those are some of the first words spoken by Caliban in The Tempest, a role that actor Tevin Davis recently played before interviewing for (Parade Magazine). (Tevin) is bringing that attitude from page to the Survivor stage, making his first trip out of the United States a memorable one. He's used to making wins out of losses, discovering his passion for acting after the death of his idol Whitney Houston. More recently, Tevin lost his father, then was told shortly after he would be on Survivor. So he aims again to turn devastation into motivation, and with his exuberance and zeal, it's curtains for the competition." - Parade.com. Tevin is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA). Some of Tevin's recent work includes - Previous Music Direction: Pass Over (ASC), Fences (Va Rep). etc. PREVIOUSLY AT American Shakespeare Center (Acting): Fred, Old Joe – A Christmas Carol; Caliban in The Tempest/Une Tempête, U/S Pericles in Pericles, U/S Moses and Kitch – Pass Over; Prince, Peter, u/s Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, etc. OTHER THEATER: VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE: Pinocchio, The Wiz, Fences; RICHMOND TRIANGLE PLAYERS: Sugar in Our Wounds, etc. & TV: The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Songs and Stories (PBS).

Right Before I Go by Stan Zimmerman (The Golden Girls, Roseanne, Gilmore Girls) brings to life the last words written in letters by individuals lost to suicide — including celebrities, veterans, kids that were bullied, LGBTQ, and the clinically depressed — and those who have survived suicide attempts. Since its acclaimed first performance at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2015, the play has traveled across the country, raising awareness and offering hope for suicide prevention.

Complete your audition form by 12/10!

STAN ZIMMERMAN is a man of many mediums (TV, film and theatre). He’s been nominated for two WGA Awards for Best Comedy Writing – The Golden Girls and Roseanne. Stan’s also written and produced on Gilmore Girls, co-created the Lifetime sitcom, Rita Rocks, wrote on both Brady Bunch movies and rewrote the ABC-TV movie of Annie. Stan has a BFA-Drama from NYU/Circle-in-the-Square and has directed LA productions of The Diary of Anne Frank, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, A Tuna Christmas, Gemini, Spike Heels and his original plays -- Meet & Greet, Knife to the Heart, Have a Good One, and Yes Virginia (also Judson Theatre-Pinehurst, NC). Stan directed Off-Broadway’s Hyprov (Daryl Roth Theatre). TRWplays has published and licensed his works: Yes Virginia, Silver Foxes and his suicide awareness play, Right Before I Go., which he performs in across the U.S. Zimmerman & Berg wrote last year’s Lifetime hit Christmas movie, Ladies of the 80’s: A Divas Christmas. Stan’s book, The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore was released by Indigo River Publishing. He appeared as the "Bartender” on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live (Bravo) to promote it. Stan returns to Virginia after appearing in his play Right Before I Go. in October 2023 and directing Yes, Virginia in November 2024, both at The North Street Playhouse in Onancock.

Please only sign up if you can complete the duty. We heavily rely on volunteers to keep the costs of VTF down. If you aren't sure, hold off until you arrive and then see where we need your help the most.

Coming soon! Check your emails for a code to pick your allocated one act tickets for the weekend.

• Thanksgiving week- early bird
• Dec 1st week - Regular registration
• Dec 9th- All remaining tickets released to registered attendees

REGISTRATION: https://vathespians.booktix.com/dept/main/e/TEI25 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. Consider proposing a topic! PRICES GO UP $20 for each ticket type after VTF - the final extended discount!

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!

Virginia Thespians are excited to announce a continued partnership with BookTix Online Ticketing! Many of our schools already use BookTix for their ticketing & fundraising needs. By partnering with BookTix, VA Thespians receive a percentage of all sales which goes directly into creating programs for your students! When you use BookTix, you not only make ticketing simpler for your box office, families & patrons, you are also giving back to VA Thespians. BookTix has committed to helping us grow in many ways, including sponsorship, education opportunities & more! Please use our affiliate link to sign up for a demonstration of their robust system & see for yourself:

CLICK HERE

We're thrilled to continue our partnership with Virginia Thespians, helping your community shine with the best in ticketing, our new volunteer management, collections feature, and more! At Ludus, we're all about streamlining your theatre operations—from easy ticket sales to coordinating your amazing volunteers. Plus, stay tuned for even more exciting updates coming later this year to make your productions run smoother than ever! Learn more at https://hello.ludus.com!

Getting Members Signed Up: Ensure your members sign up using your referral code or partner landing page. This ensures they are automatically assigned to your partner dashboard. We've seen fantastic sign-ups in your area and want to ensure everyone is making the most of their referral codes. Your success is our success! If you would like a webinar, we can schedule one for all contacts or you can inquire yourself.

• Your Referral Code: Ludus.com/VT​
• Your Partner Landing Page: https://www.partners.ludus.com/partners/vt

Product Updates: We continue to add new features and improve existing ones based on your feedback. Recent updates include:

• Volunteer Management: Streamline your volunteer operations with our easy-to-use tool.
• Waitlists: Enable a "Join Waitlist" button on your Events and Classes.
• Direct Forms: Share direct links to forms for collecting information and data.
• Apps: Android and iOS apps are now available!
• Pay Options: Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Apple Wallet are all available. As well as "other" option available for Venmo, etc.
• Collections/Registration updates: Collect payments for member fees, trips, registrations, and more.
• Branding: Fully customizable areas within Ludus to reflect your organization's branding.
• Ticket Transfer: No more having to hold tickets for someone, you can easily transfer it to another phone # or email!

Custom Clickable Playbills & Rosters

Experience the future of event planning with our digital playbills, event programs, and rosters. Say goodbye to cumbersome paper copies and embrace the convenience of an interactive digital solution. A solution that is also FREE to your organization.

1. No App Download Required - The beauty of a Browser App is that your users do not have to download anything. Users can scan a QR Code and immediately be in the right place to view your program content.
2. Easy to Navigate - Simplified screens and large buttons allow users to easily find all the information they need. From maps to cast bios, sports schedules to booster club, sponsor ads & more. It's all there!
3. Powerful Features -

• Interactive Playbills & Rosters
• Custom Layouts
• Player's Bios and Stats
• QR Code Accessible
• Performance Schedules
• Photo Galleries
• ShoutOut Messages for Players

Get a kickback for you and us at Virginia Thespians to expand more student opportunities, get coupons for your community, and make your playbill/program journey easier!

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! Read this "How To" short document for festival registration. The rest of this newsletter repeats from last month. It is here again for convenience and as a reminder. We do have an update on the VA mandates/protocols. Please read below.

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

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. 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 to qualify for ITF.

Here is a Google Slides PPT about Thespians to encourage students to join or convince Admin about the benefits of having an International Thespians Honors Society troupe or coming to VTF.

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