WELCOME BACK!  We have exciting things in store!  Here are a few things needing your immediate attention:

INSTANT THEATRE is the new name for Oregon Thespians’ Improv Festival, and this year we’re adding TECH to the mix, thanks to the work of our very creative and industrious STO.  The event is October 6 at McNary HS in Keizer.  Registration is online and must be done by September 27.  Click here for more information.

THE ANNUAL OTEA CONFERENCE for teachers is in Newport on October 12 and 13.  Online registration is now open!  Click here for further information.

COLLEGE AUDITIONS will be offered for Thespian Seniors this year, on October 14 at Artists Repertory Theatre.  We are currently up to 20 colleges attending.  We’re excited to make this event a mainstay on our calendar.  Click here for details and application procedures.

Mark your calendars now!  Location specifics will be updated soon.  Make plans to join us for another great year of Thespian events in Oregon!

We are in the process of finalizing event hosts and sites.  Additional important dates such as Judge Training, Board Meetings, and Registration Deadlines will be posted as available.

Note, for future planning, that Improv is generally the first Saturday in October, Regionals are generally the first Saturday in February, and State is generally the first weekend in April.

NOTE: Event locations in italics are in the process of being confirmed.  These initial locations will be set by the start of next school year and their status will be updated here.

2018-2019 Dates

Camp Thespis – August 10-12 (Camp Tamarack)

EdTA Conference (Denver) – September 13-16

Leadership Summit (Ashland) – September 22-23

Instant Theatre! (McNary HS) – October 6

OTEA – October 12-13 (Newport)

Judges Training (Rex Putnam HS and McNary HS) – January 12

Junior Thespian Play Day (ACMA) – January 19

Regionals (S, Central HS: NE, Reynolds HS; NW, Liberty HS)  – February 2

State (Salem) – April 4-6

To navigate the 2018 Oregon Thespians Festival, you need to use GUIDEBOOK.

Download this free resource on your device and always have the most up-to-date information about schedules, workshops, one-acts, times, locations, and special announcements.  CHANGES OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL.

Click here to get Guidebook now!

We will have an updated list posted near REGISTRATION at the Convention Center, but you can have all you need in the palm of your hand by clicking HERE.

If you’d like to download and print your own copy of the initial information (subject to change, so check for updates on the Guidebook or the posted schedule at Festival) you can CLICK HERE.  This will be out of date almost as soon as you download it, but you’ll have a great idea of all the great stuff waiting for you at the 2018 OREGON THESPIANS STATE FESTIVAL:  THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE STATE!

Life is a journey, and at this year’s Oregon Thespians State Festival, we’re going to be celebrating that journey with our ALL STATE SHOW.

In keeping with the Oz-themed fun of this year’s Festival (THESPIANS: THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE STATE) students are encouraged to bring songs, scenes, monologues, original work, movement pieces … you name it … that illuminate your journey.  What moves you down that yellow brick road?  What’s over your rainbow?

Auditions will be in the Marion Room of the Grand Hotel in Salem (connected to the Salem Convention Center) from 2 pm to 5 pm on Thursday, April 5.  Audition slots will be filled on a first-come first-served basis.  Additional auditioning will be done during the dance that evening, from 10:30 to 11:30 pm.

Please bring 2 typed copies of your script to the audition – this includes lyrics, poetry, monologues, scenes, songs … movement pieces should have descriptions.  Recorded music should be easily accessible via bluetooth.

If you have any questions regarding the All State Show, contact Janet VanWess at vanwessj@hsd.k12.or.us.

Those selected will rehearse during workshop sessions.  The All State Show will be performed at the closing of the Festival on Saturday afternoon.

Oregon Thespians offers a range of scholarship opportunities to help current high school seniors fund their continuing theatre education.  These awards include:

• Oregon Thespian Scholarship – Open to all Oregon Thespians
• Melba Day Sparks Memorial Award – Oregon Thespians’ Premiere Scholarship Award
• Alan J Adams Tech Scholarship – Honoring specific interest/achievement in Technical Theatre
• Michael Hibbard Scholarship – Supporting Future Theatre Educators

The link to the ONLINE APPLICATION for these scholarships is now live.  Click here to get started.  You will need to create an AcademicWorks account, but then can also explore additional scholarship opportunities that use this site (including several EdTA scholarships that are awarded at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln).

Troupe Directors are reminded that the Melba Day Sparks Fund awards grants to help defray the cost of attending the EdTA National Conference (this year, September 13-16 in Denver).  Go to this site to learn more about applying for this and other Troupe Director awards and honors.

There are so many Thespian opportunities coming up!  Online registration is now open for the following:

• The 2018 Oregon Thespians State Festival – April 5-7 – Register by March 1
• 2018 Junior Thespian Day at State – April 6 – Register by March 1
• Showcase Auditions must be confirmed by March 1 for a slot on April 5.
• Honor Troupe applications are now being accepted.
• Student Scholarship applications are still being worked out.  Students will have at least two weeks to create their submissions.  Stay tuned for deadline information!
• Troupe Director awards and nominations are open.
• STO Applications are due the second Thursday in March.
• Parade of Troupes Slides are due April 1.
• Theatre Etiquette Videos are due April 1.

Please take the time to review the information found on this website (click the links above) and submit an accurate and timely registration!

Next weekend — on February 3rd — the best of Oregon’s high school theatre-makers will bring their talents to stages and classrooms in three different locations for our 2018 REGIONALS.

The goal of this day is to celebrate the great work being done throughout the state, recognize student achievement in a wide range of theatre events and styles, and provide feedback from a number of qualified judges.  You will get a varied response from three or four judges!  This is the most valuable part of the day!

Regionals is also the first step in the Showcase Audition process.  The State Showcase is a part of our annual State Festival, and features representatives from the terrific work being done across Oregon.  The top 10% scorers in each event at Regionals (for novice events, just the top scorer in each region) advance to the Showcase Auditions as Showcase Qualifiers.  For larger events, we recognize additional entries (those who score in the top 20%) as Regional Finalists.

Showcase Qualifiers will be invited to perform one more time, on Thursday, April 5th, for two judges who will select representative entries from each event for the State Showcase, on Friday, April 6th.

Complete information for registering for Regionals can be found by CLICKING HERE.  We are once again using Speechease to help organize and run our three concurrent events.  If you created a Speechease account last year, you can use the same login information and save time (you can reset your password if you don’t remember it).  You must register by January 18.  Click here for more information.

Registration is also open for the JUNIOR THESPIAN PLAY DAY on January 20.  Open to all Middle School groups whether or not they’re a Jr Thespian Troupe, this fun introduction to all things Thespian is free, but you must register by CLICKING HERE.

Don’t miss out on these exciting events!

The 2018 Oregon Thespians Festival is April 5-7 in Salem, and we need submissions for our two Main Stage Productions, presented Thursday and Friday evenings of the Festival at the Historic Elsinore Theatre!

CLICK HERE for complete info for how to submit a show.  Remember that submitting a show requires a lot of forethought.  The best Main Stage submissions are shows that were selected, designed, and created with the possibility of being selected from the very start.

The deadline to submit is December 15.  Shows must be produced before January 15.  If you want your show to be seen live by a member of the selection committee, we need two weeks’ notice.  Check out the live response option!

The big change this year is that we will not be using DVDs.  Shows will need to be uploaded digitally to be reviewed by the committee.  Check out the information here.  Be a part of our celebration of great high school theatre in Oregon!

All roads lead to Ashland HS for the 2017 Oregon Thespians IMPROV FESTIVAL on Saturday, October 7.  Click here for all the info you need!

Troupe Directors note that you’ll need to make plans for lunch for your troupe.  There will be a pizza and salad option to sign up for in advance (watch your email), or you can brownbag it.  Options are limited within walking distance in the time allotted.

Troupe Presidents will attend a provided lunch (one representative from each school) where the STO will review goals from last weekend’s Leadership Summit, and preview some exciting developments for the year.

Here’s the schedule:

9:00 A.M.        Registration Opens

9:45 A.M.        Welcome and Introductions

10:00 A.M.       Prep Time for Teams

10: 30 A.M.     Troupe Director meeting (lunch provided)

10:45 A.M.      Round I

11:45 A.M.      LUNCH (Troupe Presidents meet)

1:00 P.M.         Round II

2:00 P.M.         Final Round and Special Presentation

3:30 P.M.         Awards

4:00 P.M.         Event End Time (Approximate)