VA Thespian Update
VA Thespians Kudos & Happenings
OCTOBER: Fall Frenzies of Shows, Registration, & More!
Have you started your falls shows and registered for festival yet?! 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). TODAY IS THE DEADLINE FOR... Mainstage Applications & Our Statewide NYC Trip!
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!
30 schools registering and counting for #VTF2024!
Other Festival News
2. We are excited to announce our all-state experience this year- All-state auditions for 3 unique experiences: A) All-state 2025 show (title announced soon), B) SuperYou Medley solos for the closing ceremony, & C) Right Before I Go cast for 1 performance on Sun. Jan. 7th. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!
3. We have a NEW middle school competition- bring 10 minutes or a full one act to our festival for a morning of laughter, games, & performances. We will have audience participation awards, an interactive Master of Ceremonies leading in fun, & more!
FALL THESPIAN EVENT: Thespian Night out of Theatre
Join us Thurs. Oct. 12th for a discount night in Tysons Corner, near our VTF 2024 host venue to see the "Echo" Cirque du Soleil show! We will have an industry talkback with two technicians who work and helped design the show- only on Oct 12th. They will also be giving tickets for us to raffle off at our festival for their spring show in May of 2024! Buy your ticket to reserve your spot today and join us for our Thespian fall event! Can't come that night? That's okay, they extended the discount to other nights. See below!
Cirque du Soleil ECHO – Under the Big Top – Tysons II, NOW - October 22
Cirque du Soleil’s 20th Big Top show brings bold new visuals and a unique aesthetic on tour. Packed with vibrant characters, inspiring music, astounding lights and projections, and never-before-seen acrobatic feats, ECHO invites audiences on a journey through a universe of color, wonder, and infinite possibilities.
Special Offer: Use this link to save up to 20% off select seats/dates. Groups of 10+, save 25% and reduced handling fees, contact Michael.Ciaccia@cirquedusoleil.com for details for Oct 12th or another night for a school trip.
Ticket Link- English-US
Teacher Tool of the Month: Grant Writing Resources
TEI 2024: Aug 4-6th at the Drury Plaza Hotel
TEI: Thespian Educator Intensive
Some of our partner's school programs. Check them out!
2. UW Milwaukee ((Theatre Arts BA, BA in Music, BA in English, Film & Cultural Studies, BA in Art)
3. West Virginia University (BA in Theatre, BFA- acting, design/tech, puppetry, MT)
Come meet them at VTF 2024!
ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT: Tyler Fauntleroy
Know an alumni doing incredible things? Email executivedirector@vathespian.org so we can brag about them and their accomplishments!
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
Chapter Leadership Summit July 2024, TBD
Rebranding your ITS Troupe?
UPCOMING EVENTS/ CALENDAR
-VTF Registration: Sept 8th- Nov 1st, Late Window until Dec 1st
-EdTA Teacher Conference: Sept 28-30th
-VTO Fall Fundraiser, more info coming soon!
-VTF 2024: Jan 4-6th in Tysons Corner, VA!
-Statewide NYC Thespian Trip (NEW DATES) Feb. 23-25th, register by Oct. 1st!
-On the horizon (online Fall Fundraiser with VTOs, Arts Awareness Day in March, etc.)
HAPPY BACK TO SCHOOL & FALL!
Virginia Thespians Alumni Group
Spring/ Fall 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!
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.
VIRGINIA THESPIAN FESTIVAL 2024!
The Main Auditorium
The Vault Blackbox Space
The Hilton Tysons McLean Hotel Lobby
Festival 2024!
1. Do you want to bring a show? We are accepting mainstages & one acts NOW!
2. Do you want to come for one day or a full weekend? Only full weekend schools can compete now so consider fundraising, asking your administration for support, add this into your yearly calendars now to plan your season around it.
3. Will you need transportation? Reach out to nearby schools to consider sharing a bus to save on money and getting to know a nearby program.
We hope to see you there!
Need information to share about Thespians or VTF 2024?
Here is a Festival Guide for students or new troupe directors.