The Thespys are coming ... but what are they?

The Thespys are coming to Kelowna and the Southern Interior, Dec. 15, for the first time, as the regional event for all middle and secondary drama students in the southern interior

So what are the Thespys? They are opportunities for drama students in grades six to 12 to grow and learn in theatre arts.

Students are not competing against each other in the Thespys – instead they are striving for excellence based on a rubric, says the media release.

Students get adjudicated by two qualified theatre professionals and the scores are averaged. The goal is to not only award excellence but to educate and help all students grow. We try to protect the students and make sure that they have fun experiencing as much live theatre as possible.

There will be performance categories for: contrasting monologues, duo scene, group scene, solo musical theatre, duet musical theatre, group musical theatre and musical theatre dance. All pieces are a maximum of five minutes in length and most major licensing companies allow the material to be performed for free (waiving costly playwright costs).

The student’s costumes are theatrical blacks, there is no set other than a basic chair or table, and all props are mimed. This means it is easy to take material on tour and all students are equal. There are no fancy costumes or flashy set pieces – it is all about a student’s skill and achievement. And it is not just for actors.

While there are seven categories for onstage work, there is also presentation opportunities for costume design, costume construction, lighting design, lighting design, makeup design, scenic design, sound design, stage management, theatre marketing and even film making.

If a student can receive an averaged superior or outstanding score on their Thespy – they will win a regional ribbon and qualify for the Canadian National Thespian Festival (West or East).

Students that qualify from regionals (with a superior performance score on the adjudicated rubric) will also be given the opportunity to represent B.C in the International Thespian Festival (ITF) in June.

At the event students will watch performances, they can participate in performances or design presentations and there will also be learning opportunities in breakout workshops with theatre experts!

You can get more information on the thespys at educationaltheatre.ca/thespyguidelines

There are some educational resources you can use to help get started preparing your students for the Thespys at educationaltheatre.ca/thespy-resources

Students are allowed to bring material they have worked on in-class, material independently rehearsed outside of your program, or material that is part of a larger production your school is in the process of working towards.

Registration will open in September at canada.cothespians.net

The CNTF West will be at Douglas College in New Westminster from April 25 to 27, 2024 and the CNTF East will be at the National Arts Centre and University of Ottawa from May 17 to 19 2024.