The International Thespian Nebraska State Festival took place on January 4th – 6th, 2024, at the Holland Performing Arts Center. Trojan Thespians Ada Heneger (11), Erin Wyss (10), Erin Musch (11), Charlotte Dodd (12), Kate Martin (11), Kinsley Knief (10), Marlee Ferguson (10), Maren Ferguson (10), and Kaden Slaughter (12) were thrilled to be able to attend. At the festival, students attended a variety of workshops to advance their acting abilities during the day and watch high school performances in the evening.
The first day of the festival warmly welcomed thespians from across the state of Nebraska. The opening ceremony began with an introduction by the thespian leadership committee and an “I’m Just Ken” parody titled “I’m Just Tech” performed by a group of students from a variety of high schools. Afterwards, two representatives from each school (or troupe) crossed the stage with their unique, handmade flag when their troupe was announced. They ended the day by watching the comedy, “Check, Please!” – performed by students from across the state. “Check, Please!” was a crowd favorite, including audience improv participation.
The second day was long but exciting, beginning at 8am and ending after 9pm. In the morning, the thespians watched the tragic play, Triangle Waist Factory Fire, a retelling of the 150 female workers that lost their life in their shirtwaist factory fire in 1911.
After lunch, each student choose three workshops to attend. The workshops offered a range of categories, from character voices to theater games, completing the stress cycle to prop design. Erin Musch (11) attended the costume design class. While there, she used newspaper and tape to create costumes. She commented, “It gave me insight to something most people don’t think about, and was otherwise a lot of fun.”
After dusk, the Thespian committee announced the winner of the Troupe Leader of the Year award. The night concluded with the musical, Tuck Everlasting. Maren Ferguson (10) noted, “My favorite performance to watch was Tuck Everlasting because of the wild reactions everyone had to the story.”
The final day began with the thespians watching the improv semifinals at the Hilton Hotel. Once the semi-finalists showcased their comedic quick-thinking, the Trojan Thespians jovially walked to the Holland Center. There, they watched the play, Fire in the Hole, a story about a miners’ unionization going wrong. After the show, the improv finals were held. The day ended with the presentation of short plays written by students and the improv challenge awards.
