Annually, the International Thespian Society (ITS) – sometimes considered to be a school’s “Drama Club” – hosts ITS Festivals all across the country. From January 2-4, 2025, Nebraskan Thespian troupes, including Platteview High School’s Trojan thespians from Troupe 4438, gathered in downtown Omaha to celebrate all the wonderful aspects of theater. Each year, the ITS directors give students the opportunity to submit a play they had written in the hopes of being the one play selected to be performed in front of all the troupes at the end of the festival. For the 2025 ITS Festival, Trojan Maren Ferguson (11) and her play, titled Vocation Vex, was chosen to be produced and presented on stage at the Holland Performing Arts Center.
Over the summer break before her junior year, Ferguson began to construct her play. She wrote the first draft in a single day, then took a step back and let it simmer in her mind for a few weeks. After some time, she returned to her piece and started the lengthy but worthwhile editing process. Ferguson utilized her own minute edits as well as feedback from others to shape the Vocation Vex to the best it could be. Once the play was tweaked and revised to her satisfaction, she submitted her hard work to the Nebraskan ITS Festival competition.
Ferguson was in the middle of study hall when she received the momentous email. She described, “I remember my reaction to discovering my play had been picked very clearly. I was sitting in study hall when I got the email. I read to: ‘Congratulations!’ and then gasped from excitement and shock. Marlee, my sister, was sitting next to me and asked, ’What?’I didn’t even speak; I just slid my iPad towards her and let her read it. Then I smiled.”
Hundreds of entries are submitted to this competition by thespians each year. To be the one playwright selected is a massive achievement and opportunity, one that Ferguson worked hard to deserve. She continued, “This opportunity meant the world to me. For me, it was my first chance to premiere my writing to the world.”
At the festival, Ferguson worked with professional playwright Marie Schuett. Together, they navigated the audition and directory process. On the first day of the festival, all attending thespian students had the opportunity to try out for a part in Vocation Vex. The mentor and mentee playwrights took detailed notes of each auditionee, trying to narrow down who would best bring Ferguson’s characters to life. Once each character was casted, the following two days of the ITS Fesitval had rehearsal hours set aside for the hand-selected students casted in Ferguson’s play. At rehearsal, Ferguson, Schuett, and the handful of student Thespians were hard at work reading through and working on preparing the Vocation Vex for its highly-anticipated debut while Ferguson learned the ins and outs of being a director.
On the third and final day, the mentor and mentee duo, plus the first-ever cast for Vocation Vex, got to debut Ferguson’s play in front of all of the attending Thespians on stage at the Holland Performing Arts Center. The read-through of this piece was loosely blocked but well-organized, with light costuming and expressive personalities for each character. The performance was a hit with the audience, and went off without a hitch.
After the debut of her hard work, Ferguson remarked on the experience, saying, “Working with Marie was eye opening and really helpful. She gave me tips and helped me to improve my play. One of my fondest memories from the whole experience was when Marie hugged me after the performance.”
As an aspiring author and playwright, this opportunity will go a long way in helping Ferguson to achieve her goals and dream career.
While the two playwrights were exiting the auditorium at the Holland, they were approached by a board member from the Shelterbelt Theater in Omaha, Nebraska. Ferguson was invited to have the opportunity to have Vocation Vex performed at Shelterbelt, either with the original ITS cast or with another group of professional theatrical actors, marking another monumental step in gaining experience for her dream job.
