Thespian Troupe 909 will be participating in the California State Thespian Festival this weekend, where 21 students from Palo Alto High School will be competing with other registered Thespians Troupes for first place in a number of competitions from tech quizzes to group musicals.
The California State Thespian Festival is an annual festival put on by the California State Thespians, a subdivision of the International Thespian Society.This three-day festival features acting and stage technician competitions where actors and stage technicians can compete in categories from monologues to theater marketing.
They can also interview for scholarships for colleges or summer workshops, and take part in workshops. Actors may also audition for PlayWorks and perform in the All-State program.
PlayWorks accepts student-written scripts and allows young playwrights to take advantage of the abundant number of thespians to perform their scripts. All State is a performance comprised of two passionate actors from each registered troupe, and it is a way to showcase the skill of each troupe in a unified performance.
Sophomore Gil Weissman is especially excited about the workshops.
“I particularly enjoy the workshops,” Weissman said. “They are very informative.”
For Junior Mia Trubelja, the social aspect of the festival is the most exciting part of the festival.
“I really like getting the opportunity to compete and meet new people who are as passionate as I am about theater,” Trubelja said. “I will be competing in the monologue individual event, as well as the scene individual event. Last year I won first place in monologue individual event. I am not expecting anything this year other than to perform my best.”
Senior Kathy Yan has an important job within the organization. Senior Kathy Yan is a state board officer and a Northern Representative, making the annual festival particularly a big event for her.
“I am a state board officer, specifically the Northern Representative. I help decide the theme of the show, create the opening video, write speeches, as well as helping to plan mixers and dances,” Yan said. “I will be competing in the stage management individual event, I will be interviewing for an opportunity to direct, and I will also be interviewing for a senior scholarship.”
