WHAT IS FESTIVAL?
Three Ways to Theatre, All in One Day
Workshops. Thespys. One-Acts. Choose your own adventure.
At the MA Thespians Festival, students from all across New England come together to share their talents and celebrate their collective achievements.
Students can participate in all events throughout the day, but please remember, you must pre-register Thespys (Individual Events) if you wish to present. MA Thespians Festival is open to all New England students grades 9-12, thespian or not!
In each part of the day, students can choose to see a one-act, participate in a workshop, attend a Thespys master class, or watch a show adjudication. Check out a sample student day!
Workshops
Individual Events (IEs) are master classes for student artists to showcase their skills in front of an audience of peers in musical theatre, acting, and technical theatre. Student artists receive ten minutes of coaching with guest artists to help hone their craft.
All students wishing to present must register in advance. The master classes are open to all festival participants to attend as audience members.
Students who receive the highest ranking are eligible to perform at the national level, and inducted thespians are eligible for scholarships.
Workshops are offered throughout the day in a variety of subjects each year. Workshops are presented by professional theatre artists, local university and college professors, and extraordinary theatre educators. Workshop topics have included: improvisation, stage combat, lighting design, and musical theatre dance.
One Acts
In the one-act event, shows have 10 minutes to load-in, 40 minutes to tell their story, and 10 minutes to leave the stage completely clear. Following their performance, students receive half-an-hour of verbal feedback from industry experts to grow and strengthen your program.
At the end of the Festival, numerous awards are presented in an exciting ceremony that celebrates the achievements of all participants. You can read more about awards and adjudication here.
