THESPYS will be at The Illinois High School Theatre Festival
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR 2023!!
FOR IN PERSON PRESENTATIONS: All entries must be submitted NO LATER than 11:59 PM on December 28, 2022 for IN PERSON presentations at ITA'S Illinois High School Theatre Festival (January 12 - 14, 2023)
FOR VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS: All entries/recordings must be submitted NO LATER than 11:59PM on February 15, 2023.
EACH entry is $15.
International Thespian Excellence Awards
(formally called Individual Events)
If you have any questions about these honors, their presentation criteria, or scoring method CLICK HERE for access to Educational Theatre Association's Library, or contacts Carmel DeStefano at carm@illinoisthespians.org.
The performance Individual Events include: monologue, duet acting, group acting, solo musical theatre, duet musical theatre, and group musical theatre.
The technical Individual Events include: costume construction, costume design, lighting design, scenic design, short film, sound design, stage management, and theatre marketing.
Each year the National Individual Events program culminates in the National Individual Events Judges' Showcase at the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Past Illinois competitors include:
Tyler Sikorski - Superior set design for Beauty & the Beast. (Reavis HS)
Jack Cannon - Superior lighting design for Rent (Waubonsie HS)
Keira Mitchell and Eve Yoder from Eureka High School, Duet Musical for "You Love Who You Love" from Bonnie and Clyde.
Isaac Leman, a middle school student from Eureka Middle School received an Excellent rating in Solo Musical for "Red Rider Cabine Action BB Gun" from A Christmas Story - the Musical.
What are The Thespys?
Thespys is short for International Thespian Excellence Awards, an educational program that offers Thespians the opportunity to receive constructive feedback on prepared theatrical material and technical designs.
Thespys has a category to fit almost every aspect of theatre!
Performance Categories:
- Monologue
- Duo Acting
- Group Acting
- Solo Musical Theatre
- Duet Musical Theatre
- Group Musical Theatre
Technical categories:
- Costume Construction
- Costume Design
- Lighting Design
- Makeup Design
- Scenic Design
- Short Film
- Sound Design
- Stage Management
- Theatre Marketing
This year students may qualify in more than one event!
Category Summary Guide is an easy to read chart on the requirements for each even
Program Guide is a complete explanation of the International Thespian Excellence Awards.
What is the Adjudication Process?
A performance-based assessment rubric is used for all categories.
The ratings are:
(4) Superior,
(3) Excellent,
(2) Good, and
(1) Fair.
The ratings tabulate to a numeric total ranging from 4 to 24, depending on the number of criteria included in the individual rubric. This rubric also included a feedback section for constructive criticism from the adjudicators.
Click here to view the adjudication rubrics.
Superior Ranking:
Those with a superior ranking will receive a medallion and certificate! As a bonus, superior presentations will qualify for the Thespy Program at the International Thespian Festival.
