Michigan Thespian Festival

What is Thespian Festival:
​Michigan's largest annual theatre event is the Michigan Thespian Festival. Over the course of two days, students are able to see multiple shows, choose from over 50 different workshops (in various areas of performance and technical theatre), compete in a variety of individual events, audition for scholarships from colleges, and visit information booths and theatrical vendors. 
​Where is Thespian Festival:
Thespian Festival is being held at the Lansing Center.
​
When is Thespian Festival:
December 13th-December 15th 2024.

​Cost: $350 to attend Thespian Festival.

Contact Ms. Erin Palmer ([email protected]) or Charlotte Malo ([email protected]) with any questions!
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Want to go to thespian festival?

The Thespian Festival Payment, and Signup are things you MUST complete BY October 2oth to attend this years Thespian Festival!
Thespian Festival is optional for all members of the Thespian Society. You are not required to be a member of the Thespian Society in order to go to Festival.

​​College Scholarship and Thespian Scholarship Information
*There is a $40 charge to participate in the College Scholarship Competition. For more information about auditioning in front of colleges, please click the buttons below.

​Any graduating senior who plans to major or minor in Theatre or Communication Arts is eligible to compete for the Thespian Scholarship.  Please click the buttons below for more information.

Thespys at the Michigan Thespian Festival

To participate in one of these optional Thespys, students need to be a member of the Dexter High School Thespian Troupe and be registered to go to festival by October 20th. There is an additional $10 fee attached if students want to compete in Thespys. 

Please note a student who chooses to participate in Thespys can only do so in 2 categories.  This includes participation in any group category with one exception - a student may be involved in the reading of the playwriting script to help out another fellow student. 

For a past example rubric please click here.

See list of possibilities below and click on them for requirements.

Click on the event that you wish to know more about to see the official event rules from the 2023 Michigan Thespian Festival.  
Click HERE for the general rules for all events. 

thespy examples

The Thespian Excellence Awards (or Thespys) are intended to be a non-competitive, educational offering for students. Students have the opportunity to receive constructive feedback from professional judges on their prepared theatrical material and technical designs.  The goal for participating students is to find their strengths and weaknesses and to grow as theatre artists.  Competing in the Thespys is optional and open to all ITS Thespian delegates (must be a registered Thespian with ITS) affiliated with schools attending the Festival.

solo musical theatre examples

duet musical theatre examples

Showcase/group Musical Theatre Examples

solo monologue acting examples

duet acting examples

Group Acting Examples

solo Musical Theatre Dance Examples

Duet Musical theatre dance examples

stage management examples

​Costume Construction examples

playwriting examples

short film examples

Theatre Marketing Examples

tech olympic examples

Tech Olympics are not a thespy category. It is an optional competition in which thespians can compete in different areas of theatre based on task completion. Winners receive a prize at closing ceremonies. The categories are light hanging, sound microphone setup, props scene shift, costume quick-change, and knot tying. 

lighting

sound

props/scene shift

costumes quick change

Open jar institute Audition examples

Open Jar Institute Auditions are not a thespy category. It is an optional opportunity within certain dance workshops. These workshops are run by a representative from Open Jar Institute, a Summer Broadway Intensive in New York City. During these workshops, the representative teaches a dance combination and asks thespians who wish to be considered for a scholarship to their summer intensive to sing. One $1000 scholarship to the Open Jar Institute Summer Broadway Intensive is given per year, and other thespians may be accepted into the intensive through the workshop. 

​Note: This is totally optional, and you do not need to sing in order to attend these workshops.

Audition Examples