Thespys
The Thespys are intended to be a non-competitive, educational program offering Festival delegates the opportunity to receive constructive feedback on prepared theatrical material and technical designs. The goal for participating students is to find their talent, strengths, and weaknesses and to grow as theatre artists. The assessment forms are the same as used by the Educational Theatre Association Thespys (www.schooltheatre.org). Students receiving Superior in the Louisiana Thespys and meet the guidelines for the Thespys are eligible to participate in the Thespys at the International Thespian Festival in Bloomington, IN during June. These guidelines can be found online at www.schooltheatre.org.
The top students from each event will receive a callback and the outstanding entry from each event will be selected by the judges to perform their selection during the Closing Ceremonies of the Festival on Saturday. Because the Closing Ceremonies will be cast with representatives of the highest quality performances of the Thespys, each category may not be represented. ​
Students may choose from any of the Thespy categories offered by the International Thespian Festival. Those categories can be found here.
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The following are the only ways to qualify for Thespys at the Louisiana Thespian Conference:
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1. Must be registered for the entire weekend of the Festival, and submit Thepsy by deadline on Open Water platform.
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2. Must be an INDUCTED THESPIAN from his/her troupe.
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3. Participants may be registered for only one solo performance one duo performance, and one group performance event.
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4. All EdTA Rules and Regulations must be followed for each event.
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5. Must complete Thespy Registration in Open water and pay an event fee of $15.00 at time of main registration.
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6. Must meet the Festival deadline.
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7. Each school may register as many as five (5) acts in the musical theatre performance Thespys, as many as five (5) acts in the acting performance Thespys, and as many as five (5) acts in the Musical Theater Dance Thespys. Technical theater thespy entries are currently unlimited (students must still follow the 1 per performance type rule).
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8. Only the Thespy participant and one director (or designated person) will be allowed in the room for each Thespy.
9. Substitutions of students are not allowed.
10. Consult the tentative schedule for the Thespy times.
THESPY PARTICIPANTS MUST WEAR ALL BLACK. NO COSTUMES ARE ALLOWED
Thespys Callbacks & Showcase Selection Policy
The Louisiana Thespians Thespy Showcase highlights outstanding student work presented at the Louisiana Thespian Festival. Each year, select high-scoring performances may be invited to participate in callbacks as part of the showcase selection process.
About Callbacks & Interviews
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High scorers in performance categories may be invited to a callback.
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These invitations may occur before official ratings are released.
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A callback or interview does not indicate that a student has won a Thespy, only that their work is being considered for the showcase.
How Showcase Selections Are Made
Callbacks and interviews are conducted by the Showcase Selection Committee, composed of Louisiana Thespians staff, theatre educators, and industry professionals. This process is separate from adjudication. Callback participation does not impact a student’s official score or rating.
When building the final showcase, the committee considers a variety of factors, including:
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Talent and performance readiness
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Equity and representation
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Licensing and usage rights
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Variety of categories
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Overall program length
Because of these considerations, not all Superior-rated students will be invited to callbacks or selected for the showcase, and not all categories will be represented every year.
Impact on Thespy Awards
All adjudication is completed before callbacks begin. The callback process does not further score, rank, or determine award outcomes. Students who are not selected for callbacks or the showcase remain fully eligible for Superior ratings and Thespy awards.
OFFICIAL POLICY:
Louisiana Thespians Thespys Callback & Final Showcase Policy
The Louisiana Thespians Thespy Showcase is held during the Louisiana Thespian Festival to celebrate students’ hard work and spotlight outstanding performances from across the state. Select high-scoring entries may be invited to participate in callbacks as part of the process of determining the final showcase lineup.
About Callbacks & Interviews
Students who receive high scores in performance categories may be invited to a callback. These invitations may occur before official ratings have been released. An invitation to a callback does not indicate that a student has won a state Thespy. It simply means adjudicators saw work of a high enough caliber for potential inclusion in the showcase.
Showcase Selection
After callbacks are completed, entries from a variety of categories will be selected to appear in the Louisiana Thespians Thespy Showcase. Callbacks are conducted by the showcase selection committee, made up of Louisiana Thespians staff, theatre educators, and invited industry professionals, based on recommendations from adjudicators. This is a separate process from scoring and does not affect a student’s rating.
Because the showcase must balance multiple factors, including (but not limited to) talent, equity, licensing permissions, category variety, and overall program length, not all Superior-rated students will be invited to callbacks or selected for the showcase. Not all categories will be represented every year.
Impact on Awards
The callback and showcase selection process does not further score or rank student work. All official adjudication concludes prior to callbacks. Students not chosen for callbacks or the showcase remain fully eligible for Superior ratings.