The Iowa Thespian festival took place last weekend at the University of Northern Iowa on Nov. 15 and 16. The festival was open to all theater students and teachers in the state of Iowa.
Students are able to watch musicals with casts of thespians from across Iowa, or they are able to perform solo events. The events focus on interactive theater workshops intended to grow the knowledge of students in various areas of backstage work, onstage work and everything in between.
The festival is filled with different one-acts, student-written works and plays, staged readings, improvisation as well as student-created productions. Students involved in theater from various parts of Iowa are able to come together and showcase their talents and productions.
“We saw three main stage productions and a few studio shows, and we went to two workshops and we were given the opportunity to participate in a thing called thespes, which is where you participate in solo musical theater, duet musical theater and acting,” junior Addie Rockwell said.
At the festival, students are able to participate in the Thespy award program. The awards are sponsored by an educational program allowing students to receive constructive feedback and recognition on previously-prepared technical designs as well as on prepared theatrical plays and musicals.
The festival requires many people with a variety of skills in order for it to come together; there are people who specialize in many different fields. For example, there are more backstage qualities, including costume design, makeup, lighting, sound, playwriting, marketing and stage management.
Pleasant Valley was able to compete in the 2024 Thespian Festival, with students winning different individual and group awards.
One student in particular, junior Will Emerle, was elected as a Thespian state officer, which is a part of a board of five elected students who show leadership. These students are chosen by the adult board to serve as student officers for the rest of the state.
Emerle’s achievement continued a streak of having PV students on the board. “We won a one-act play, “How to Get Away with a Murder Mystery,” to perform as a studio show, and Will Emerle (myself) got a position on the State Thespian Officer Board, being the 12th consecutive PV student to gain a spot,’ stated junior Will Emerle.
PV had many students qualified for different awards. “At the Iowa Thespian Festival, we had six international Therapy Excellence Awards go on to the international level! We also had Jilian Garris win a $1,500 tech scholarship; we won 1st in knot tying and costume quick change for Tech Challenge,” junior Will Emerle mentioned.
