Every November, high school students from all across Iowa gather at the University of Northern Iowa for the annual Iowa Thespian Festival. The students range from performers to technicians to just basic theater enthusiasts.
This year, ITF brought over 1,000 students together for two jam-packed days filled with workshops, performances and competitions. There is an unmistakable community felt throughout the entire weekend. “Everyone here gets you, and they feel passionate about performing arts in the same way as me,” shared junior Charleigh Weatherspoon.
On the first day, people were able to settle in and watch the first mainstage production of “Les Misérables” performed by the Davenport Community Schools. After the show, many students started preparing for their Individual Events. IEs can be solo musical pieces, group ensembles, costume design and much more. Judges wrote feedback and scored each piece according to the work that was put in, and if the IE received a high enough score, they were able to qualify for the International Thespian Festival, which takes place in June.
The night ended with another mainstage production of “Hadestown,” which was performed by Mount Vernon High School. “My favorite part is always the mainstage shows because everyone comes together and experiences the show in a really cool way,” shared sophomore Maeli Sanchez Carmona. “It feels like we are all collectively holding our breath and clapping with relief together.”
The second day is just as busy. The morning starts off with a showcase of the highest scoring Individual Events from the day prior, and then participants attend workshops. This year, there were many workshops that students could choose from, such as audition prep, stage combat, dance and even miming. There was something for everyone to enjoy.
The weekend ended with the final mainstage show. This year, the final mainstage show was “Amelie,” performed by Washington High School, and the closing ceremony. “The closing ceremony is always bittersweet because we are all so exhausted, but we don’t want the weekend to end,” said Weatherspoon.
The Iowa Thespian Festival isn’t just a celebration of theater in the physical sense; it is a true reminder of how impactful the arts are in high school settings. The festival stands as proof that the performing arts are alive and well in the Iowa high schools, and it is not going away anytime soon.
