VTF 2024 - Find Your LightJoin us again Jan 9-11, 2025
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Happy #TheatreinourSchools month!
I am absolutely blown away by the incredible experience I had at the Virginia Thespian Festival! From the inspiring workshops to the captivating performances, it was a theater lover's dream come true. The festival truly helped me reignite my passion for the stage. I can't wait to come back next year!" |
Discover Your Passion for Theatre at the 2025 Virginia Thespian Festival Jan 9-11th!
Calling all students, teachers, teaching artists, colleges, and theatre lovers! The Virginia Thespian Society is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated 2024 Virginia Thespian Festival, themed "Find Your Light." This three-day extravaganza promises to be an unforgettable experience for high school students seeking to delve into the magical world of theatre. The festival will take place at the prestigious Hylton Conference Center and the magnificent Capital One Hall in Tyson's Corner, McLean, Virginia, from January 4th to January 6th. The Virginia Thespian Festival is a remarkable celebration of the performing arts, boasting a rich history of nurturing young talents and fostering a vibrant theatre community. With its impressive lineup of events and opportunities, this festival has earned its reputation as the largest and most prestigious high school theatre gathering in the state. Students attending the festival will have the chance to participate in an array of activities designed to hone their skills and ignite their passion for theatre. The event's schedule includes: Thespy Competition: Showcase your acting prowess and charisma in this thrilling competition. Unleash your creativity and portray iconic characters or explore original roles that captivate and inspire. One Act Competition: Get a taste of ensemble theatre as you collaborate with your peers to produce captivating one-act plays. This competition challenges your teamwork, creativity, and storytelling abilities. Workshops: Immerse yourself in a variety of workshops led by industry professionals. Learn valuable techniques, explore new perspectives, and gain insights from experienced theatre practitioners. College Auditions: Aspiring performers looking to pursue a career in theatre can seize the opportunity to audition for renowned theatre colleges and universities. This is a chance to take your first step toward a future in the performing arts. Scholarship Auditions: Showcase your talent and passion for theatre, and you might just earn yourself a scholarship to support your artistic journey. Mainstage Events: Be enchanted by spectacular performances on the grand stage. Witness talented actors breathe life into iconic productions and feel the magic of live theatre. The Virginia Thespian Festival promises an unparalleled experience, fostering growth, creativity, and friendship among all attendees. Participants will also have the chance to connect with like-minded individuals who share the same love and enthusiasm for theatre, creating memories that will last a lifetime. The Virginia Thespian Festival has already gained significant attention, so students are encouraged to register early to secure their spot in this enriching experience. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of Virginia's premier high school theatre festival. Mark your calendars for January 4th to January 6th and join us at the Hylton Conference Center and Capital One Hall in Tyson's Corner, McLean, Virginia, for an unforgettable experience at the 2023 Virginia Thespian Festival. |
Congrats to our new 2024-25 Officers!
Check out our affiliate programs with Booktix & Ludus here or under "partners."
They are educational theatre ticketing platforms with other features and resources to make your program management easier! Each school program that signs on with them helps us raise money for future student opportunities and scholarships!
They are educational theatre ticketing platforms with other features and resources to make your program management easier! Each school program that signs on with them helps us raise money for future student opportunities and scholarships!
Looking for Thespian swag or merchandise?
We are selling exclusive apparel and swag at VTF. However, you can always purchase from our online store! See some examples below!
2024 KEYNOTES/ HEADLINERS
LOURDS LANE
A Filipino-American, classically trained on piano and violin at age three, Lourds is the composer, writer, co- arranger/ orchestrator, and originates the role of the superhero misfit, "Rise" in the West End and Broadway-bound musical, SuperYou (www.superyoumusical.com). Her diverse and dynamic compositions were last showcased to sold out audiences at Carnegie Hall where Lourds shredded on the electric violin. The visionary and heart behind the SuperYou social good mission, Lourds Lane teaches global youth and adults to connect to their most empowered superhero selves through the educational arts and music-based 501c3 she founded, The SuperYou FUNdation. A Harvard honors grad, Lourds is a 2023 recipient of The NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre, an Actor’s Equity Association Paul Robeson Award Finalist for her dedication to the “betterment of humankind,” winner of the Ideagen Global Leadership Award, a two time Fred Ebb musical theater award finalist ), a Johnny Mercer Writer’s Colony at Goodspeed alumni, a celebrated speaker at TEDWomen, TEDYouth, the United Nations, and Forbes Women, inspiring global audiences with empowering music-infused talks, the creator of a female indie rock musician community in NYC, The Medusa Festival, and was the lead singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist of her own critically-acclaimed nationally touring rock band. @lourdslane, @superyoumusical
WENDY BOBBITT CAVETT
Wendy is is a music director, supervisor, educator, arranger, conductor, and pianist. She was most recently Music Director for Broadway’s Come From Away. Her new musical in development, SuperYou (Music Supervision, Arrangements for SuperYou), tells the story of a woman who reconnects with her dreams when her superheroine creations come to life. Wendy is on the theatre faculty of Wagner College. Broadway and Off-Broadway: Come From Away, Hamilton, Mamma Mia!, The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Most Happy Fella, A Tale of Two Cities. National and International: The Who's Tommy, Mamma Mia!, A Chorus Line. Wendy has worked on several other regional productions including three at the Papermill Playhouse in NJ, been on staff with several other universities, and traveled internationally for work in the industry as well.
Wendy is is a music director, supervisor, educator, arranger, conductor, and pianist. She was most recently Music Director for Broadway’s Come From Away. Her new musical in development, SuperYou (Music Supervision, Arrangements for SuperYou), tells the story of a woman who reconnects with her dreams when her superheroine creations come to life. Wendy is on the theatre faculty of Wagner College. Broadway and Off-Broadway: Come From Away, Hamilton, Mamma Mia!, The Scarlet Pimpernel, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Most Happy Fella, A Tale of Two Cities. National and International: The Who's Tommy, Mamma Mia!, A Chorus Line. Wendy has worked on several other regional productions including three at the Papermill Playhouse in NJ, been on staff with several other universities, and traveled internationally for work in the industry as well.
D.W. GREGORY
D.W. Gregory is an award-winning writer whose plays frequently explore political issues through a personal lens and with a comedic twist. The New York Times called her “a playwright with a talent to enlighten and provoke” for her most produced work, RADIUM GIRLS, which has received more than 1,800 productions in the U.S. and abroad. Other plays include MEMOIRS OF A FORGOTTEN MAN, a National New Play Network rolling world premiere (Contemporary American Theater Festival, Shadowland Stages, and New Jersey Rep); MOLUMBY’S MILLION (Iron Age Theatre), nominated for a Barrymore Award by Philadelphia Theatre Alliance; THE GOOD DAUGHTER and OCTOBER 1962 (New Jersey Rep). A new musical comedy, THE YELLOW STOCKING PLAY, with composer Steven M. Alper and lyricist Sarah Knapp, recently won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical in CreateTheater’s New Play Festival on Theatre Row. Current projects include a musical adaptation of RADIUM GIRLS with the same team and a new drama, THE OTHER AMERICAN, coming in 2024. More information at www.dwgregory.com.
D.W. Gregory is an award-winning writer whose plays frequently explore political issues through a personal lens and with a comedic twist. The New York Times called her “a playwright with a talent to enlighten and provoke” for her most produced work, RADIUM GIRLS, which has received more than 1,800 productions in the U.S. and abroad. Other plays include MEMOIRS OF A FORGOTTEN MAN, a National New Play Network rolling world premiere (Contemporary American Theater Festival, Shadowland Stages, and New Jersey Rep); MOLUMBY’S MILLION (Iron Age Theatre), nominated for a Barrymore Award by Philadelphia Theatre Alliance; THE GOOD DAUGHTER and OCTOBER 1962 (New Jersey Rep). A new musical comedy, THE YELLOW STOCKING PLAY, with composer Steven M. Alper and lyricist Sarah Knapp, recently won Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical in CreateTheater’s New Play Festival on Theatre Row. Current projects include a musical adaptation of RADIUM GIRLS with the same team and a new drama, THE OTHER AMERICAN, coming in 2024. More information at www.dwgregory.com.
All State Experiences
Audition for the all state experiences this year. We have two big opportunities for you!
We had an amazing experience with our 2024 all-state experience!
Our Virginia Thespian alumni and Young Katie character in the World Premier Wisconsin production, Serena Parrish, joined creator Lourds Lane, & music director Wendy Bobbitt Cavett in a musical intensive from audition to state to premier some of the West-End, Broadway-bound musical SuperYou. Students from all across the state auditioned for solos, small group bits, and ensemble numbers to showcase for songs "Light of the World", "Stronger Now", "To My Angels", and "Held While Fllying". See the cast list along with Rachel Neuman from George Mason HS as stage manager, below:
ALL-STATE EXPERIENCE SUPERYOU AUDITIONED CAST;
"To My Angels" soloists - Eliana Howard, Lauren Atwell, Zoe Carter, Kailyn Fetterman, Rachel Price, Angelica Holmes, Danielle Serrano-Bremer, & Molly Burnett
"Held While Flying" soloists - JD Lawrence, Brady Davenport, Daniel Qiu, Devan Wagner, Kenneth Whyte, Xavier Colbert, Jude Cabral, & Matthew Murray
"Stronger Now" -
Mariah Waters, and all workshop participants
We had an amazing experience with our 2024 all-state experience!
Our Virginia Thespian alumni and Young Katie character in the World Premier Wisconsin production, Serena Parrish, joined creator Lourds Lane, & music director Wendy Bobbitt Cavett in a musical intensive from audition to state to premier some of the West-End, Broadway-bound musical SuperYou. Students from all across the state auditioned for solos, small group bits, and ensemble numbers to showcase for songs "Light of the World", "Stronger Now", "To My Angels", and "Held While Fllying". See the cast list along with Rachel Neuman from George Mason HS as stage manager, below:
ALL-STATE EXPERIENCE SUPERYOU AUDITIONED CAST;
"To My Angels" soloists - Eliana Howard, Lauren Atwell, Zoe Carter, Kailyn Fetterman, Rachel Price, Angelica Holmes, Danielle Serrano-Bremer, & Molly Burnett
"Held While Flying" soloists - JD Lawrence, Brady Davenport, Daniel Qiu, Devan Wagner, Kenneth Whyte, Xavier Colbert, Jude Cabral, & Matthew Murray
"Stronger Now" -
Mariah Waters, and all workshop participants
Our All-state show auditioned at VTF. We look forward to seeing it at festival next year. See basic show information below to see it in December as well as see the cast & crew list! Students from all over the state will come together for a spring intensive, summer "camp" week, and fall pick up rehearsals to put a musical together. As we approach our 55th anniversary as an organization, we celebrate how far we have come. Each year we build in an all-state experience.
ALL STATE CAST & CREW:
Fee: $250 - Does not cover transportation, shoes, base costume pieces (Grants available to those in need) Pay here by 4/1
Your Directors: Megan Emanuel (Troupe 7962) & Justine Mackey (Troupe 6794)
Performance: Will take place at our 2025 Virginia Thespian Festival in January & 1 Preview Performance on December 14th @Spotswood High School Penn Laird, Va
Rehearsals: Sat. April 27th- 28th @ Spotswood (in person, cast only), May 9th evening (virtual), May 11th-12th @ Brookville (in person, cast only), June 18th-19th @ Spotswood (in person, cast only + SMs), Sat. July 20th @ Turner Ashby (in person, cast only + SMs), Sat. Aug 17th @ Spotswood (in person, cast only + SMs), Sat. Sept 14th-15th @ Brookville ((in person, cast only), Sat. Oct 5th @ Spotswood (in person, all cast/crew), Fri. Nov 22nd. evening (virtually, all), Sat. Dec 7th @ Spotswood (in person, all cast/crew), & Dec 13-15th @ Spotswood tech/ community preview performances (in person, all cast/crew)
ALL STATE CAST & CREW:
Fee: $250 - Does not cover transportation, shoes, base costume pieces (Grants available to those in need) Pay here by 4/1
Your Directors: Megan Emanuel (Troupe 7962) & Justine Mackey (Troupe 6794)
Performance: Will take place at our 2025 Virginia Thespian Festival in January & 1 Preview Performance on December 14th @Spotswood High School Penn Laird, Va
Rehearsals: Sat. April 27th- 28th @ Spotswood (in person, cast only), May 9th evening (virtual), May 11th-12th @ Brookville (in person, cast only), June 18th-19th @ Spotswood (in person, cast only + SMs), Sat. July 20th @ Turner Ashby (in person, cast only + SMs), Sat. Aug 17th @ Spotswood (in person, cast only + SMs), Sat. Sept 14th-15th @ Brookville ((in person, cast only), Sat. Oct 5th @ Spotswood (in person, all cast/crew), Fri. Nov 22nd. evening (virtually, all), Sat. Dec 7th @ Spotswood (in person, all cast/crew), & Dec 13-15th @ Spotswood tech/ community preview performances (in person, all cast/crew)