Washington State Thespian Festival

March 20-21, 2025

Seattle Convention Center

  • Date: March 20-21, 2025

    The State Thespian Festival is an opportunity for Theatre students and teachers from across the state to gather and participate in clinics and workshops presented by local and national instructors. Students also have the ability to perform and watch performances from students across Washington State. Any high school student may attend, they do not to be a thespian, nor do they need to have qualified at a regional event.

  • Seattle Convention Center: Seattle, WA

    Troupe directors should book hotel rooms, complete the proper paperwork for field trips, and arrange transportation early.

    WA Thespians is working with our partners at The 5th Avenue Theatre and local hotel partners to offer discounted hotel block pricing. More info to come in September. Schools will book directly with the hotel of their choice.

  • Registration/Cost

    REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 7, 2025

    Inducted Thespian Registration: $125

    Future Thespian Registration: $150

    Adult Troupe Director or Chaperone Registration: $50

    LATE FEE: $250

    OPTIONAL AD-ONS: Thursday dinner (pre-registered $25 per person) and private school workshop.

    Waitress Optional Tickets ($35) - Contact The 5th Avenue Group Sales - see Newsletter for more info.

General Information

The Washington State Thespian Festival is typically during the third (or fourth) weekend in March.

  • WA Thespians has limited scholarship funds for first time troupes and groups with financial restrictions. For more information, please email info@wathespians.org.

  • Hotels fill up fast! Many troupe directors book rooms almost a year in advance.

  • Only the troupe's Director, Club Advisor, or Drama Teacher may submit the registration. No parents, volunteers, or students may register themselves or others for the State Thespian Conference.

  • Absolutely no refunds will be given.

  • INFORMATION ON TRACKS WILL BE SENT OUT AFTER REGISTRATION.

  • The Seattle Convention Center does NOT allow any OUTSIDE FOOD or DRINK. There will be a coffee/snack station in the Info Hub for light snacks and drinks. LUNCH is provided both days off-site as part of your registration cost. Dinner on Thursday is an optional pre-registered $25 add on for dinner and private workshop.

  • Bills smaller than $20 are appreciated.

STATE OPPORTUNITIES

One Act Marathon & MAINSTAGE Performances:

Comedy, Drama, and Musical

Register for the One Act Marathon or bring a full-length Comedic, Dramatic, or Musical MAINSTAGE performance to be adjudicated. At closing ceremonies performances that score excellent and superior will be honored with trophies. The overall highest-scoring performance in each category will receive the “Best of Fest” trophy with their name engraved and will be passed from school to school year after year. It is possible for more than one show to tie and for a school to win “Best of Fest” multiple years in a row. You will be asked to include a content warning when you register.

Performances may include teacher-directed, student-directed, full-length plays, a showcase, revue, or already performed musicals.

Read the complete rules and rubrics for the One Act Marathon and Mainstage Performance Programs here!

  • 75-minute performance time limit, including setup, breakdown, and optional verbal feedback.

  • *WARNING* You will be given a 10’x10’ storage space for small props and performance items. There are no allocated spaces for costume changes, rehearsal spaces, or dressing rooms. ALL ITEMS MUST BE PORTABLE UP MULTIPLE ESCALATORS AND THROUGH A STANDARD SIZE DOOR. So, NO FURNITURE, SCENIC ITEMS or SET PIECES please. The emphasis is on the ACTING, PERFORMANCE, and DIRECTION.

  • If a school has multiple short cuttings, they should be considered for the One Act Marathon. Adjudicators will consider multiple performances under one rubric. The emphasis of adjudication is on the directing and acting of the piece rather than the production values.

  • Please bring your own music-playing device.

  • Musicals that have yet to open should register a 10-minute cutting under the Musical WIP (Work-in-Progress) cutting.

  • Thespy Showcase Performances & Technical Showcase

    Students who score a Superior at Thespys will be invited to submit a recording of their performance or presentation for the Washington State Thespy Showcase at the Opening Ceremonies of our Washington State Thespian Festival onstage at The 5th Avenue Theatre.

    Showcased Tech presentations will display in the information hub at the Seattle Convention Center throughout the Festival and be honored during the Closing Ceremony.

  • Workshops

    Attend a wide variety of student performances as well as production and performance-based workshops taught by Regional Teaching Artists, College, and National Clinicians. Students have multiple options for what workshops and performances they wish to attend.

  • Tech and Design Challenges

    These are new additions to this year's event. Students will receive opportunities to learn some new tech skills and then put them to use in a fun and competitive nature.

    Tech Challenge Overview

    Tech Challenge Scoring Breakdown

  • Teacher/Troupe Director Meeting and Adult Workshops Track

    Troupe Directors are invited to a Hall of Fame Reception Thursday Night. You can learn important dates, information and new ways to be involved in Washington State Thespians and International Thespians (EdTA) as we honor outstanding educators and artists from across the State!

    Thanks to our sponsorship from BookTix and TRW, we also have a teacher track of workshops designed specifically to enhance your program at your school.

  • Lip Sync Battle

    Our State Thespian Officers (STO) organize and plan a Lip Sync Battle as one of the Friday night event options. If you have a group that wants to participate, please complete this Lip Sync Battle Sign-Up Form. Performances need to be 5 minutes or less and must involve a group lip-syncing to a Musical Theatre (or Musical Theatre adjacent) song.

    If your group has any questions, please email our STO Co-Chair, Dallas Myers at dmyers@osd.wednet.edu.

  • Playwrighting Thespy Showcase

    At the registration table, students may sign up to act in staged readings of the top Playwriting Thespy scripts! This opportunity will have one rehearsal workshop session and an additional performance workshop session.

STATE HONOR TROUPE

EdTA would like to recognize those troupes that achieve a high level of excellence by sponsoring the Washington Honor Troupe program. Please watch the video for a complete step-by-step guide to having your troupe considered for Honors Troupe status.

Click the link below for more information and the 2025 Honors Troupe Rubric!

WASHINGTON CHAPTER SELECT SHOWS

CHAPTER SELECT SHOW AUDITIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN FESTIVAL

Troupe Directors sign your show up on the state registration site if you wish to audition.

The Chapter Select Showcase is a presentation of one-acts, each representing a state chapter. Our WA State chapter will hold auditions at our state festival and one school will be selected and given the opportunity to participate in the Chapter Select Showcase at the International Thespian Festival.

Bring a Chapter select show to International Thespian Festival (ITF) in Bloomington, Indiana. The Chapter Select Showcase will feature outstanding Thespian productions from state chapters nationwide. Chapter Select's twenty-five performance slots are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis until the schedule is full.

If you are considering submitting and auditioning a show for Chapter Select Showcase, see these requirements for participating in the chapter select showcase at ITF:

Royalties: Troupes without a performance license or waiver on file will NOT be allowed to perform.

Published material: Troupes must secure written permission from the publisher for presentation at the Festival during Festival dates. Troupes are responsible for payment of royalties. Upon written request, some publishers will waive royalty fees for Festival performances.

Original works: Troupes must have a written statement of originality from the author/playwright—even if it’s you or one of your students—on file with the EdTA National Office.

Works based on non-dramatic material: Troupes must obtain permission to use said material from the publisher. This applies to textbooks, children’s books, novels, short stories, newspaper and magazine articles, etc.

Works translated from another language: Troupes must have written permission from the publisher of that translation. This applies to non-dramatic material as well as dramatic.

Music: Troupes must secure permission for all music used in a performance.

Cuttings: Troupes must secure permission to present a cutting from a play from the play’s publisher. The statement of permission must be attached to the Chapter Select Acceptance sheet.

Chapter Select stages up to five shows a day throughout Festival week. Each show has forty-five minutes to perform, ten minutes to set, and five minutes to strike. Invited schools are sent detailed instructions and a list of available set pieces. Participants must be registered for the entire Festival week.

Lighting: A follow-spot is available, but must be requested in advance. General area lighting is available (stage right, stage left, up center, center, and down center stage) as well as blue and amber washes. Special lighting effects are not available.

Sound: The theatre will provide a CD player, amplification, and speakers. Groups may use their own iPod or MP3 player through the theatre sound system. Mics are not permitted in this venue.

Sets and props: A prop is any item that will fit through a single door and can be carried by a single person. Set pieces are anything bigger. Hand props are items carried onstage by an actor in one hand. Set pieces and flats are not allowed.

2025 STATE THESPIAN FESTIVAL PARTNERSHIPS

2025 FESTIVAL SPONSORS