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FAQ

 

 

Log in through the Attendee Service Center. You'll enter the email you registered with and the password in your confirmation email. If you can't find your credentials, use the "Forgot Password?" link in the sign-in box.

IMPORTANT: Many school firewalls block external emails, especially to students. If you are unable to retrieve your password, this may be the reason. Please search your mailbox and check your junk folder first. If you need assistance, contact members@schooltheatre.org and provide an alternate, non-school email address as well as the email you registered with, and we will update your account.

Thespian Nation Live will look a lot like your annual chapter festival, except you’ll be able to join from anywhere, from the comfort of your home! You can choose to attend 20 unique workshops covering all aspects of theatre, from acting and directing to writing and design. You’ll watch entertaining online productions, and you’ll have the opportunity to enhance your experience by participating in college auditions or submitting your work for feedback during a Thespy® Awards practice session.

Thespian Nation Live is open to theatre students in grades six through 12, their teachers, and other theatre enthusiasts. Non-Thespians are welcome!

The event is the official home of the 2021 California, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Virginia, and Wyoming chapter Thespian festivals.

Students in Alaska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, or anywhere without an International Thespian Society chapter are invited to experience the fun of a local Thespian festival without leaving home.

Thespian Nation Live also welcomes Thespians from Arkansas, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, Western Pacific Islands, and Wisconsin. Be sure to attend your official chapter festival, plus join Thespian Nation Live for even more fun!

Thespians from Alabama, Arizona, China, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington are encouraged to attend their individual chapter festivals and Thespys qualifying events. Find your chapter event in the EdTA 2021 Events Calendar.

Thespian Nation Live is three days for you to do what you love most: theatre! The weekend is packed with activities, including:

  • 20 workshops from top teaching artists, including Broadway professionals
  • One-on-one Thespy® coaching to help you earn that Superior at your international qualifier
  • Opportunity to impress reps from college theatre programs around the country (and maybe win a scholarship!)
  • Acting, singing, dancing, designing, and enjoying theatre with thousands of kindred spirits who feel just like you do
Teachers, for your students who are missing in-person theatre, Thespian Nation Live is their chance to get immersed in their passion even when they can’t be together in person.

The International Thespian Excellence Awards, or Thespys, offer participants valuable recognition on prepared theatrical performances and technical designs. During Thespian Nation Live, you can sign up for a FREE practice session to gain practical feedback to help you prepare for your chapter's Thespys qualifying event. (Practice sessions are available on a first-come, first-served basis.)

Thespians who do not have a chapter or who miss their chapter Thespys qualifying event due to illness will have the opportunity to participate in a Unified Thespys Qualifier in March. Stay tuned for more details.

If you’re a junior or senior interested in studying theatre after high school, you can audition for colleges across the U.S. at Thespian Nation Live, and even set up one-on-one appointments during the college fair. First-year students and sophomores can get valuable feedback from colleges to help prepare for similar auditions in future years. All auditions must be recorded prior to the event and submitted by January 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Note: College auditions are open only to inducted Thespians.

Students will receive an email with a unique link to access the college audition platform, OpenWater. Audition materials must be submitted by January 18 at 11:59 p.m. ET to allow time for college reps to review the auditions and invite to a callback in the form of a 1:1 appointment on the virtual event platform.

Registration is $65 for inducted Thespians and active troupes. Registration is $75 for non-members and students that are not part of active troupes. Registration includes access to the virtual event portal, performances workshops, and exhibit halls.

Students wishing to participate in college and college prep auditions must be inducted Thespians or part of an active troupe and register separately for this activity. Auditions are $15 per student.

There’s no additional fee to participate in Thespy® practice sessions or perform in Saturday evening’s cabaret, hosted by the International Thespian Officers (ITO). But please note that space is limited for both activities and spots will be fill on a first come, first served basis.

We accept a variety of payment methods to accommodate the needs of our troupes and their schools:

  • Credit card (American Express, Mastercard, Visa)
  • Check
  • Echeck
  • Lockbox
  • Money order

If your organization requires check payment or purchase order before your payment can be processed, please select Check for your payment method when registering. You’ll then be able to print an invoice when your registration is complete.

Mail check payments to:
Educational Theatre Association
P.O. Box 7410260
Chicago, IL 60674-0260

Email a copy of your invoice with payment information to: members@schooltheatre.org

Fax a copy of your invoice with payment information to: 513.421.7055

Registrations must be paid in full before an attendee will receive access to participate in the virtual event. Due to the advance submission deadline, students may submit their college auditions before payment is received but the audition will not be completed unless the fee has been paid.

All Thespian Nation Live sessions will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing at your convenience. Plus, all programming is archived for 30 days after the event, giving you plenty of time to re-watch a favorite workshop or catch a performance you might have overlooked. You won’t miss a thing.

Registration is online only and is open through January 25. The cutoff for college auditions is January 8 – you must register and complete your digital submission by that date.

To register on the Thespian Nation Live website, go to the Attend menu, then select the appropriate form:

  • Student Registration Form if you are a student registering individually (or your parent is registering for you)
  • Adult and Troupe Registration Form if you are a troupe director registering yourself or your troupe, or any other non-student, including parents, teachers, and theatre enthusiasts

Troupe directors, be sure to collect the following information from your students before starting your registration, as partial registrations cannot be saved:

  • ITS membership status
  • Grade level
  • Birthdate
  • Student email address
  • Parent/guardian name and email address
Each attendee needs a separate login (email address) to access the virtual event platform, to submit college audition and Thespy® materials, and to receive certificates. Parent email addresses are required to collect consent and virtual event code of conduct agreement forms.

Once you’ve completed the online registration form, you’ll receive a confirmation email that your registration has been received. Registrations remain pending until chapter affiliation is reviewed and payment is received. A valid email address is required to receive your confirmation email.

About a week prior to the start of Thespian Nation Live, each attendee will receive an email with instructions to access the virtual event platform.

If you have questions or need assistance, contact 513.421.3900, ext. 1, or members@schooltheatre.org.

If you need to make changes to your online registration, you can do so by logging in to the Attendee Service Center. There is no charge to change or substitute students prior to January 25.

If you want to add students to your registration after the deadline, you can do that online.

Students who participate in the Thespy® practice sessions will be recommended by their professional mentor. Participants are evaluated by guest adjudicators, who will select the top performances in any given category for presentation during the closing session. Students selected must receive an accomplished recommendation from the judges. Students with adult language or offensive content in their Thespy might not be allowed to perform their selection.

Absolutely! If you are working toward your Thespian induction, participating in Thespian Nation Live is a great way to earn points. In general, you can earn one point per day attended. Troupe directors have discretion over the actual points awarded, so talk to your teacher about how to earn the maximum points possible from your participation. You may need to demonstrate which workshops you attended, for example, or new things that you learned as a result of attending.

Download our handy points sheet for more ideas to earn Thespian induction during COVID.

Due to the nature of this virtual event, all sales are final. Attendees will have access to session recordings for one month following the event. No cancellation refunds will be issued.

View all registration policies

Yes! We have a number of unique sponsorship opportunities available, and this event will feature a virtual exhibit hall with one-on-one appointment options. For more information, contact Angel Wuellner at awuellner@schooltheatre.org.