MFHS Theatre shines at ITF
Contributed/Jon Clark
Marble Falls High School Theatre Troupe 3701 had its most successful International Thespian Festival (ITF) trip ever as seven students earned superior awards and two were called back to perform in the Main Stage Showcase — a first for MFHS.
Marble Falls High School has won its share of acting acclaim under the direction of theatre director Jon Clark, but last month, Troupe 3701 reached new heights at the International Thespian Festival (ITF), held in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Seven MFHS students earned superior ratings at the national level and the duo of Charles McLean and David Cowan became the first team from Marble Falls High School to be called back for a main stage showcase at ITF, held at the University of Nebraska June 25-30.
“Charles and David received perfect scores at the Texas Festival and at the International Festival,” Clark said. “They were the only Duet Acting scene selected for the showcase callbacks, making them the top Duet Acting scene at the national contest. This year, there were 100 Duet Acting scenes competing from around the country.”
Other students receiving a superior rating at the national level included:
* Lighting Design – Benjamin Goad;
* Duet Acting — Sydney Kelley and Gigi Goff;
* Duet Musical — Christine Ashbaugh and Kali Thompson.
This year's International Thespian Festival welcomed more than 1,600 competitors from 41 states as well as students from China, Great Britain, Singapore, Spain, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the ITF website, the International Thespian Festival is a week-long immersion in the theatre arts specially for high-achieving middle and high school drama students and their teachers. Setting the standard for participatory educational theatre experiences, ITF broadens horizons, enriches learning, and celebrates the creativity of theatre students and educators.
For more than 50 years, ITF has been the preferred summer theatre experience for students and teachers alike. Produced by the Educational Theatre Association and held at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, ITF showcases outstanding school theatre productions on four professional stages and offers a wealth of learning and presentation opportunities encompassing all theatrical disciplines.
* Students and teachers can select from hundreds of rigorous and engaging workshops taught by experts in their field. Topics include acting and performing, lighting, sets, sound, makeup, costume design and construction, directing, stage management, dance, and playwriting. More specialized subjects may include puppetry, stage combat, commedia dell’arte, and more.
* Students can meet with recruiters from dozens of top college and university theatre programs from across the country to interview and audition for admission and for thousands of dollars in scholarships.
* Inducted Thespians who qualify at their chapter conference event can participate in National Individual Events, a special program of the International Thespian Society that assesses and recognizes significant student achievement in theatre.
* Teachers can hone their skills both as theatre artists and as educators in workshops and may earn continuing education and graduate credit by taking a Professional Development Intensive seminar.
