Kentucky Thespian Festival returning to Owensboro in November

October 31, 2022 | 12:09 am

Updated October 30, 2022 | 4:21 pm

Graphic by Owensboro Times

The 2022 Kentucky Thespian Festival will take place in Owensboro in November. Theatre students will get a chance to learn from professional technicians and directors during workshops, as well as perform and compete on stage against others from across the state.

The festival will begin on Nov. 10 at Apollo High School, then on Nov. 11 and 12 it will move to the RiverPark Center, The Owensboro Museum of Science and History, and the Visitor’s Bureau. 

The Kentucky Thespian Society has been holding festivals since 2001, and this is the fifth time the it has been held in Owensboro.

Open to students in middle and high schools, there are seven workshop sessions and over 40 workshops to choose from. 

“The Kentucky Thespian Festival provides theatre students with the opportunity to learn more about their craft from professional technicians, educators, and directors,” said Carolyn Greer, chapter director of the Kentucky Thespian Society and Owensboro High School theatre teacher.

In addition to the workshops, students also have the opportunity to perform. 

“Nine high schools will be bringing one-act plays to the festival and there is no better audience to perform for than one filled with your theatre peers,” Greer said.

The Thespys program at the festival provides performers the opportunity to present monologues, scenes and musical theatre pieces for qualified judges who then provide feedback to the performers. 

“Technical students also present their designs and portfolios of their work through the Thespy program,” Greer said, adding there is also a technical challenge competition for tech students.

Lily Self-Miller, local state thespian officer for the Kentucky Thespians, said that the festival preparations are going well. 

“We are all hard at work making festival the best it can possibly be, and I know it will all be worth it in the end,” Self-Miller said. “KTF is an amazing experience for anyone involved in theatre whether you are a techie or an on-stage actor. The endless amount of opportunities and friendship that Kentucky Thespian Festival offers is truly worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears that go into this.” 

Twelve college representatives will be on-site and upperclassmen can audition for theatre program admission and potential scholarships.  

And while all of these benefits make the festival a rare opportunity, Greer said there is another aspect of the festival that is also important. 

“Students from across the state get the chance to meet other theatre students, building connections and friendships,” Greer said.  

October 31, 2022 | 12:09 am

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