Thespian Society 101
April 18, 2019
St. Edward has variations of after school activities and clubs that students can be a part of, a student can easily join them at the start of the school year or talk to the club director and join throughout the year. Although many are like this, there is one that is very specific about its members.
The International Thespian Society is an honors organization only for students who are involved in theatre. Currently the Thespian Society at St. Edward counts with 21 members, “with 4 students eligible for induction in just a couple of weeks!” says Ms. Rodman, English teacher and theatre director; aside from Ms. Rodman, this organization is also run by the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA).
“In order for me to have been officially a part of the Thespian Society, I had to have done a certain amount of theatre hours, or a minimum of 3 shows which I did,” said Emily Terrazas, senior and Thespian Society member. The program acknowledges the dedication and quality work that each member puts into theatre arts.
“Membership in the organization at St. Ed’s means that you get to participate in some leadership capacities with our programming, including being a part of show election at the beginning of each year,” said Ms. Rodman. Students involved in theatre that meet the requirements are invited to join the organization at the beginning of May towards the end of each school year once all decisions and strict evaluations are made.
Aside from discipline required, theatre members have tons of fun by attending an overnight field trip at the Illinois Theatre Festival. “If you truly enjoy theatre arts you’ll have a great time meeting other theatre students from surrounding area,” said Terrazas. This year, they took a trip to see Broadway in Chicago’s production of Anastasia. Lastly, Thespian Society members are given access to special performances and are eligible to receive scholarships if they pursue theatre in college. For more information you can contact Ms. Rodman at [email protected].