The Fort Scott High School Thespian Troupe #7365 has students performing at the International Thespian Festival for the first time in history. After attending the KS State Thespian Festival in Wichita on Jan. 3-5, the troupe brought home a number of significant awards.

Senior Hunter Adamson qualified for Nationals in Monologue (where she performed both a humorous and dramatic script selection) and junior Mesa Jones qualified for Nationals in Musical Solo (performing Breathe from “Into the Heights”). Jones will also perform in the all-state musical production of “Bring It On” that qualified to be showcased on the main stage at Nationals. They compete at the International Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska in June.

FSHS also won the Gold Honor Troupe Award (the highest troupe honor) through the presentation of the Honor Troupe Notebook by senior Karina Kantilal. Senior Alyx Brooks auditioned for colleges and received call-backs from eleven schools for her acting audition and from twenty-eight different schools for her lighting design audition.

The FSHS Thespian President, Adamson, also served as a State Thespian Officer, planning and leading the entire Festival. Jones served as a State Board Member this year and was elected by troupe directors from all over the state to lead as one of 5 officers in charge of next year’s State Thespian Festival. She will attend training at the International Thespian Festival this summer and work throughout the next year to plan. 

Also competing at the State Festival this year were juniors Mackenzie Peoples and Addy Labbe in Musical Solo, Brooks in Lighting Design, and sophomores Amber Russo and Ivy Bailey in the Monologue category.

In all, thirty-five students attended Festival from FSHS and competed in improvised acting, charades, or costuming events at night. Throughout the day, the students attended workshops, met with college representatives, and watched award-winning full-length and one-act performances.

FSHS Drama Director Angie Bin, English teacher Mark Bergmann, and Drama Student-Teacher Wynnter Snyder accompanied the students. Bin presented a workshop on Children’s Theatre as part of the Festival.