Students at Fort Scott High School Lead Community Advocacy Efforts 

Students at Fort Scott High School are joining the national grassroots  effort called Theatre in Our Schools Month (TIOS) to advocate for the benefits of theatre  education in schools. Members of International Thespian Society (ITS) Troupe #7365 are  drawing attention to the need for increased access to quality theatre programs for all students.

To get the word out, students are participating in a number of theatre related activities. On Feb.  27 the troupe participated in community service activities at the Senior Center in downtown Fort Scott. They held a Theatre in Our Schools Month Kick-Off Party on March 1 at FSHS and presents to the USD 234 Board of Education on March 9. On March 11, the troupe travels to Topeka to meet with Thespians from across the state and Senator  Tim Shallenburger and Representative Rick James to celebrate and discuss Theatre Advocacy Day in KS.

Throughout the month, the troupe will dress to represent various musicals on Musical Mondays and wear theatre-related shirts on Theatre Shirt Thursdays. They also have Improv Acting  Troupe practice on Tuesdays after school and FSMS Drama Club on Fridays after school. A group of Thespians are also traveling to New York City to see Broadway shows and tour the Broadway Museum over Spring Break. To  finish out the month, the troupe holds the annual FSHS Talent Show & Senior Minute to Win It at 7 p.m. on March 26. The Talent  Show is open to the public and tickets are $5 at the door.

The ITS is the theatre honor society for middle and high school students. These Thespians plan  and implement TIOS activities in their schools, in their communities, and with elected officials.  The presentations and activities explain how theatre education positively shapes students’ lives  by instilling necessary life skills. TIOS Month is an opportunity for students, parents,  communities, school boards, and elected officials to come together to make theatre education more available to all students. One of the key messages is that theatre skills help students develop vital 21st-century skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, as well as social/emotional skills critical to students’ growth as young adults.

 

Sophomore Aimee Hardwick said, “Drama didn’t just teach me how to act, it taught me how to believe in myself. And while sometimes, I’m still quiet, it’s no longer because I feel like I have to, it’s because I choose to be. Drama isn’t just an activity, it’s my safe space, and it has changed my life.”

 

Isis Patton, sophomore, adds, “Theatre education helps students be creative with others and say what they think and feel. When students act, direct and put on a show they learn how to talk to people and see things from different points of view. These skills are useful when students are on stage and in life.”

Theatre in Our Schools is jointly sponsored by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education  (AATE) and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). For more information about TIOS, visit  schooltheatre.org/tios and follow #TheatreInOurSchools on social media.

About the Educational Theatre Association  

The Educational Theatre Association is an international nonprofit that serves as the professional  association for theatre educators. EdTA is the parent organization of the International Thespian  Society, the honor society for theatre students that’s inducted more than 2.5 million Thespians  since 1929. Additionally, EdTA operates the Educational Theatre Foundation, the organization’s  philanthropic arm dedicated to broadening representation and increasing access. Visit  schooltheatre.org to learn how EdTA inspires theatre educators to transform lives.

About the American Alliance for Theatre & Education 

The American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE), among the most recognized arts  education organizations, works to ensure that every young person experiences quality theatre  arts in their lives provided by proficient, talented artists and educators. Based in Washington,  DC, AATE continues to advocate for arts education, serving as a national co-sponsor of Arts  Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill and on the leadership team of the National Coalition for Core Arts  Standards (NCCAS). AATE co-authored the National Standards for Theatre Education K-12,  sits on the Arts Education Partnership steering committee as well as the Arts Education National  Advisory Council, and serves on the editorial board of the Arts Education Policy Review.

 

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Fort Scott High School Performs Clue (H.S. Edition)

 

Fort Scott High School performs the play Clue (H.S. Edition) at 7 p.m. on March 5-7 in the FSHS Auditorium.

 

“It’s a dark and stormy night, and we’ve been invited to a very unusual dinner party. Each of the guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well, dead. So whodunit? Join the iconic oddballs known as Scarlet, Plum, White, Green, Peacock, and Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up. Based on the cult classic film and the popular board game, Clue is a madcap comedy that will keep the audience guessing until the final twist,” according to Concord Theatricals.

 

The show features seniors Levi Fairchild as Wadsworth the butler, Sypher Cannon as Mrs. White, and Grace Walker as Miss Scarlet; juniors Landon Hill as Professor Plum and Ava Johnson as Mrs. Peacock; and sophomores Theodore Bowman as Mr. Green, Gianna Gorman as Yvette the maid, and Tray Maloun as Colonel Mustard.

 

Clue is adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn and written by Sandy Rustin, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. Parental guidance is suggested as the play includes simulated use of weapons and smoking.

 

Tickets are reserved seating and are $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Tickets are available at fortscotthighschool.ludus.com or at the door. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime.

 

Clue (H.S. Edition) is directed by FSHS Theatre Director Angie Bin with Mesa Jones as Assistant Director and Jericho Jones as Sound Designer.

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Fort Scott High School is hosting a Cancer Awareness Week to raise awareness, honor cancer fighters and survivors, and support cancer related causes through school wide activities and fundraising. The week will include both a community event and daily student involvement at the high school.

Cancer Awareness Week is intended to be educational, meaningful, and engaging. It reminds students and the community of the impact cancer has on so many lives and how collective action, even small contributions, can make a difference. Cancer Awareness Week is being organized and led by Fort Scott High School Junior Allie Wards, with support from FSHS staff and administration. FSHS clubs assisting Wards with the event include Community Empowerment, Zero Reasons Why, and Key Club.

The following events are planned:

Friday, February 6th – Cancer Awareness Week will begin with a Miracle Minute at a home basketball game at FSHS. During this minute, attendees will be invited to donate in support of cancer awareness and related causes. The event will also include recognition of cancer fighters and survivors to honor those affected by cancer.

Monday, February 9th – Friday, February 13th – Throughout the week at Fort Scott High School, students will participate in simple awareness activities designed to educate, encourage compassion, and build community support.

Monday: Students will write encouraging notes to cancer patients and their families.These notes will be donated to Care to Share who will help distribute them.

Tuesday: A large poster will be displayed for students to sign reading: “I stand with cancer fighters because…” students will be encouraged to write their personal reasons and messages of support.

Wednesday: A school wide Google form will be shared with students containing some cancer awareness questions. Students will also vote for songs to be used later in the week during a special fundraising event.

Thursday: Students will receive temporary tattoos and are encouraged to take photos wearing them and post on Instagram, tagging @fshscancerawareness to help spread awareness beyond the school.

Friday: The week will conclude with a school assembly. Throughout the week, students are donating money under specific teachers’ names. The top teachers with the highest total donations by Thursday afternoon will participate in a karaoke performance during the assembly. They will sing the top 3 songs chosen by students and wear costumes selected from the FSHS Theatre costume wardrobe.  At the assembly, FSHS will present Care to Share with all funds raised throughout the week.

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The Fort Scott High School Thespian Troupe #7365 brought home a number of honors from the 2026 Kansas Thespian Festival (KTF).

 

Students attended the festival with nearly 2,000 other students from across the state on Jan. 8-10 at the Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center in Wichita.

 

Sixteen students performed in the Thespy individual events competition with a record number of FSHS students receiving Superior ratings and qualifying to compete at the International Thespian Festival at Indiana University on June 21-26. Superior achievers include senior Levi Fairchild in both Duet Acting and Musical Solo, senior Junie Fisher – Musical Solo, senior Lily Brown – Short Film, senior Grace Walker – Stage Management, junior Ava Johnson – Solo Acting, junior Clark Uttinger – Duet Acting, and sophomore Gianna Gorman – Musical Solo.

 

“Kansas Thespian Festival has always been so fun and is always a great reminder of why I love theater,” Fisher said. “This year’s festival was truly a great way to close out my senior year!”

 

The troupe received the Gold Honor Troupe Award, the highest level of achievement for Thespian troupes in Kansas, based on performances, community, outreach, advocacy, and service from the past school year.

 

The Advanced Drama class performed the one-act play “When Bad Things Happen to Good Actors” by Ian McWethy and Jason Pizzarello. The troupe also presented a Lobby Display featuring photos and events from the past school year.

 

FSHS State Thespian Festival Board Members, senior Chris Newman and Juniors Ava Johnson and Allie Wards helped organize the festival as leaders.

 

“KTF taught me, challenged me, and reminded me why theatre matters so much to me. It’s not just something I love to do, it’s something that’s continuously changing my life,” said Wards.

 

FSHS Theatre Director Angie Bin taught a workshop entitled “From Burnout to Balance: Wellness for Theatre Teachers” and Bin as well as Assistant Theatre Directors Mesa Jones and Abby Starkey judged Thespy events performing at the festival. Bin, a member of the Kansas State Festival Board, also led the Competitive Improv Event and the Honor Troupe competition.

 

Students participated in a variety of workshops and classes throughout the festival learning about acting, technical theatre, dance, playwriting, and other theatre-related topics. Workshops were taught by theatre professionals from all over the country. Thespians also viewed mainstage and one-act productions from schools throughout the state. Students competed in events including Competitive Improv, Speed Charades, and Creative Costuming. Attendees also had the opportunity to meet with college theatre programs from across the country.

 

Brown said, “At KTF, I learned to embrace failure, and to use failure to my advantage, whether it be humorous or serious, I can use my failures as a way to bring life to my performances. In fact, failure is no longer a word I use to describe mishaps in my performances anymore, now I call them moments of opportunity.”

 

Sophomore Theodore Bowman added, “Going to KTF is more than an experience, it’s a bonding adventure full of new friends, incredible workshops, lots of laughs, and mind-blowing performances. KTF isn’t a theatre-filled field trip, it’s a weekend where emotions are inevitable, friends are everywhere, laughing is plenty, and memories are made.”

 

FSHS Theatre’s next event is auditions for Clue High School Edition on Jan. 12 and 13 with performances on March 5-7, 2026.

 

Photos and information about Troupe #7365 can be found at the Fort Scott High School Thespians Facebook page.

 

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Contact: Angie Bin, [email protected], 620-719-9622.

 

International Thespian Festival qualifiers from left to right: Top – Clark Uttinger, Levi Fairchild, Lily Brown. Bottom – Ava Johnson, Junie Fisher, Gianna Gorman, Grace Walker.

 

 

Fort Scott High School Thespians attending the Kansas Thespian Festival from left to right: Top – Junie Fisher, Chris Newman, Clark Uttinger, Tray Maloun, Aimee Hardwick, Levi Fairchild, Tyffani Bolden, Michael Stevenson II. Middle – Abby Starkey, Theodore Bowman, Emma Marshall, Isis Patton, Lily Brown, Bonnie Esgar, Angie Bin. Bottom – Mesa Jones, Ava Johnson, Gianna Gorman, Allie Wards, Grace Walker, Landon McDaniel, Trinity Leihsing.

 

FSHS students compete in the Creative Costuming event: (from left to right) Isis Patton, Ava Johnson, Grace Walker.

 

Chris Newman and Ava Johnson in the one-act play “When Bad Things Happen To Good Actors.”