More than 35 students wait in nervous anticipation as they hear the cheers and shouts of hundreds of fellow high school students in the audience. Everyone runs over their lines in their head, props are double-checked, and last minute prayers are said. The environment sounds stressful, but this is what East Noble Thespians love. In fact, they don’t just love it, they excel in it. And these thespians proved it this weekend as they finished in the best placing at the State Thespian Conference in 5 years.
With their original piece, Between the Bells, these talented students flew past the competition and earned a 2nd place trophy as well as a “Best Ensemble” trophy. The show revolves around high school in the 21st century with references to Twitter drama, PDA in the halls, and being stuck in ridiculous classes. The script was entirely written by students in Mr. Munk’s acting classes and truly shows the talent of East Noble students. The hard work of these 35 students paid off, and East Noble Theatre has a huge trophy to add to its collection.
This is an incredible accomplishment considering the best shows from the entire state are performed at this conference. I was privileged to be involved with such a great cast of actors and actresses, and this weekend was a great end for me as I attended my third and final State Thespian Conference. Having travelled to conferences at Huntington University, Vincennes University, and now the University of Indianapolis, I now understand how crazy and fun the State Thespian Experience is.
The weekend starts with long bus rides, filled with anticipation and excitement. Shows are performed Friday night and all day Saturday, and I have seen over 25 different shows throughout my high school career. The performances can vary from tear-jerkers to hilarious comedies, but no matter the genre, some of Indiana’s best talent is performing. This weekend was no exception. A great rendition of The Miracle Worker made us cry, while Soap Opera made us laugh until we cried. Carmel High School’s moving piece The Laramie Project placed 1st in the conference with East Noble just behind them, and Lake Central’s Drum Taps placed 3rd.
The weekend is not all about shows though. Individual Events, workshops, improvisational shows, award ceremonies, and dances fill the time. Many thespians participated in improvisational games and acting workshops while others, like me, entered into rigorous individual events. In fact, I entered the Short Film competition, and Daniel Kane entered the Solo Musical Performance competition. We were quite excited to both receive Excellence Awards for our entries. And what school event weekend would be complete without a dance? Knowing the hard work of performing was over, hundreds of thespians joined in the giant masquerade dance Saturday night to celebrate a great weekend.
Overall, the conference was a huge success, and East Noble was given a great chance to show its incredible theatrical talent. This weekend’s award will join a long line of East Noble Theatre’s accolades, and the students who participated in the experience will not forget it for a very long time. If you wish to see the award winning show, visit www.eastnobletheatre.net to view the entire piece. Great job to the East Noble Thespians!