Thirty-one theatre students joined approximately 1,250 other theatre students at the Kansas  Thespian State Conference from Jan. 7-9 to participate in a variety of theatre-oriented activities, to take workshops, to audition, to see shows and to perform for  judges.

David Hastings, theatre teacher, has been the head of the conference for multiple years. Jeremy Riggs, theatre teacher, went as a sponsor.

There were over 150 options of workshops to take on Friday and Saturday. Six sessions of workshops lasted  1 ½ hours, though students could opt out of two of the sessions to see a show instead.

Five shows were available from Kansas high schools that had been selected to perform at state as well as one all-state show which was “James and the Giant Peach.” It had two Olathe South students—Veronica Wood and Andrea Strickler, seniors.

While at state, students audition for many colleges, and a few scholarships are handed out. Wood got 21 college callbacks, and Strickler won a thespian scholarship for $1,000 that applies to any musical theatre college.

Various awards were given out for events that took place. Ryan Hovey, junior, qualified for nationals in theatre marketing. Arian Moye, senior; Isaiah Reasby, junior; and Logan Stelting, senior, won first place in creative costuming.

Strickler said her favorite part was “getting to spend three days with a bunch of people as obsessed with theatre” as she is.