Students Inducted into Thespian Society at One Act Banquet
by Kris Olson
January 09, 2012
Nine high school students were inducted into the Holdrege High School Thespian Chapter #737 on Thursday, January 5th during the end of the season One Act Dessert Banquet. They earned the requisite 10 points through participation in one acts, musicals, and/or spring plays. Those inducted were seniors: Nick Anderson, Stephen Denton, Isaac Opfer, Kelsey Stevenson; juniors: Ethan Corkery, Megan Kreutzer, Austin Pistulka, Collin Sindt; and sophomore: Jamie Bialis.
The International Thespian Society (ITS) is the student honorary division of EdTA recognizing excellence in high school theatre. Membership into ITS is earned by participating in an affiliated school’s theatre program and accumulating points towards membership.
The International Thespian Society (ITS), an honorary group for middle and high school theatre students, is a division of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA). The mission of ITS is to honor student excellence in the theatre arts. Thespian troupes are just a component of a school’s theatre program. ITS membership offers many valuable benefits, services, and opportunities to troupe directors and Thespians alike.
Thespian induction is a great motivator for students to become more active in their school’s theatre program. Whether or not these students pursue careers in the performing arts, the skills that they learn through theatre and Thespian activities are invaluable and ensure that future generations will appreciate and support the arts in our communities.
Actors and actresses are called thespians in honor of Thespis, a Greek playwright and performer. Around 535 B.C., Thespis added a new dimension to drama by stepping out of the Greek chorus during a performance and reciting portions of the text alone, becoming the first actor. He is also credited with inventing the theatrical mask. .
Thespian with an uppercase “T” refers to a member of the International Thespian Society, the world’s largest honor society for theatre students. The designation “Thespian” includes student members who excel in technical and production fields as well as performance in their high school theatre.
