The Thespian Festival is a two-day event that allows students to participate in theatre workshops. This event took place on January 12-13 at The University of Maryland. This festival gives opportunities for students to be able to speak with college representatives about their theatre programs. JC students got to hear theatre professionals with backgrounds in acting and costume design speak about the professional theatre industry.

The workshops covered a broad range of interests including musical theatre performances, acting, dance, and improv, and tech. Other workshops included information about stage combat and audition techniques.  All of these workshops were led by industry professionals.

Director of Performing Arts Julie Parrish said that “the trip was open to any John Carroll theatre student; 19 students went, and Mr. Hensley and I chaperoned.”

Maryland Thespians can offer senior thespians who wish to pursue a career in theater and who have 3.0 GPA scholarships in the areas of Acting, Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre, and Theatre Service.

It was sophomore Evan Christy’s first time on this trip.

He said, “I thought it was an amazing experience that I’d go back to next year 100%.”

He learned how to “book acting gigs in the professional world all by yourself, and there are always ways to improve.”

At the festival, different workshops were scheduled throughout the day, and the students got to pick between them. Evan danced in the morning, and at night did acting. He also got to watch people in the festival put on shows throughout the day.

Evan thought that working with professionals was “really cool.  I really enjoyed being able to ask questions in case it was something I’d also like to professionally pursue.”

It was sophomore Caroline Holmes’s first time on this trip, too, and, she was nervous in the beginning. She said, “I didn’t know what to expect, but my friends and the directors helped me push through, and my time there was unforgettable.”

Caroline decided to go to be with her friends and experience new things with them. She learned how to get out of her comfort zone and new aspects of theatre that she had not experienced before.