Colorado Thespian Festival!!!

It’s been two weeks since I attended the Colorado Thespian Conference, and I’m still reminiscing about the quality of the conference. Over 3,000 students, a plethora of workshops, and wonderful IE's and performances filled my weekend.

I arrived there Wednesday evening, and was greeted with a cold that I was not prepared for, being from Arizona. The chapter director, Dr. Jay Seller, and the ten state student officers greeted me at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Then it was off to dinner. During this time, I got to know all of the state student officers, who were an eclectic group and were extremely kind and welcoming. They made my stay much more wonderful.

 The following day was hectic. While the adult board was preparing for the horde of high school students that would be coming in the afternoon, Colorado Thespians hosted thier Junior Thespian Festival in the morning. The SSO's taught an improv workshop, which I had the pleasure in assisting for one session. It was a great experience witnessing all of the future Thespians getting involved in this society before high school.

After the brief Junior Festival, it was time for the main event: The Colorado Thespian Conference. Over one hundred troupes would be attending this experience. The next few days were full of excitement. There were endless workshops to take, and a myriad of IEs to watch. The SSO's were hard at work, making sure the conference ran smoothly as well as collecting money for Broadway Cares. On Friday, I was able to teach my leadership workshop, which had around thirty members attending. It was a great workshop, and even ITO alumnus, Jeremiah Light, stopped in to watch. One of the most interesting parts of the Colorado conference was the use of technology. The Colorado Thespians developed the CO Thespians app, an Apple and Droid app that had the conference schedule listed on it. It was a great convenience and many people enjoyed the accessibility.

 Overall, the weekend was fantastic. It was a bitter moment when I had to take my leave right after the closing ceremony. In the short amount of time I was there, I grew extremely attached to the theatre-loving atmosphere the Colorado Thespians provided. The conference, I must say, was one of the most developed and efficient conferences I have attended. I applaud Jay Seller, the Colorado State Board, and the SSOs for developing a fantastic conference.

Love,

CJ Karl

International Thespian Officer

Region I Representative