EdTA and ITS membership overview

The Educational Theatre Association is the professional association for theatre education. The International Thespian Society, our student division, is the world’s largest honor society for theatre arts students. Together EdTA and ITS have been shaping lives through theatre education since 1929.  EdTA serves as the eyes, ears, and voice of the school theatre community, advocating for a stronger role for theatre education in the curriculum.

EdTA and ITS offer a number of different membership opportunities. EdTA memberships are individual while ITS memberships are for people at schools that have a theatre program (curricular or extra-curricular)

Educational Theatre Association memberships

Professional members are theatre educators, teaching artists, administrators, and other individuals who have an interest in keeping theatre a part of the educational curriculum. (more info)

Troupe directors of ITS affiliated schools are full professional members of EdTA as long as they remain in that position and the troupe’s membership remains active. (more info)

Affiliate professional members contribute to the success of ITS member schools. They are local troupe co-directors, assistant directors, faculty, administrators, advisers, active troupe alumni, and volunteer adults.  (more info)

Pre-professional members are university, college, or conservatory students who plan to make theatre arts a part of their professional lives. Many pre-professional members are theatre education majors. (more info)

Emeritus members are theatre educators who have retired from teaching full-time, have an interest in remaining a part of their professional association, and are interested in keeping theatre a part of the educational curriculum by sharing their considerable knowledge and expertise with fellow EdTA members. (more info)

International Thespian Society memberships

High school and Junior Thespian troupes
The International Thespian Society is the student honorary division of the Educational Theatre Association recognizing excellence in middle and high school theatre. Schools join the International Thespian Society by chartering a Thespian or Junior Thespian troupe, which serves as the honor society for their theatre student artists and technicians. The school administration appoints one adult adviser to lead the troupe, the official troupe director. That troupe director is a full professional member of EdTA. The troupe director recognizes and rewards student achievement by inducting eligible students into the International Thespian Society.

Thespian membership
Students in grades 9–12 who attend schools with active high school Thespian troupes can earn lifetime membership in the honor society. Troupe directors track student achievement and determine induction eligibility using a point system based on the quality and quantity of each student’s work in theatre and related arts. Thespians receive a wide range of benefits and opportunities throughout their high school careers and become Thespian alumni after graduation. (more info)

Honorary Thespian
Troupe directors may honor adults who perform outstanding service for the Thespian troupe by making them Honorary Thespians. They are typically parents or other volunteers from the community, school employees, or generous patrons.

Junior Thespian membership
Students in grades 6–8 who attend schools with active Junior Thespian troupes can earn lifetime membership in the honor society as Junior Thespians. Troupe directors track student achievement and determine induction eligibility using their own Junior Thespian point system. Junior Thespians receive benefits and opportunities geared toward their developmental and curricular needs. Junior Thespians who move on to ITS-affiliated high school programs begin their freshman year with half of the points needed for Thespian induction. (more info)