Feb 3, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3 February 2017
Contact Info:
Paul Hampton, State Director
Georgia Thespians
paulehampton@gmail.com
www.gathespians.org
Columbus, GA—For three days this month, downtown Columbus will host nearly 5000 aspiring actors, singers, dancers, playwrights, designers, and stage technicians at the 2017 Georgia Thespian Conference. The massive event will include educational and competitive opportunities for the state’s top high school theatre arts students.
More than 80 theatre professionals and educators from across the country will join these students, leading workshops in all aspects of show business. The list of this year’s guest artists includes Tony Award-winning actor Shuler Henlsey, who has appeared most recently in TV’s “Elementary” and “The OA.”
While at the conference, hundreds of students will audition for some of the country’s most renowned university and conservatory theatre programs. And stages at the River Center and Columbus State University will showcase dozens of selected school productions, ranging from classic and contemporary Broadway musicals and plays to short, experimental pieces. Rooms at the Columbus Trade Center and the downtown Marriott will host workshops and exhibits, providing unparalleled educational opportunities for aspiring performers.
The Thespian Conference opens Thursday, February 9, with performances of the Georgia Thespians All-State production of “Memphis,” the rousing and poignant rhythm-and-blues musical that made its Broadway debut in 2009. The All-State Show will feature actors, dancers, and technicians from schools all over the state who have been specially selected for their roles from a pool of hundreds of candidates.
This will be the Thespians’ ninth straight year of performing and working in the remarkable theatre spaces of downtown Columbus. The Georgia conference is the nation’s second largest Thespian conference, illustrating the extent of the state’s school-based performing arts programs.
The Thespian Conference concludes on Saturday, February 11, with an evening showcase of performances from schools throughout Georgia that have earned special recognition during the conference for their superior talents.
About Georgia Thespians
Georgia Thespians is one of the largest state chapters of the International Thespian Society, the 88-year-old honor society for high school theatre. Students are invited to membership in the society in recognition of exceptional and extensive commitment to the performing arts in their schools and communities.
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