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You may have heard your student talking about the Thespys, or needing to travel in January. Here's some background on what the Thespian Society is and what it means to participate. 

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Thespian Society, Events, & Festivals   

Hanford Drama participates in several events of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) including Thespys, the Washington State Thespian Conference, and the National Thespian Honor Society.  

Thespian Troupe 3183   

Each school in the EdTA thespian system is a troupe, and Hanford Drama is Troupe 3183. When students participate in the regional and state events, they do so as members of Troop 3183 aka Hanford High Drama.  

National Thespian Honor Society 

Each spring, Hanford Drama students can apply for induction into the Thespian Honor Society, established in 1929. Students qualify for the Honor Society by demonstrating a commitment to theatrical excellence by completing 10 production points. Points are earned through participation in theatre productions as a performer or technical team member. At least half of a student’s qualifying points must be earned at Hanford Drama. Each type of role and technical position carries a set number of points commensurate with the workload of the role or position.  

Students who were active in theatre in middle school may qualify for induction into the Thespian Honor Society their freshman year while many others qualify their sophomore or even junior year. Members are charged a fee at induction of approximately $30; however, members also receive a discount on both Thespy and State registration fees, so these costs are recouped within the year.  

Applications for new members are generally made available in March or April. Newly accepted members are inducted at the Willy Awards (see below) each June. 

Thespian Society members receive discounted registration at Thespys and State. Students receive a membership card, pin, and a subscription to Dramatics magazine with content curated to high school drama students. Membership connects students to possible state leadership opportunities and provides students with information from the National Thespian organization.  

For seniors demonstrating multiple years of commitment to theatrical excellence through the accrual of 60+ thespian points and academic merit through a GPA of 3.0 or higher, Thespian Honor Society graduation collars are awarded. Applications for collars generally come out in March or April and cost approximately $20. For those students who are also in NHS, only one collar may be worn to graduation.  

Regional Thespian Festival & Competition (aka the "Thespys") 

The Thespys are regional gatherings of high school theatre students showcasing prepared acting selections and technical theatre portfolios for professional adjudication. Students who attend receive feedback from multiple adjudicators and attend performances by high school theatre students from around the region.  

Each January, our Drama III, Drama IV, and Advanced Theatre Production students participate in the Spokane Thespys. Students prepare selections to present in at least two of the Thespy categories including: solo musical, duet musical, group musical, monologues, duo scene, group scene, group dance, costume design, costume construction, make up design, stage management, sound design, lighting design, and set design.  

Students receive written feedback after the competition, along with a score of Fair, Good, Excellent, or Superior. Students who score a superior rating on their adjudication have the opportunity to submit their work for consideration to the Washington State Showcase (which occurs at the closing session of the state festival in March each year).   

Cost & Registration: Drama 3 and Drama 4 students are automatically registered and will receive information in class about completing Family ID for the event. The event cost is estimated at about $40 per student, with fees due to bookkeeping before the event. Booster scholarships are available for students needing financial assistance to attend.  

The State Thespian Festival (commonly called “State”)  

The Washington State Thespian Festival (State) brings together high school theatre students and educators from across Washington for two days of performances, workshops, keynote speakers, and networking.  

Each school is invited to bring a 1-hour selection of a play for performance and adjudication at the festival. At Hanford, our Drama III class prepares and performs this selection. The performance is cast and primarily rehearsed in class, with a few outside rehearsals scheduled in February and March per the Drama III syllabus and Canvas communications.  

When: State is always held on a Friday and Saturday in March, alternating back and forth each year between Central Washington University in Ellensburg and Western Washington University in Bellingham. For the years in which the festival is held in Bellingham (2023, 2025), we leave at noon on Thursday and return late on Saturday night. For Ellensburg festivals (2024, 2026), we leave early Friday morning and return after dinner on Saturday night.  

Who: Drama 3 and 4 students, plus an additional 20-30 drama students as space allows. (If there is more demand than spots, selection is based on seniority, engagement in the drama program, and demonstrated reliability, responsibility, and respect).  

Cost & Registration: The 2023 cost was $170 for registration and hotel, with Booster support providing transportation funding. Details that include itinerary and cost as well as trip sign up are generally posted in early January.  

Drama Booster Travel Scholarships 

If money is a barrier to a student’s participation on a drama trip, they can apply for a drama travel scholarship at least two weeks prior to the payment due date for the trip. The same form is used for most drama trips. Scholarships are funded by the Drama Boosters. Applications are reviewed by Ms. Flaten, who then presents them for review monthly by the Boosters Scholarship Committee.