INTERNATIONAL THESPIAN EXCELLENCE AWARDS

International Thespian Excellence Awards (Thespys™) are a way for students to perform in an audition type setting, and get written feedback for their individual performances. It is designed for students to be able to perform in front of an audience, learn how to receive constructive feedback, and grow as a theatre student. 
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Students are invited to compete in ONE of the following Thespys™. Please note that a student can perform in the ensemble performance in addition to ONE of the other events:

SOLO Monologue

Musical Theatre Solo Performance
​2 Person scene

 MUSICAL THEATRE Duet Performance
Ensemble acting
Musical Theatre Ensemble Performance

THESPYS™ faqS

what are the time limits for thESPYS™?
Solo Monologue and Musical Theatre Solo Performance are limited to 5 minutes max. 2 Person Scene and Musical Theatre Duet Performance are all 5 minutes max. Ensemble Acting and Musical Theatre Ensemble Performance are 10 minutes max. These are maximum limits, and the performances may be shorter. 
What is proper attire for THESPYS™?
Proper attire is black professional clothing and black shoes. Props (including hand-held props), costumes, or theatrical makeup are not allowed. Clothing should be professional yet allow easy movement for the actor to accommodate the action. Students can wear their school show shirt in addition to the all black attire if they wish.
HOw many students from EACH school can participate in THESPYS™?
Each student is only permitted to participate in ONE Thespys event (Solo or Duet), but they can perform in the Ensemble events in addition to their ONE other event. 
What is an entrant?
An entrant is one student or a pair of students. 
How are the students scored and judged?
 A performance-based assessment rubric is used for all International Thespian Excellence Awards. The ratings are (4) Superior, (3) Excellent, (2) Good, and (1) Fair.  In All IEs, the skills measured are:  Use of transitions into and out of character, Ability to create a believable character, Communication of objective, tactics, and relationships, Use of focus and concentration, and Integration of voice, body, movement, and staging. 
are d.m. larson selections allowed?
Only specific D.M. Larson selections are permitted for Thespys™ use:
• Beauty IS a Beast - ISBN-13: 978-1511495967
• Big Nose - ISBN-13: 978-1542471077
• Death of an Insurance Salesman - ISBN-13: 978-1518665547
• Ebony Scrooge - ISBN-13: 978-1537655239
• Flowers in the Desert - ISBN-13: 978-1530169085
• Holka Polka! - ISBN-13: 978-1502445490
• Operation Redneck - ISBN-13: 978-1540824349
• Somebody Famous - ISBN-13: 978-1539753483
• Superhero Support Group - ISBN-13: 978-1540471772
• My William Shatner Man Crush - ISBN-13: 978-1505910155
• To Be A Star - ISBN-13: 978-1541300200
wait, what happened to "individual events"?
One of the ITS programs most popular with Thespians is getting a new name. The NIEs, National Individual Events, is becoming the International Thespian Excellence Awards, or Thespys™ for short.
Why change an already successful program? NIEs’ purpose is to honor student excellence in theatre. Making the name more prestigious, memorable, and theatre-focused will enhance that honor for students, teachers, and their schools in the eyes of administrators, the press, and the general public. 
​The process of selecting this new identity involved seeking out feedback from voices across the entire organization—the board of directors, chapter directors, and EdTA’s entire adult membership via survey—and letting those perspectives guide the decision-making. The name reflects our dedication to supporting excellence in the theatre arts by recognizing the highest level of achievement in school theatre performance and technical theatre.
No student substitutions are permitted. There will not be a refund if a student drops from the event.