District High School Theater Students Earn Honors at International Thespian Festival

Disponible en: Español

This year the competition went virtual celebrating and bringing together 2,400 participants.

Aldine ISD had a number of students that advanced from the state competition to the 2020 International Thespian Festival, which is the nation’s premier high school theatre event. Typically, the event Lincoln, Nebraska. Due to the pandemic, the competition, performances, and auditions took place online.

Thespians submitted virtual performances or presentations in their categories and were scored by a panel of adjudicators. They are judged in acting in five categories: transitions, characterizations, voice, movement/staging, and execution, with a 1-4 score point range in each category. Superior ratings are the highest score thespians can receive at nationals, followed by Excellent, Good, and Fair. Earning Superior ratings required the young performers to score between 18-20 points.

Carver, Eisenhower, and Nimitz high schools all had students competing. Two Carver HS students — Cody Dixon and Trysten Williams —earned the highest accolade — the Thespy Awards. The Cody and Trysten were among the 21 students across the U.S., and the country of Saipan that earned the coveted honor.

Roshunda Jones, theater director at Carver HS, couldn’t be more proud of her students.

“Broadway has the Tonys, Hollywood has the Oscars, and Thespians have the International Thespian Excellence Awards or Thespys for short,” said Jones.

Thespys™ awards recognize the highest level of achievement in school theatre performance and technical theatre.

This educational program (formerly called National Individual Events or NIEs) allows Thespians to receive constructive feedback on prepared theatrical material and technical designs. Students who achieve overall superior scores at their chapter and the top scores in their category at the International Thespian Festival will earn International Thespian Excellence Awards — Thespy.

Cody and Trysten’s duet scene was live-streamed at the closing ceremonies. The community can see their performance on the recorded ceremony (Their performance starts at 14:45.).

Dixon and Williams, along with all the Thespy Award winners are honored on the main stage at the International Thespian Festival Showcase, the celebratory closing event.

Select Thespy winners will be invited to travel to New York City, and Los Angeles to perform or present at the Educational Theatre Foundation’s Broadway Back to School and Thespians Go Hollywood galas — offering opportunities to meet and learn from industry professionals.

Roshunda Jones, Clayton Younkin, and Crystal Rose are the theater directors at Carver HS, Nimitz HS, and Eisenhower HS, respectively.

Carver HS

Thespy Award

Cody Dixon

Trysten Williams

Trysten Williams

Superior Ratings

Duet Acting: Cody Dixon & Trysten Williams
Duet Acting: Brielle Johnson & Folasade Asoro
Duet Musical: Jocelyn Dorsey & Kaleb Womack
Solo Musical: Demiah Williams

Excellent Ratings

Monologue: Yasaar Ellis
Victoria Cerda

Solo Musical: Francean Houngbo

Eisenhower HS

Superior Rating

Musical Solo: Victoria Cerda

Excellent Rating

Musical Solo: Emma Velásquez

Nimitz HS

Emma Velásquez

Superior Rating

Monologue: Leanne Duckett

Carver High School juniors Demiah Williams, Jocelyn Dorsey, and Kaleb Womack received a combined total of over 70 college callbacks.

Cody and Trysten’s duet scene was live-streamed at the closing ceremonies. The community can see their performance on the recorded video (Their performance starts at 14:45).

Aldine-ISD-Nimitz-HS-Theater-Leanne-Duckett

Leann Duckett

Leanne received offers from The Juilliard School of Drama, Marquette University, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, the University of Houston, Drake University, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), the Johnny Carson School of Theatre, Loyola, Carthage College, Roosevelt University, Linfield University, Carroll University, Berry College, Miami University, Millikin University, Dobbin’s Conservatory, The New York Conservatory, Waldorf University, and Point Park University.

The Nimitz junior also received scholarship offers ranging from $500 to $17,000. The schools included Juilliard, Midland University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), and St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.