Note: You’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the forms mentioned below; if you don’t already have it on your computer, you can get a free copy by clicking here. A teacher can start a Thespian troupe at his or her school by completing a High School Membership Application and submitting it along with all applicable fees to the EdTA home office. To begin a troupe, you will need to pay a one-time charter fee and the first year’s troupe dues plus submit the names and membership fees for a minimum of six student inductees. To keep the troupe active, each year the troupe director must pay the annual troupe dues by October 15. Once the troupe’s dues have been paid, new students may be inducted at any time.
The success of a Thespian troupe rests largely on the leadership and enthusiasm of the troupe director. As a Thespian troupe director, you know the value of the skills that are developed through theatre education and are committed to creating excellence within your own program. While directing a Thespian troupe does require an extra time commitment, there are more than two million students and alumni who can attest to the value of the opportunities afforded them as Thespians.
Thespian troupe directors are designated by the administration of the school and are responsible for maintaining the troupe’s active status in the Thespian Society. A troupe director is awarded all the benefits and services of individual membership in the Educational Theatre Association. While a troupe may have more than one person who takes care of the troupe director’s duties, only one may be designated on troupe records and receive these benefits and services. This is the primary contact person with the home office and the individual whose signature must be on all correspondence, orders, and membership forms. “Troupe co-directors” may choose to join the adult membership division of the Educational Theatre Association in order to receive these benefits themselves.
The troupe director is responsible for keeping the troupe’s membership active. Annually, the troupe director must complete the following:
- Ensure that the Thespian troupe meets the annual membership requirements. Currently, troupes must submit their annual troupe dues by October 15 each year in order to remain active. Once dues have been submitted, a troupe may induct new members at any time.
- Ensure that troupe records are maintained at the school. This includes keeping copies of membership report forms that have been submitted to the home office and maintaining the troupe’s original charter and membership roll. The troupe director should keep an accessible, organized file of the troupe’s materials so that, in case of a change of troupe director, continuity will be preserved. Many troupe directors rely on student troupe officers to assist with their record keeping tasks.
- Fill out a troupe director membership update form each fall. The EdTA/ITS home office will send you the form as part of your renewal packet. These forms will inform us of any changes in troupe director, address, e-mail, or telephone number as well as provide us with statistical information to help us better serve our members.
While each school’s requirements and needs may differ slightly, the Thespian troupe at a school is designed to be an honorary organization that recognizes and rewards excellence among the participants in the theatre arts program. Thespian membership should be viewed as an honor and a goal to which participants in your theatre arts program aspire.
Activities of the Thespian troupe and the school theatre program are most beneficial when they are coordinated to complement and reinforce each other. Additionally, many schools have found that cooperation with other departments results in a more meaningful program. Many schools use visual arts students for set painting, business classes for assistance in publicity and marketing, and home economics classes for help with costume design and construction. This cooperation helps to promote the theatre arts within your school community as well as introduce new students to the process of putting on a full-scale production.
Each Thespian troupe must adopt a constitution. To get you started, we have included a troupe constitution template for download on the troupe documents page. Your own troupe constitution should include language about how your troupe operates, such as requirements for troupe officers, any additional local requirements for student participation, and any changes to the suggested ITS point system that you decide to adopt.
The constitution should be available to all theatre students. A copy of the constitution and all amendments should be sent to the EdTA/ITS home office and to your chapter director.
Control of the troupe’s funds is vested exclusively with the troupe director and school officials. The EdTA/ITS home office recognizes only the troupe director as the representative of the school’s troupe with regard to filing official records or payment of fees with the home office.
We recommend that student officers be elected immediately after the troupe has been established and that regular elections occur near the close of the school year so that officers are ready to serve when students return in the fall. A formal troupe organization with officers gives students opportunities for leadership and responsibility, and active student officers can assist the troupe director in numerous ways.
The initial troupe meeting with new officers should focus on the contributions that the troupe hopes to make to the theatre arts program and the school. Suggestions for the year’s calendar of activities might be made at this first meeting as well. We recommend that Thespian troupes meet monthly throughout the school year. Troupes must elect student officers who are capable of carrying out specific duties on their own initiative. We suggest the following guidelines to help you establish the responsibilities of your student officers. (It is expected that all student officers act in consultation with the troupe director.) The president presides at all meetings, appoints all standing and special committees, and directs and supervises troupe activities. The vice president presides in the absence of the president and is responsible for the induction of new members. The secretary keeps the records of meetings and attends to troupe correspondence. The treasurer keeps the troupe’s books and pays bills and may act as business manager of Thespian productions. The clerk keeps the point records of all activities: plays, production dates, casts, crews, and work accomplished as provided in the official point system. We recommend that the clerk also keep a scrapbook of news clippings, posters, programs, etc. Other offices such as historian and publicity chair may be added at the troupe’s discretion.
The prospect of membership should be used as an incentive for involvement in theatre as soon as a student enters secondary school. Students who are still working for membership points may be referred to as “apprentices.”
Apprentices should be encouraged to attend Thespian meetings and social events, but whether they may vote must be decided by the troupe director and the troupe in accordance with their troupe constitution. Troupe directors may induct new members as often as is necessary during the school year. Once a student has earned the necessary points for membership, the troupe director should give them a Membership Notification Card (provided free from the home office). Names and membership fees for inductees should be mailed to the EdTA/ITS home office at least four weeks prior to induction using the current school year’s membership roster form. Once the form is received, the home office will mail the troupe director membership certificates for the inductees. These certificates should be given to the students as part of the induction ceremony. Suggestions for induction ceremonies for new Thespians are included in the “Ceremonies” PDF, which is available on the Thespian documents page. After student memberships are processed by the home office, a personalized membership card and a one-year (nine issues) subscription to Dramatics magazine will be mailed to each Thespian’s home address. Please make sure that all Student Membership Rosters are filled out completely and legibly in order to ensure accurate processing of your students’ membership. Please note that all Thespians are sent renewal notices (about a month before their subscription expires) offering them the opportunity to continue receiving the magazine at a special member rate.
Thespian membership is granted for the demonstration of a commitment to excellence in theatre arts that meets EdTA’s general guidelines. Specifically, students become members by earning points for their work.
Troupe directors should notify their students that records of their activities will be maintained and that Thespian membership will be conferred when qualifications have been met. The troupe secretary or clerk is usually responsible for maintaining these records, which should be available for the student’s review. When the required number of points has been earned, the apprentices should be given Membership Notification Cards informing them that they may join the International Thespian Society. No hazing of student candidates is permitted.
Please see the suggested point system for the maximum number of points that may be earned for a specific assignment. Troupe directors may award two additional points for any task performed with exceptional merit and should use their discretion in awarding points—from zero to the maximum—according to the quality of work and cooperation. The Thespian troupe director makes the final decision regarding the awarding of Thespian points.
In general: - One point represents approximately ten hours of excellent work. Use this formula in awarding points for items not specifically listed.
- To become a Thespian, a student must earn ten points, five of which must be acquired at the school where he or she is to be inducted.
- A prospective member must participate in at least two full-length productions, or one full-length and two one-acts, or four one-acts.
- Participation should be in at least two of the listed categories, for example, acting and business.
- Students may earn up to five points toward membership in the high school Thespian troupe through participation in community, children’s or professional theatre, or in other activities in the performing arts, or through participation at the middle school level or within a Junior Thespian troupe.
- Thespian membership will be awarded to all students who qualify. No student can be elected into the troupe, and no student can be denied membership if he or she has fulfilled all membership requirements.
- A student member must maintain satisfactory standards of membership as set forth by the constitution of the troupe and by the EdTA governing board. A student may be suspended or expelled from the troupe by the troupe director. A suspended student may not participate in the activities of any Thespian troupe nor attend Thespian conferences during the period of his or her suspension. However, neither the term of the student’s subscription to Dramatics magazine nor the student’s paid membership status will be affected. Once a student has been submitted to the home office, their name can not be removed from the membership rolls.
After Thespians have attained membership, further recognition for their outstanding work in theatre arts may be indicated by awarding stars for each additional ten points (or 100 hours) earned. Star ratings should be designated on the student’s membership certificate under “Thespian Stars Earned.” We also encourage the troupe to indicate star ratings after the student names on playbills, membership rolls, and in other printed materials.
When a Thespian has earned the maximum of four stars and an additional ten points (a grand total of 60 points), he or she earns the designation of “Honor Thespian” and is eligible for an honor Thespian guard. Thespians earning 120 points may be awarded the National Honor Thespian guard. Those who accumulate 180 points or more may be recognized with the International Honor Thespian pin. Stars, honor guards, corresponding Thespian pins, and Honor Thespian certificates may be purchased from the EdTA Store.
A Thespian moving to another affiliated school is entitled to transfer membership by having the new troupe director verify the membership with the EdTA home office. A new membership card and certificate may be secured by submitting a transfer membership form.
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