Around the Schools
Nathan Hale High reaches milestone with membership into International Thespian Society
Nathan Hale High School is Seattle’s newest member of the International Thespian Society. The membership is a milestone for Hale’s 47-year-old theater program, said Emi Schwartz, a senior and president of the school’s thespian troupe.
Membership in the Society – which was founded in 1929 to support and celebrate the work of theater students in junior and senior high schools – is based on a point system with points earned by students through involvement in theatrical productions, including work as actors and actresses, stage managers, costume and set designers and sound technicians.
The Society sponsors regional, state, and national festivals for student competitions.
Taylor Richardson, secretary of Hale’s thespian troupe, said the highlight of her participation in the festival last spring at Bellevue College was having her performance evaluated twice by adjudicators who provided students with in-depth notes on their performances.
With multiple judges, performers received multiple points of view on their acting, Richardson said.
Why go into high school theater?
Erin Gunsul, the troupe’s vice-president, said she decided to be “part of something … part of a community. “
“I told myself I’m just going to do it. Theater at Hale has become a home for me,” she said.
All three thespians advised other students to become involved.
“Go for it; don’t think you are too cool to do theater,” Richardson said.
“Theater is like a tiny version of the real world. Sometimes you put yourself out there and get shot down, but someday you’ll get it. If you think you can – you can … if you stick with it,” Schwartz said.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Hale High School
Photo above, from left: Taylor Richardson, Emi Schwartz and Erin Gunsul, officers of Nathan Hale High School’s Troupe #7645 of the Thespian Society.