2017 New York Educational Theatre Festival Set for American Academy of Dramatic Arts This April

New York Thespians (the New York Chapter of the Educational Theatre Association) is hosting the 8th annual New York Educational Theatre Festival on Saturday April 29th, 2017.

Open to both high school and middle school students, the festival is a full day of theatre based workshops and presentations, where they can hone their craft, explore something new, make friends with fellow theatre lovers at different schools, and see performances from their peers.

There are opportunities for students to be adjudicated on their work by theatre professionals and $4,000 in scholarships will be awarded.

Accessibility is a top priority for the festival and thanks to sponsorship from Music Theatre International (MTI) and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts we are able to keep the cost of the day at the price of a movie ticket. Presenters at the festival range from Broadway professionals to indie theatre artists with the idea of bringing students and teachers together in an exploration of how encompassing theatre education can be. Students and teachers from the various theatre programs around New York connect and share best practices, activities and ideas. Workshops range from acting and directing to clowning, stage craft and playwriting.

New York Thespians also provides leadership opportunities to students who wish to take on a leadership role outside of their school. State Thespian Officers are elected officials responsible for much of the planning of the festival as well as developing fundraising efforts for charities of their choice. STO's sit on the adult planning board and actively participate in meetings.

This year's festival is on April 29th from 9am to 6pm at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (120 Madison Ave, New York, NY). Registration is currently open and can be found at www.newyorkthespians.org or directly here.

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) is a national nonprofit organization with approximately 90,000 student and professional members. EdTA's mission is shaping lives through theatre education by: honoring student achievement in theatre and enriching their theatre education experience; supporting teachers by providing professional development, networking opportunities, resources, and recognition; and influencing public opinion that theatre education is essential and builds life skills.