Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley to Host International Thespian Excellence Awards Showcase on STARS IN THE HOUSE

Broadway has the Tonys. Hollywood has the Oscars. Now Thespians have the Thespys™. The International Thespian Excellence Awards, or Thespys™ for short, recognize the highest level of achievement in school theatre performance and technical theatre.

As part of the first-ever Virtual International Thespian Festival, SiriusXM On Broadway's Seth Rudetsky and his husband and producer James Wesley will debut the International Thespian Excellence Awards showcase live on a special episode of Stars in the House at starsinthehouse.com featuring a baker's dozen of the students*, June 26 at 9:30 pm. Frank DiLella, journalist and host of New York 1's On Stage, will be the showcase host.

Tune in below!

This educational program (formerly National Individual Events) gives Thespians - students who have been inducted into the International Thespian Society, the honor organization for theatre students - the opportunity to receive constructive feedback on prepared theatrical material and technical designs. Students who achieve overall Superiors at their chapter event and earn the top scores in their category at the International Thespian Festival earn International Thespian Excellence Awards.

The Thespys, and the entire Virtual International Thespian Festival experience, are important to students. Thespys winner Rachel Rudolph of Charlotte, North Carolina, said, "We're celebrating the work of students across the world during these troubling times. Despite the unfortunate circumstances this year has brought, this festival shows how we can come together to heal, learn, and grow. This week has been opening my eyes to how theatre can survive during this crisis. We're all keeping a positive outlook and doing the best we can. It's really refreshing to see everyone work and learn together. It's been very important to see."

The 2020 Thespys recipients and their categories are:

California

Margaret Hammond, Nuview Bridge Early College High School, Thespian Troupe 8117, Nuevo

Costume Design-She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition

Florida

*Jeyna Lynn Gonzales, J. R. Arnold High School, Thespian Troupe 6371, Panama City Beach

Monologue-Tribes and Roosters

Allison Cartmill, Seminole High School, Thespian Troupe 3266, Sanford

Scenic Design-Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Kansas

Bethany Robertson, Olathe North High School, Thespian Troupe 3310, Olathe

Costume Construction-Elf the Musical

Katelyn Gillette, Olathe North High School, Thespian Troupe 3310, Olathe

Sound Design-Elf the Musical

Grant Martin, Olathe East High School, Thespian Troupe 5078, Olathe

Scenic Design-Carrie the Musical

Kentucky

Charlotte Bariteau, Ballard High School, Thespian Troupe 6932, Louisville

Theatre Marketing-45 Plays for 45 Presidents

North Carolina

*Rachel Rudolph, Ardrey Kell High School, Thespian Troupe 7935, Charlotte

Solo Musical Theatre- "Me and the Sky" from Come from Away

Oregon

Natalie Lawton, Redmond Proficiency Academy, Thespian Troupe 7715, Redmond

Stage Management-She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition

Texas

*Najea Broadnax, Jazlynn Thomas, Avonlea Yeakley; Fulshear High School, Thespian Troupe 8336, Fulshear

Group Musical Theatre-"Make Him Mine" from The Witches of Eastwick

*Nicholas Harrison, Reese Henrick; Obra D. Tompkins High School, Thespian Troupe 7963, Katy

Duet Musical-"Therapy" from Tick Tick Boom

*Cody Dixon, Trysten Williams; G.W. Carver Magnet High School, Thespian Troupe 6753, Houston

Duet Acting-Fences

Lauren Snow, Midlothian Heritage High School, Thespian Troupe 8239, Midlothian

Makeup Design-Alice in Wonderland

Carson Perkins, John Randolph Foster High School, Thespian Troupe 7961, Richmond

Lighting Design-Metamorphoses

Saipan

James Park, Jin Seok Park, Ryan Kang; Marianas High School, Thespian Troupe 5374,

Northern Marianas Islands

Short Film-A White World

(Editor's note: The 2019 winner for short film was also produced by a Marianas High School student,

Jenikah Elayda.)

The virtual nature of this awards ceremony naturally lends itself to the performance categories of the Thespys. As a result, four additional students who received high rankings will be able to participate in the showcase. They are:

*Amelia Gibbons, Thespian Troupe 9011, West De Pere High School, Wisconsin

Solo Musical Theatre-"Safer" from First Date

*Grable Howie and Jazz Mueller, Thespian Troupe 3384, Niwot High School, Colorado

Duet Musical Theatre-"I Am the One (Reprise)" from Next to Normal

*Derek Norris, Hutchinson High School, Thespian Troupe 2277, Kansas

Monologue- Hello, Goodbye, Peace and Red