Mira Monte High School Students Inducted Into International Thespian Society

At MIra Monte High School, in Bakersfield, California, 12 students recently became members of an international Honor Society, thanks to a new grant program that is covering the initial costs of membership. The students were inducted into the International Thespian Society (ITS), the honor organization for high school and middle school theatre students. To earn induction each student had to accumulate 100 hours of excellent work in theatre.

ITS is located at more than four thousand affiliated schools across America, Canada, and abroad. Students inducted into the Honor Society are eligible for leadership opportunities, college scholarships, and invitations to perform at state and national venues. Since its founding in 1929, the Society has inducted more than 2.2 million students.

The establishment of Thespian Troupe 8364 at MIra Monte was made possible this year by a new grant program offered by the Educational Theatre Association, the parent organization of the Honor Society. The program is dedicated to bringing honor and recognition to theatre students in financially challenged communities through access to the International Thespian Society. The initial gift to fund the program has been made by Tams-Witmark Music Library.

The New Troupe Charter Grants program is enabling qualifying schools to fund the charter of an International Thespian Society troupe and induct up to ten students. Qualifications include a school-wide Title I designation and the production of at least one show per year for the two school years preceding the year of the grant application. Since the program was launched in September 10 schools in seven states have taken advantage of it to charter troupes to honor their theatre students.

The schools that received New Troupe Charter Grants to date are: California--Arroyo Valley High School, San Bernardino, Jurupa Hills High School, Fontana; MIra Monte High School, Bakersfield; Illinois--Frankfort Community High School, West Frankfort; Kentucky Russell County High School, Russell Springs; Western Middle School, Louisville (Induction scheduled for Jan. 19, 2017); Louisiana--Delhi Charter School; New Mexico--Valencia High School; Oklahoma--Harding Fine Arts Academy, Oklahoma City; Texas--Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Senior High School, Houston.

The grants are for the 2016-17 school year and limited funding is still available. More detailed information about the New Troupe Charter Grants program and application process is on the EdTA website at schooltheatre.org/newtroupegrants.

Jennifer Sorkin, MIra Monte High School Theatre Educator said, "The students were honored just before our production of The Outsiders on opening night, and they were over the moon the rest of the evening. Parents, administrators, and teachers are still talking about it and are very proud to recognize their efforts." She added, "We are grateful for the investment ITS made in our kids."

MIra Monte High School Thespians are: Milagros Balzaretti, Rita Jimenez, Gerardo Angulo, Julian Ruiz, Alvaro Larios, Gabriella Cortez, Anthony Arriaga, Emmanuel Montejano, Sydney Porter, Eduardo Angulo, Isabel Vega, and Yuridiana Pantoja.

Tams-Witmark Music Library licenses the performance rights for over 150 works of musical theatre, including some of the best-known titles from Broadway. Tams-Witmark takes great pride in working closely with our customers, both amateurs and professionals, to provide them with performance rights, high quality scripts, scores and orchestrations. For more information, visit tamswitmark.com.

The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), is a professional organization with approximately 100,000 members nationwide. EdTA's mission is shaping lives through theatre education: honoring student achievement in theatre and enriching their theatre education experience; supporting teachers by providing professional development, resources, and recognition; and influencing public opinion that theatre education is essential and builds life skills. EdTA operates the International Thespian Society (ITS), an honorary organization that has inducted more than two million theatre students since its founding in 1929. EdTA also publishes Dramatics, a monthly magazine for high school theatre students, and Teaching Theatre, a quarterly journal for theatre education professionals.

The International Thespian Society (ITS) is an honorary organization for high school and middle school theatre students located at more than four thousand affiliated secondary schools across America, Canada, and abroad. The mission of ITS is to honor student achievement in the theatre arts. ITS is a division of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA).

Pictured: MIra Monte High School Ceremony for a newly chartered troupe and first ever member induction. In order from left to right: Troupe Director Jennifer Sorkin, Principal William Sandoval, Inductees Milagros Balzaretti, Rita Jimenez, Gerardo Angulo, Julian Ruiz, Alvaro Larios, Gabriella Cortez, Anthony Arriaga, Emmanuel Montejano, Sydney Porter, Eduardo Angulo, Isabel Vega, and Yuridiana Pantoja.

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