International Thespian Society’s ITS fest is a festival made for theater troupes that brings theater students and teachers from around the state together. 

As part of the festival, there are competitions to showcase students’ drama abilities. 

12 Redhawks took part in these contests, with four, seniors Kevin Crawford and Ciara Willis, junior Aparajitha Srinivasan, and sophomore Lexi Holding advancing to the international festival. 

“In terms of nationals, I felt like I had a fifty-fifty percent chance of getting in, so I didn’t have a high expectation, so when I found out that I did get into it, I was really happy about it,” Srinivasan said.

Being herself in the competition was the focus for Willis. 

“I went in there, and I just kinda did it. I honestly forgot I was singing cause it’s like one of those moments where while you’re performing, you get so into the character where you’re like, you forget everything,” Willis said.

For other students, preparing for the competition was a deliberate process.

“I chose my Thespy because The Producers, the show I picked it from, is actually my favorite show,” Crawford said. “So I said, why not do something I’ve never done before, which is something very high energy, something that will push my energy a little bit and keep me, you know, going strong.”

Holding is seizing the opportunity to travel to the international festival in June.

“I am definitely gonna go to Indiana for the nationals because I really want to show off my hard work, and I want to show how much time and dedication I put into this,” Holding said.