From Jan. 9-11, the theatre department took a trip to downtown St. Louis to participate in the Thespian State Conference at the Renaissance Grand Hotel.

There, high school students who have have at least 100 hours of theatre experience can compete in acting and improvisation competitions, as well as watch shows put on by other schools.

Theatre Director Mrs. Michelle Moll enjoys taking the theatre kids to these conferences and seeing the students interact with other students.

“They can do everything from multiple workshops to just talk to other students,” Mrs. Moll said. “They could also talk to colleges if they are interested in a career in theatre.”

Senior Jessica Reid took advantage of the workshops and watched a few shows put on by different schools.

“There were many workshops I went to where I learned a lot,” Reid said. “I also watched a few shows.”

Reid went because it was a fantastic opportunity to talk to professionals about the topics she is interested in.

“I liked how I could talk to colleges and professionals about theatre,” Reid said. “There were professionals that taught us everything  from makeup and costume design to acting skills.”

The conference is an annual event so freshmen and sophomores who want to make a living in theatre have an opportunity to gain enough hours to attend.