JOPLIN, MO (SNS) – The Missouri State Thespian Festival will take place from 8 a.m. – 11:30 p.m., Jan. 5-7 on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.

The conference will attract representation from over 80 schools from across the state, with approximately 1500 high school students, sponsors, teachers, and artists for three days of workshops, one acts, full length plays, and musicals.

These will be held on the stages of Webster, Bud Walton, and Taylor Auditorium. Workshops will cover everything from Audition Techniques and Acting, to Dance, Improvisation, Stage Combat, and Technical Theatre and Design. Each evening will culminate with a full scale production or musical from high schools attending the festival.

The festival will include auditions for the All State Show as well as actors and actresses auditioning for various scholarships and awards from area schools. Technical students will be available for interviews for technical scholarships and awards.

Members of MSSU’s Southern players are serving as hosts for the event.

This is the second year that Missouri Southern Theatre Dept has hosted this festival, and the department is looking forward to hosting it again next year.

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