Theatre North Carolina

Over $100,000 in Scholarships - NCTC State High School Play Festival!

Over $100,000 in scholarships to be awarded at the

NCTC State High School Play Festival!

The North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC) is thrilled to announce new partnerships with Greensboro College and Lenoir-Rhyne University. At the 2011 NCTC State High School Play Festival, the two students (one male and one female) who are presented with the Outstanding Achievement in Acting awards will receive scholarship offers from these colleges. Lenoir-Rhyne University will offer each of the students a $20,000 theatre scholarship and Greensboro College will offer $30,000 scholarships.

In addition, teachers from high schools advancing to the State Play Festival will have the opportunity to nominate non-acting students for a $30,000 scholarship to Greensboro College to study Design/Tech, Costuming, Theatre Education, or Stage Directing/Management. Greensboro College will interview students and award up to four scholarships at the State Play Festival awards ceremony! More information about this process will be provided to schools advancing to the State Festival.

All of these scholarships are contingent upon meeting admissions requirements and enrollment in the respective schools. They will be spread over four years and are theatre-department specific.

NCTC thanks Lenoir-Rhyne University (Mia Self, Theatre Program Coordinator) and Greensboro College (David Schram, Theatre Department Chair) for their support of the High School Play Festival and theatre students across the state!

About the NCTC High School Play Festival

Each fall, more than 2,000 students from approximately 90 schools across the state participate in the NCTC High School Play Festival. The festival is an opportunity for students at NCTC member schools to showcase their work, learn from others, make new theatre friends and celebrate their achievements. Schools present 45 minute plays and receive valuable feedback from industry experts. The event functions both as a showcase and as a means of assessing and improving the standards of theatre arts programs in the state.

The 2011 High School Play Festival will take place at eight regional sites across the state, on October 28-29 and November 4-5. Regional festivals are hosted by Meredith College, Mt. Tabor High School, Rocky River High School, Union Pines High School, Washington High School, The Paramount Theatre, Kings Mountain High School and Western Carolina University. Two plays from each site will advance to the State Festival at Greensboro College, November 17-18. The two most outstanding productions at the State Festival advance to represent NC at the Southeastern Theatre Conference Convention in Chattanooga, TN, in the spring. The 2011 Festival is made possible by sponsorship support from the North Carolina Arts Council, Wells Fargo, The Hillsdale Fund, The Beattie Foundation, The Arts Council of Wayne County, and The Children’s Theatre of Charlotte; with scholarship support provided by Lenoir-Rhyne University and Greensboro College.

About the North Carolina Theatre Conference

The North Carolina Theatre Conference is a statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to improving and enhancing theatre in NC through service, leadership and advocacy. NCTC members include theatre companies, K-12 schools, colleges/universities and individual artists and arts supporters. The organization produces several events throughout the year including the NCTC Producing Theatre Gathering, College Discovery Day and statewide High School and Middle School Play Festivals.

For more information, please contact NCTC at 336.747.1416 or visit www.nctc.org.

So Much to Do!

Hello NCTC Members and Friends!

This is our busiest time of year and we are rapidly approaching many deadlines and programs. I hope you're considering how you can be involved with our fall events and helping us to spread the word! We are still accepting registrations for some things and are still in need of sponsors, so please contact me if you have any questions. Thanks so much and here is a quick recap of what is happening! 

 

Angie Hays, Executive Director 

Regional High School Play Festivals - Oct. 28/29 and Nov. 4/5

Schedules are now available online and festival admission is free. Join us to see the incredible talent of NC's high school theatre programs!
 
Thank you to our sponsors: the North Carolina Arts Council, the Hillsdale Fund, Wells Fargo, the Beattie Foundation and The Arts Council of Wayne County (and thanks to our amazing festival hosts)! 
 
SETC Screening Auditions - Registration closes Nov. 2 - Auditions Nov. 17/18
 
These auditions are an exciting opportunity for college students and other pre-professional actors. Register now to secure your spot!
 
Thank you to our sponsors: the North Carolina Arts Council, Wake Forest University and Greensboro College (and thanks to our partners at SETC)! 
 
College Discovery Day - Nov. 19
 
High School students are connected with theatre professors from more than 20 NC Colleges and Universities. Workshops, networking, auditions and more! Please share this link with any high school students you know!
 
Thank you to our sponsors: the North Carolina Arts Council, Wake Forest University and Greensboro College! 
 
We need your support!
 
NCTC has launched a new scholarship program, to provide free admission to College Discovery Day for underprivileged students. $50 will sponsor a student, but gifts in any amount help. We hope that you will consider a donation to support this effort. Please visit our website to make a one-time or recurring donation. 
 
If your organization is interested in sponsoring a student or a fall program, please contact angelahays@nctc.org for information about sponsor benefits. Program advertising is also available, for the College Discovery Day and State High School Play Festival programs.

NCTC 2010-2011 Annual Report - A Star is Born

A STAR IS BORN

For the past four years, I have had the immense joy of partaking in the NCTC play festival in some way, shape or form. NCTC has played a pivotal part in my life, both shaping my entire high school experience, and equipping me with a professional outlet that has better prepared me for life as a musical theatre major in college. With my senior year coming to a close, I reflect on this past years' NCTC experience with particular nostalgia.

This past fall, Charlotte Christian School took two shows to the Regional High School Play Festival. Both pieces were well received as well as challenged artistically by the amazing adjudicators. It was an encouraging festival in which I was made aware of new works, and befriended countless other passionate students (in person as well as via NCTC’s facebook page) who share my affinity for theatre. My school was privileged enough to be awarded a spot at the North Carolina State festival with our rendition of Into The Woods, Jr! Looking back at this huge privilege, I still get goose bumps thinking of all the fantastic art produced at the state festival. After a weekend filled with Shakespeare, Greek tragedy, classic American musicals, and even some original works, the NCTC State festival ended up yielding an additional trip to SETC for my cast! SETC allowed me not only to see what performers from all over the United States are working on, but also to have first hand training during the enlightening workshops that take place there. I feel that all the exposure and guidance provided by NCTC helped me to both excel at SETC, as well as go on past the realm of theatre festivals to be accepted into college for musical theatre.

As I recently hung up my red cape for the last time, I was filled with the fondest memories of my four years participating in the NCTC High School Play Festivals. I encourage any and every high school student I come in contact with to be a part of this wonderful and enriching organization. As I walk forward into new “stages” of my life, I truly have been shaped by my time spent at NCTC, and am excited to reach for more dreams in the artistic community. -- Polly Hilton, Charlotte Christian School

High School Play Festival - Registration is now open!

High School Play Festival  - Registration is now open!

 

Registration is now open for the 2011 NCTC High School Play Festival. The Festival will take place at eight regional sites across the state, on October 28-29 & November 4-5. Two plays from each site will advance to the State Festival, at Greensboro College, November 17-18.

 

The Play Festival is an opportunity for students to showcase their work, learn from others, make new theatre friends and celebrate their achievements. We hope you will join us for this exciting event!

  

 Click here for more information and registration!

NCTC 2010-2011 Annual Report - High School & Middle School Play Festivals

High School & Middle School Play Festivals

The High School and Middle School Play Festivals are an opportunity for students at NCTC member schools to showcase their work, learn from others, make new theatre friends and celebrate their achievements. Schools present 45 minute shows to adjudicators, who provide knowledgeable and encouraging feedback. In 2010, over 2,000 students from over 120 schools participated in the Play Festivals, which took place at 10 regional sites across the state.

NCTC has offered me many opportunities and experiences. The dedication, time, work and focus required to prepare for the Middle School Play Festival is astounding. These kinds of opportunities are great for middle school kids to be exposed to as they begin to figure out what they really love. One of the most exciting things that I gained during NCTC was relationships. I made so many new friends and met so many new people that I will never forget."
-- Lauren Zitney, Yancey County Middle School



"I love everything about NCTC, the festival, the rehearsals, even the bus ride there and back. Our teacher, Jenny Martin, believes in us and every year she takes a risk with us by choosing plays like “Richard Cory” and “The Diviners” to take to the festival. I want to thank NCTC for giving us the opportunity to show off all the hard work we put into these plays every year."
-- Noah Gavenus, East Yancey Middle School


"Being involved with NCTC has inspired me to introduce theatre to kids that otherwise might not experience it. I always thought theatre education just started in high school; I didn't realize it even existed at a middle school level. At the beginning of the year, I approached the principal at Kings Mountain Middle School and told him I would like to start a "little sister" drama department.

He was on board with my idea, and now every Thursday I go over to the middle school and teach the students theatre games, skills, and concepts. The pilot year has been successful, with 30-35 students participating. I am also directing a play with them that will go up in May.

NCTC is more than just doing a play for the sake of doing it - it is to learn from other schools, meet kids from other schools, and overall grow as a theatre person. I've gained friends from NCTC, I've learned high levels of professionalism, and I've just had FUN."
-- Lizzie Anderson, Kings Mountain High School

Upcoming NCTC Events

NCTC Producing Theatre Gathering 
July 17-19 at Triad Stage in Greensboro

Click here for more information!

NCTC High School Play Festival
Regional Festivals - October 28/29 and November 4/5 (locations TBA)
State Festival - November 17/18 at Greensboro College

SETC Screening Auditions
November 17/18 at Greensboro College

NCTC College Discovery Day
November 19 at Greensboro College 

 

School's (Almost) Out for the Summer!

 News for K-12 and College Educators

 

Congratulations on surviving another year! We hope you are getting some well-deserved time off this summer!

 

Stay Connected!

As you transition to beach time, we hope you'll remember to stay in touch with NCTC over the summer. If you only receive our emails on your work account and will not be checking it over the summer, email us (amanda@nctc.org) with another address to add to our list.

 

Educators are welcome at the Producing Theatre Gathering!

We hope to see many of you at the Producing Theatre Gathering, July 17-19 at Triad Stage. Though this event is designed for leaders of theatre companies, we think it is a great opportunity for you to connect with those people that are working in the industry that many of your students plan to enter. You can make contacts for yourself and your students and will also learn the latest about the issues facing the field. Many of you wear lots of hats - director, teacher, fundraiser, marketing director, etc. Pick up some new skills that can help you in your work! It is also a great time for all and can help with those pesky professional development requirements.

 

Click here for more information! 

 

Membership Renewal Time!

Though many schools wait until fall to renew their NCTC membership, your membership dues are actually due on July 1. You can wait until fall, but you will risk falling off our email list and missing great opportunities. Renew now to take full advantage of your membership - to be able to attend the Producing Gathering, to get the latest job/audition listings, stay tuned into our advocacy work and more.

 

Click here for membership information!

Paying It Forward

The Union Pines theatre department strives to support NCTC with a fundraiser each year, because we believe in their mission. By supporting NCTC and participating in the play festivals annually, we are able to show our community how important theatre is to us. We fundraise for NCTC whenever we have the chance. The money that our school's Thespian Society raised from a small ice-cream booth during a school-wide pep rally might not have been much, but we know that any donation is always appreciated. By supporting NCTC, Union Pines High School shows its own passion for the arts.

-- Brittany Bezouska and Rebecca Mofield, Union Pines High School

Giving Back To The Theatre Community

NCTC has been a huge part of my life during my high school theatre career. For the past three years, I have been involved in the High School Play Festival through hosting at Kings Mountain High School, and participating in several locations. This past fall, I participated in College Discovery Day, and had an amazing time. It has better prepared me for college, and this fall, I will be attending UNC-Greensboro.

Being involved with NCTC has also inspired me to introduce theatre to kids that otherwise might not experience it. I always thought theatre education just started in high school; I didn't realize it even existed at a middle school level. At the beginning of the year, I approached the principal at Kings Mountain Middle School and told him I would like to start a "little sister" drama department. He was on board with my idea, and now every Thursday I go over to the middle school and teach the students theatre games, skills, and concepts. The pilot year has been successful, with 30-35 students participating. I am also directing a play with them that will go up in May.

NCTC is more than just doing a play for the sake of doing it - it is to learn from other schools, meet kids from other schools, and overall grow as a theatre person.
                       
--Lizzie Anderson, Senior, Kings Mountain HS

The NCTC High School Experience

For the past four years, I have had the immense joy of partaking in the NCTC play festival in some way, shape or form. Be it baking cookies for fellow cast members, helping out as stage manager, acting as head costumer, or perfecting my skipping skills for my role as Little Red Riding Hood in my school’s production of Into the Woods, Jr.  NCTC has played a pivotal part in my life, both shaping my entire high school experience, and equipping me with a professional outlet that has better prepared me for life as a musical theatre major in college. With my senior year coming to a close, I reflect on this past years NCTC experience with particular nostalgia.

This past fall, Charlotte Christian School took two shows to the Regional High School Play Festival. Both pieces were well received as well as challenged artistically by the amazing adjudicators. It was an encouraging festival in which I was made aware of new works, and befriended countless other passionate students (in person as well as via NCTC’s facebook page) who share my affinity for theatre. My school was privileged enough to be awarded a spot at the North Carolina State festival with our rendition of Into The Woods, Jr! Looking back at this huge privilege, I still get goose bumps thinking of all the fantastic art produced at the state festival. After a weekend filled with Shakespeare, Greek tragedy, classic American musicals, and even some original works, the NCTC State festival ended up yielding an additional trip to SETC for my cast! SETC allowed me not only to see what performers from all over the United States are working on, but also to have first hand training during the enlightening workshops that take place there. I feel that all the exposure and guidance provided by NCTC helped me to both excel at SETC, as well as go on past the realm of theatre festivals to be accepted into college for musical theatre.

As I recently hung up my red cape for the last time, I was filled with the fondest memories of my four years participating in the NCTC High School Play Festivals. I encourage any and every high school student I come in contact with to be a part of this wonderful and enriching organization. As I walk forward into new “stages” of my life, I truly have been shaped by my time spent at NCTC, and am excited to reach for more dreams in the artistic community.     

--Polly Hilton, Little Red Riding Hood in Into The Woods, Jr., Charlotte Christian School