On Saturday October 18, Academy’s Thespian troupe attended the District 9 Thespian Festival, or “Thespys,” at Blake High School. It was a huge success, with the troupe receiving nine Superiors and three Top Honors distinctions. These entries will go on to compete at the Florida State Thespian Festival in the Spring.

The District 9 Thespian Festival is a local theatre competition run by the International Thespian Society. It brings together schools from the surrounding area and provides theatre students with the opportunity to compete in front of judges and alongside other schools in categories such as solo, duet, and large group musicals, solo, duet, and ensemble acting, and technical divisions like costume, makeup, and set design. 

The judges’ criteria is broken down into four categories–fair, good, excellent, and superior–with superior being the highest ranking a student can achieve. If a student receives a superior ranking at the district competition, they are able to take their entry to the state competition in March.

This year, the Academy’s theatre troupe especially shined with nine Superior entries. The troupe also received Top Honors for three entries, which is the most they have ever achieved.

Among the recipients of Superiors were Lauren Rordam (‘27) with a solo musical, Rylan Meredith (‘27) and Avery Maxwell (‘27) with a duet, Gigi Luka (‘27) and Alex Garcia (‘28) with costume design, Sophia Wall (‘28) with makeup design, Isla Paone (‘28) with a solo musical, as well as the small group musical and large group musical.

The entries receiving Top Honors were Rylan Meredith and Avery Maxwell’s duet, Gigi Luka’s costume design, and Sophia Wall’s makeup design.

Beyond the scores, many members of the troupe found the festival to be an enriching experience. “I loved being in a space where my art can really shine,” said Layla Evans (‘26). “I liked watching other people perform things that I’ve seen before and watch them be done differently. It’s so amazing to see the performing arts inspire others.”

Rylan Meredith (‘27) shared similar feelings, “I loved getting to perform for judges and hang out with my friends,” she said. “I got to see a lot of other troupes perform and it was just all together really fun.”

Gabriella Suarez-Vargas says, “It was a great learning experience. My favorite part of the day was when I found out that the group number got a Superior and everyone was going to States.”

Looking ahead, the troupe will continue on to the State Thespian Festival, composed of schools from all across Florida. States features new opportunities such as workshops led by industry professionals, college recruiting, and mainstage productions. 

The District 9 Thespian Festival provided students with an enhancing social environment, and some even shared that it has made them better performers. “I got valuable performance experience getting to perform in front of professional judges and I got to see others perform, which helped me get insight on myself,” said Rylan Meredith.