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Regionals Quick Links

Regionals Overview

Oregon Thespians Competition &

Thespys Performance Qualifiers for ITF

The Regional Acting Competition is one of the largest Oregon Thespians events, involving a large number of students participating in three regions around the state. In the context of Oregon Thespians’ annual roster of events, this is the first step in a student’s effort to be selected to participate in the State Showcase during the State Festival, and qualify to participate in the International Thespian Excellence Awards Showcase auditions at the International Thespian Festival in June.

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Schools participate in one of three regional events: Northwest, Northeast, and Southern. The dividing line between the North and South is the 45th parallel (just north of Salem). The dividing line in the North between the East and West is Interstate 5. Schools can only participate outside their region by special arrangement (due to transportation issues, for instance).

NOTE: As of 2016, all Portland Public Schools participate in the Northwest Regional, regardless of their location in the Metro Area.

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Regionals

READ ME FIRST:

  • Oregon Thespians will follow state, district, and host site health and safety guidelines.

  • All Troupe Directors, Chaperones, and Student Participants are expected to follow the directions of their own school district’s expectations and protocols with regard to vaccination status, negative testing, and any other district requirements, in order to comply with that district’s protocols for participating in any field trip. Everyone must comply with any and all other necessary restrictions when attending this event.

  • Everyone attending Regionals in any capacity may be asked to wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth (no gaiters) at all times in all venues, unless actively performing for a live audience (ex: auditions, one acts, main stage events, showcase). Plan accordingly.

  • All participants, regardless of age, must complete a self check at home. If you are feeling ill or showing signs of sickness, stay home. 

  • ​Anyone not adhering to these protocols will be subject to possible disqualification.

  • Thank you for understanding and helping keep us all healthy and safe!

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​REGIONALS

  • REGISTRATION OPENS: Thurs. Jan. 2

  • REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Thurs. Jan. 16

  • CHANGE DEADLINE: Thurs. Jan. 23

    • All changes must be completed by the deadline.​

    • Each change incurs a change fee, including drops.

    • No adds/changes after this deadline.

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Entry Fees:

  • Thespians/Junior Thespians pay $16 per event entered. 

  • Future Thespians/Future Jr. Thespians pay $18 per event entered.

  • Change fee $5 PER CHANGE, including drops.

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For further details:​

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JUNIOR THESPIANS REGIONALS:

  •  When offered, Junior Thespians Regionals info is shared on the Jr. Play Day page and is done in conjunction with the registration for that event.

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Ensure accurate registration information with your troupe BEFORE registering as changes and drops will incur fees, and cause difficulties with coordinating this complex event at three locations. Thank you for your attention to detail.

 

Oregon adheres closely to the International Thespian Society’s International Thespian Excellence Awards (Thespys) Program Guide.  Students must consult the Guide as they select material, paying particular attention to specific requirements for eligible scenes, monologues, and musical selections. Troupe Directors will be required to enter the title, playwright, and publisher, also called Rights and Licensing, for every entry when registering to ensure eligibility and entries will be checked for allowable material.

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Registration is done online by Troupe Directors. When registering for the Regional Acting Competition, you will be providing numbers of entries and numbers of participants. Before you go online to register, make sure you know how many entries you have in each event, and also how many Thespians and Future Thespians are in each entry. You will be asked to list the name and membership number of each inducted Thespian Member you are registering. Double check your numbers. You will be responsible for paying for all participants, even if you show up with fewer than you register. Please review entry limits for participants as well as schools.

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Performance Categories

Current Rubrics (click each title for link)

There are 10 non-musical event categories: Monologue and Contrasting Monologues (Novice and Experienced), 2-Person Scenes (Comic and Dramatic, Novice and Experienced), Ensemble Acting, and Pantomime. There are 7 musical event categories: Solo (Novice and Experienced), Duet (Novice and Experienced), Musical Theatre Dance, Small Group Musical, and Large Group Musical.

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In each category other than Novice, the top 10% scoring entries (or a minimum of 2) in each region are named Showcase Qualifiers and are invited to advance to the State Showcase auditions at the State Festival. In the event of a tie, all advance. In Novice categories, only 1 top scoring entry advances. In each category, the next 10% (or those remaining in the top 20%) are recognized as Regional Finalists.

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By participating in Regionals, students are participating in the International Thespian Excellence Awards (Thespys™) program. Students who would like to be eligible to participate in the International Thespian Excellence Awards Showcase (Thespys™) should consult the specific Thespys™ Guide. Performance rights are required and it is the responsibility of the Troupe Director to ensure the material is allowable prior to registration. EdTA has published participation requirement information online in the Thespys™ Guide. Troupe Directors and Students must consult the Rights and Licensing page annually for each publisher's updates to ensure material selected is allowable for Regional Acting Competition, which also impacts qualifying for Regionals and State recognition, and ITF Thespys™ participation.

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While the day is structured around competition, the spirit of the day is focused on recognition of quality student work, and constructive feedback from qualified adjudicators all Troupe Directors solicit annually.

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Design/Tech Categories

Early Entry Feedback Optional Before State

Students who plan to enter in a Design/Tech Category at State can bring (or send) their entry to Regionals, where it will receive initial feedback.

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If you would like to participate in the Early Entry Design/Tech Feedback program, you need to register your involvement with your Troupe’s Regionals registration.  Then, you just need to get your entry to and from your Regionals site. More information will be sent to those who register.

 

This remains an entirely optional opportunity for the Design/Tech at the Regional level.

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Optional Design/Tech Theatre Feedback at Regionals:

  • Judges will provide feedback to Design/Tech competitors based on each event’s requirements as noted on the category checklist provided. It is meant to provide student designers with an opportunity to get initial feedback on their completed projects, for both required elements and their design, PRIOR to submitting it for actual competition at State.

  • You are NOT required to submit work at Regionals for feedback in order to compete at State.

  • You MAY compete at State WITHOUT submitting work at Regionals.

  • Regionals is ONLY meant for additional feedback PRIOR to submitting your work for actual judging.

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If you are planning to compete at State in Design/Tech Theatre, you may submit your completed project by Regionals to get feedback from a judge who will be using the State rubric. Then, you will have time between Regionals and State to work on your project and submit the final design for actual judging at State.

  • Regionals will NOT be a State qualifier for Design/Tech, only feedback.

  • You do NOT have to submit designs at Regionals in order to compete at State.

  • Each Troupe is limited to 3 entries per Design/Tech Event.

  • Short Film entries will email the URL of their film to their Region's Tournament Coordinator.

  • Judging will take place at State for National qualifying.

  • If you pay for Regional feedback, you do NOT pay again at State.

 

Each entry is $16 for Thespians, $18 for Future Thespians.

 

To compete at State and also qualify your Design/Tech entry for the International Thespian Excellence Awards (Thespys), you must consult the Thespys Guide annually for each publisher's updates to ensure material selected is allowable for Early Entry Feedback and State, which also impacts qualifying for State recognition and ITF as Oregon Thespians follows the ITF guidelines for Design/Tech Competition.

HOW TO REGISTER for Regionals
via SPEECHEASE VIDEO

Click the video above to walk through how to register on SpeechEase.

Regionals Standard Operating Procedures

Below is the Standard Operating Guide for Regionals. This document can be printed and added to a hardcopy manual, if desired. Check the date of any hardcopies you have. Below is the most current version.

 

Also available is the HOW TO guide for Hosts, or those considering hosting.

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Highlights from the SOP:

  • If you are planning to participate in International Thespian Excellence Awards at the International Thespian Festival, review the documents found on the EdTA’s Thespys™ webpage for the most current information.

  • Pantomime is not a National Event, though we will still have it in Oregon.

  • Similarly, there is only Group Musical at that National level, with no distinction between Large or Small.

  • See Performance Categories and Design/Tech Categories for event scoring rubrics, developed by EdTA for use in the International Thespian Excellence Awards (Thespys™).

  • Participants are encouraged to dress in modest black or dark attire of “business casual”, including neutral footwear, that allows for freedom of movement for the action of the performance. (At the International level, that includes removing dangling jewelry, no light-up footwear, and no fashionably distressed attire.) To be as inclusive as possible, no student will be disqualified for clothing. See the Thespys Guide™ for Dress Code. This requirement is the same as any other rule/guideline to which students are expected to adhere, with respect to consequences. Students can still perform for feedback, but may not advance.

  • Students will continue to qualify to participate in Thespys™ at the International Thespian Festival by receiving one overall Superior Rating at Regionals or State (on the latest scoring rubric).

  • Furniture allotments are as follows:  Solo events have only 1 chair; 2-Person events have 2 chairs; Ensemble events have up to 6 chairs and a table.  The table is intended to be used as a table, not a platform or flat. In Oregon, we consider Pantomime to be an Ensemble event.

  • Reminder/Clarification: Material must be published and written for the STAGE only that are approved on the ITF Rights and Licensing page. No film or other source media will be permitted. Song cycles fall into the permitted category if they were written for the stage, published, and are approved on the ITF Rights and Licensing page.

  • Clarification: A student may participate in more than one musical event (max 2), but not in more than one entry per any given musical event. No student can enter into more than one category per acting column as noted in the SOP.

  • Musical performers must use a pre-recorded, non-vocal music track only.

  • Pantomime performers must use a pre-recorded, non-vocal music track or recorded sound effects that are available in the public domain or original music only.

  • Reminder to review all health and safety protocols.

  • Oregon Thespians does not provide playback devices. Performers should bring their own device to playback any music tracks.

©2025 by Oregon Thespians.

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