The International Thespian Society, founded in 1929 as an honor organization for theater students in over 4,900 schools around the world, just recently affiliated with Silver Creek High School’s theater program. Tracy Knick, the school’s French teacher and new director for Drama at Silver Creek, is very excited to show theater students what exactly being part of a Thespian Troupe entails.

“It’s really a workshop type of organization where people are getting a more comprehensive view of theatrical performance, and then hopefully, developing skills that they can not only use in a theatrical production, but in other things because it helps when you’ve got to make presentations, both in school and professional life,” explains Knick.

Joining the International Thespian Society (ITS) is a very new opportunity for Silver Creek, still in the works of starting up. Many students, though not sure what being part of a Thespian Troupe entails, are eager to see where it will take them. Knick gives some insight into what Silver Creek’s Thespian Society will be like in the coming years:

“Seeing a professional show is something that our group would benefit from. There’s also a lot of local, smaller local theaters that we can take advantage of, and seek out opportunities, particularly with the smaller troops to see if we can go to a show and then have a Q&A with the cast and crew.”

Jill Hamlin, the head of costuming in Silver Creek’s drama program, was a member of ITS in their previous school, Middle Park High.

“It was great,” says Hamlin. “They offered us a lot of scholarships. If we participated in certain theater events, we were basically able to run our entire theater academic liaison … [You] would get points, and the more points you got, the more you can do with them, and the more scholarships you’d be offered.”

Though scholarships are one of the perks many students looking to join the Thespian Society are after, most students are in it for the community and experience that comes with being a part of a large group that shares similar interests.

“I think if more people start joining,” Hamlin states, “there’s gonna be a lot more opportunities, scholarships, and events wise. I came from a lot smaller school, so there really wasn’t much we could do. However, down here, you can actually go places and participate in college events.”

Theater is like a second family to a lot of people, and Knick plans to make Silver Creek’s drama community even more of a home with her motto: “Once a thespian, always a thespian.” She herself was a part of the International Thespian Society when she was in high school, and she’s been a member ever since.

“One thing that’s interesting about the Thespian Troupe is when I went and reactivated the charter, I had to register under my name, and it found me because I was a member in high school,” stated Knick. “And you know, you kind of think, ‘Oh, high school, [it’s] so done.’ But it was when I got this letter that was like, ‘Oh, we’re glad we found you.’ Because once you’re a member, you’re a member for life.”