Niwot sophomore selected to serve as State Thespian Officer

Even when Niwot sophomore Audrey Asbury was a child, she loved music and would run around the house singing. At age five, her mother signed her up for a theater summer camp and she's been performing ever since.

"Theater is one of the most important aspects of my life, it doesn't only bring me joy, but the arts allow me to bring joy to the people around me," she said.

Asbury's come a long way from that summer camp years ago. Now, she's involved in Niwot's theater, has participated at Thescon and has been elected as a State Thespian Officer (STO) for the International Thespian Society. Each year, Colorado hosts a Thespian Conference where students can compete in various events, mingle with other students and more. In 2019, Asbury attended the convention and sang "Mama Who Bore Me" from the musical "Spring Awakening" for her competitive piece.

This was her first exposure to the International Thespian Society, and she was hooked. "The society honors student achievement in the theatre arts," Asbury said. "To me, the International Society is a fantastic way to get involved in theater beyond your school and state. Being a part of this community has helped me grow as an artist, and has helped me meet so many amazing people with my same passion."

When she heard that Colorado was taking applications for State Thespian Officers (STO), she jumped at the chance. It would be an opportunity to be a student representative on the Colorado Thespians Board--this would mean that she acts as a voice for young thespians, helps plan Thescon and becomes an advocate for the arts in schools.

"I plan on being involved in theater in college and will continue to perform as much as I can," she said. "I will also never stop seeing shows, and supporting theaters locally and beyond. I'm also really passionate about arts [advocacy], and will never stop fighting for better funding of the arts in our schools."

This note about funding is especially relevant to the state because according to the Colorado Thespians (the state's branch of the International Society), Colorado's High School Theater programs support the creative sector, which is the state's fifth largest economic industry. Additionally, Colorado's Thescon attracts students across the Rocky Mountain region, with students from both Wyoming and New Mexico attending the conference.

Thescon, and the Colorado Thespians more broadly, give arts students the opportunity to audition for college and train with professionals from various parts of the industry i.e., acting, directing, writing, etc. By Asbury's selection as a STO, she will be able to help other students develop not only a love of theater, but also the skills to pursue it in the future, as she has.

"Theater always has a role in my future goals... but theater has always motivated me with my non-theater related [goals too]."

She encourages students thinking about theater to be persistent and resilient in their artistic endeavors, because "each individual brings something unique to the table."

In news related to the Niwot Theater program- it sending a few students to the international competition this summer, in addition to now having a STO on the board with Asbury's recent election. The program has also recently produced a student-written and directed spring play, "Hint", which is available on YouTube.

To watch the play, visit this link. Niwot Theater can also be found on Instagram @niwot.theater

For more information about the International Thespian Society, visit this link.