If you are one of the many lucky thespians to have attended state convention, you have no idea what “nationals” is like. In Colorado we are confined to one location (albeit an extensive & large one). In Lincoln, the Festival is spread across the entire campus of University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL). Many people, including myself, disparage Lincoln as a tiny little town among the cornfields, which it somewhat is. However, the UNL campus is a diamond in the rough. 


Two years ago, when I first went, I stayed in one of the old dorm buildings, the Pound. This year all of us were accommodated in the newer facilities, which are on the lever of many midrange hotels. The rooms are spacious, the lobbies are gorgeous, and the bathrooms are too shabby. And oh, the cafeteria! The thing I miss the most about Festival is the HSS Cafeteria! It has a plethora of options, fattening and not (you can guess which one I chose), and the entire complex is brand new, so there is never the feeling of being unclean, like so many other cafeterias. 


The rest of the campus sparkles just as brightly. The Hixon-Lied College of the Performing Arts and the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film have fantastic facilities which they generously lend to Thespians for the week. Of course, the rest of the campus is also used for workshops and Individual Events (I.E.s), but due to my busyness I was unable to partake in such frivolities. 


As a part of the production team for both the production of Urinetown, as well as the presentation of P.S: It’s Not What It Looks Like, I was able to get a behind-the-scenes look at all three of the main theatres, the Lied, Kimball Hall, and the Johnny Carson. The first two, in which we performed Urinetown were both beautiful and state-of-the-art facilities. The Carson Theatre, where we performed our remix of Too Much Light, is also a fantastic space. For a black box type theatre, it is really top-notch. And the staff for all three theatres, including the local crew as well as the Thespian representatives, went out of there way to be friendly and accommodating.


Finally, the three-thousand or so Thespians that overwhelmed the campus were also amazing people. I was lucky enough to share a room with a complete stranger: Jeremiah Light. A very fun and committed individual, Jeremiah is not only a State Student Officer (SSO) in Colorado, but thanks to his determination during Festival, he was elected as an International Thespian Officer (ITO) for this year. He was just one of many outstanding people who I encountered during the week. The people there were nothing short of some of the most talented and genial that I’ve ever known. There was not one person who was not thrilled to be there.


Next week, I’ll talk about the amazing opportunities at Festival, and the fantastic connections that one can make if the cards are played well! For now, thanks for reading, and have a great summer!


Hail Thespis!


G. Austin Allen

Department of the Treasury