APAC A3 - Artists Advocates & Accolades

Want to join me in making a difference?

I'm raising money to benefit International Thespian Society Troupe 4909, whose students proudly call Power Academic and Performing Arts Complex, or APAC, in Jackson, Mississippi their home.  These are my students, who spend an hour and a half every day (twice as often as their core classes) studying and making theatre.  They are passionate, dedicated, diligent young thespians whose maturity and commitment inspires me to work harder and smarter every day - I want to help give back to them. 

They recently attended the Mississippi Thespians Conference (or ThesCon, as it's affectionately known) where they were able to attend a number of theatre workshops in a range of areas, from dance to playwriting and cold reading to stage combat, as well as performing a piece for their peers in the Chapter Select Showcase and seeing many other schools perform for them.  They were able to meet and interact with students from around the state who were all there for the love of theatre.  Students could learn from Broadway professionals and had the chance to audition for college representatives and scholarship opportunities.  For some students, ThesCon is a true changing point in their high school career, where they decide it might be a life choice.

In the end, all of the performances are adjudicated by theatre professionals and the conference culminates in a lively awards ceremony.  Standout performances by individuals in monologues, solo songs, duet scenes, duet songs, group scenes and technical achievements are all recognized, scholarships are awarded and everyone is applauded in the most positive, energizing atmosphere imaginable. And, finally, the winner of the Chapter Select Showcase is announced....and for the second year in a row, Troupe 4909 - Power APAC was selected! 

This win qualifies the troupe to take their show to the International Thespian Festival (ITF) in Bloomington, Indiana in June of 2020.  ITF is, much like ThesCon, made up of workshops, classes, performances galore, scholarship and college auditions, nationwide networking opportunities and more.  I encourage you to visit the ITF 2020 website for a more comprehensive view of how amazing it is: https://www.schooltheatre.org/itf/home

The one drawback is that for all of its incredible opportunities, ITF is very expensive at $865 per student/chaperon, in addition to the expense of getting 30+ people to Indiana.  Our fundraising goal of $30000* will cover all of the students' registration fees, two chaperone registrations (for my colleague and myself), and most of the estimated travel expenses.  I hate the idea that any of my students would miss out on the chance to immerse themselves in a positive, creative, supportive, life-changing experience because of the cost.  Please consider making this possible for this talented group of young artists!

APAC A3 - Artists Advocates & Accolades is our amazing advocacy group that is a community of advocates dedicated to supporting projects and initiatives that benefit the Performing Arts program of Power Academic and Performing Arts Complex (APAC), a part of the Jackson Public School Disctrict in Jackson, Mississippi.

*After raising $770 at our special fundraising performance (3/5/20), our overall goal has been adjusted to $29,230!!