Frequently Asked Questions

Select a category below to explore the most commonly asked questions and answers

Participant FAQs

Over 5,000 of Colorado’s most dedicated high school theatre students in grades 9 through 12 attend the high school conference. And over 1,000 middle school students grades 6 through 8 attend our one day Junior Thespian Conference. The conference is open to all inducted and non-inducted Thespians attending with a troupe. No individual attendance is permitted. Only inducted Thespians will qualify for nationals as per ITS rules.

Only official troupe directors or designated school personnel can register students for ThesCon. Create or login to your Troupe Director account at the top of the page. Once schools enter the registration process, teachers can make changes to their account, add and delete students or events, up to the November 10 deadline or until they hit SUBMIT. Please note this is your online record. You can add students to your directory that may or may not attend a thespian event.

ThesCon is the only community of its kind in Colorado that brings together and celebrates the work of student theatre practitioners. Colleges, Conservatories, and Universities from all over the country, dedicated to the service of the academic theatre community, have offered college admission and millions of dollars worth of scholarships and financial aid to students in attendance. In addition, students of all ages have the opportunity to learn from some of the country’s leading professionals in Acting, Directing, Playwriting, and Design & Technical Theatre. The conference also affords students the opportunity to watch main stage presentations produced by area schools, professional theaters, and university theatre programs.

The most current conference registration fee is posted within the online registration system. The registration fee covers the cost of admission to the conference to attend workshops and performances. The registration fee does not cover the cost of food or optional events including Individual Events (including One Acts), Improv Challenge, Tech Challenge or Scholarship and University auditions. Troupe Directors staying overnight may also book rooms in our Thespians room blocks within the registration portal (for additional fees). 

Registration opens on September 1st and closes on November 10th.

You can pay online with a credit card when you hit submit.

Checks can be mailed to 7310 w 52nd Avenue #A-405, Arvada, CO 80002 Please send only one check per school, no personal checks accepted for registration. Registration must be paid for and checks received in advance of attending the conference. Late fees are added after the event.

  • All State Opening Number Auditions and Uploads: October 20
  • Mainstage Screening Applications: October 20 (and at least two weeks before your production)
  • Conference and IE Registration: November 10 (IEs may close earlier if filled)
  • Late Registration Deadline: November 20 (additional late fees apply)
  • Senior University and Scholarship Auditions: November 18
  • Film IE Uploads: November 18

The deadline for the conference registration is November 10th. You can register after the deadline but you will be charged a late registration fee per student. Late registrants cannot participate in individual events or the Senior University Auditions. If you need to make changes to your on-line registration, you can login to make changes prior to submitting your registration. Once the troupe director hits “Submit” no changes can be made. There is no charge to change or drop students, as long as those changes and drops are made prior to the November 10 deadline and before the director hits “Submit”. If you desire to add students to your registration after the deadline of November 10 that can be done online through the troupe director’s account for an additional fee.

The final deadline for conference registration for both middle and high school students and chaperones is November 20 (including late registrations).

Please Note: there are no replacement opportunities offered in the registration process after the deadline. Troupe directors please be advised, our insurance and that of your institution only covers participants that are registered for the conference.

Each school district should carry liability insurance for each participant in attendance. Schools attending are required to provide chaperones to supervise their participants per your school and/or district policy. Colorado Thespians provides security in and around the Colorado Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency. The host hotel has Denver police officers on duty in the evening hours. Schools are strongly recommended to bring one sponsor or chaperone per ten students attending the conference.

High School students cannot participate in more than two Individual Events. Middle School students are limited to one to allow for plenty of opportunities for other students in attendance. The Individual Events are filled on a first-come-first-serve basis. Colorado Thespians is limited by space, time constraints and adjudicators. Sponsors are encouraged to register early for these events. Schools are limited to one Improv Challenge group (up to 15 members) and/or one One Act session (up to 15 cast members).  Cancellation of a One Act for the in-person conference after the published deadline may incur a $250 room charge.

Participants are adjudicated by the guest adjudicators, who select the top performances in any given category for presentation to the whole contingency. Students selected must receive an Overall “Accomplished” recommendation from the judges. Students then submit a video of their selected performance for a virtual callback. The Critic’s Choice Coordinator and other Colorado Thespians Board Members screen the virtual callbacks to craft a diverse and engaging showcase. All categories of performance and design may not be represented  in the Chapter Select Showcase. Students with adult language or offensive content in their IE may or may not be allowed to perform their selection (as originally presented) on the main stage. One Acts will not be included in the showcase due to time constraints for the in-person conference, but the Critic’s Choice Chapter Select performance will be announced and eligible for performance at the International Thespian Festival in June.

Students should follow the link on the scholarship audition page and sign up within the Thespian Point Tracker web site. See more information on the Student Opportunities page. Sponsors should encourage students to register early to avoid delays or disqualifications due to technical difficulties. Deadline is November 18th.

No refunds granted for registered participants and/or their affiliated schools after registration is closed. Please note the deadline date: any and all schools in the system are converted to registered status. Schools are responsible for the full amount of their conference registration after submission or after the November 10 registration deadline. Payment for conference registration is expected and should be received prior to attendance at the conference. Schools have the ability to cancel their registration within the registration window from September 1 through November 10, and should take advantage of this opportunity within that extended time frame. All changes to registration should occur before the troupe director submits the final registration.

Any student and/or school registered for the Colorado State Thespian Conference on/or after the posted registration date will be subject to any and all late fees. If a student fails to attend the annual conference for any reason, there is no refund. Registered schools and sponsors are responsible for any and all fees incurred and not paid by their troupe, sponsors, students and attendees, including any legal fees or court costs involved in collecting the conference registration.

This is a student field trip and not a public event. Therefore, for liability purposes, there are a limited amount of guest passes available for each day of the conference. These passes are reserved for adult guests and are not available for student purchase in any situation. Each guest pass costs $50 regardless of the amount of time a person is spending at the conference. Guests who are younger than the age eleven will not be admitted to the middle school conference and guests younger than fourteen will not be admitted to the high school conference. Guests passes can be purchased during the hours of 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Thursday and Friday of conference in the registration room.

info@cothespians.com

720-885-3474

Presenters

Under Partners on our website homepage, locate Workshop Presenters.

Each year, the Workshop Team aims to carefully curate offerings that serve our mission and a diverse array of students and interests. Some workshops are perennial favorites while others find favor at certain times. It is our goal to offer workshops in acting, musical theatre, technical theatre, film, improv, playwriting and special interests that reach the target audience for this student centered conference.

Bring as many supplies as you can to ensure a successful workshop. Colorado Thespians has limited resources including art supplies, projectors, presentation supplies and equipment, etc. In addition, all presenters agree to sign the Presenter Agreement including consent to a background check (if applicable).

Colorado Thespians strives to highlight the professional artists who are local to the state and Rocky Mountain region. However, there is a small budget for out of town presenters. If you’re an artist who presents something truly unique and engaging, we’d love to hear from you!

For more information, contact our Workshop Coordinator Caroline Kerswill

Adjudicators

No formal application exists for adjudicator applicants. If you’re interested in adjudicating at ThesCon or Jr. ThesCon, please contact Thespys Coordinator Mary Schuttler to express your interest and qualifications.

Training is available and required for adjudicators.

After adjudicator selection, Dr. Schuttler will send training videos to individuals. An additional stipend is offered for those who complete the online training.

In addition, adjudicators are supported by our Information Technology team prior to both middle and high school Thespys sessions.

Sponsors

Sponsors are a welcome component of our conference. To explore sponsorship levels and benefits, visit PARTNERS on our home page and locate SPONSORS. 

If you’d like to reach out directly for information, please email Chapter Director Tami LoSasso

And thank you for your generosity.

Vendors & College Representatives

The following are the steps for the registration process.

  1. You can register or login to your account by clicking the link here.
  2. If you’ve previously registered, please enter your email and password to access your account. If you are unaware of your account or cannot remember your password, please email info@cothespians.com 
  3. If you are a new vendor or college rep, and have not attended ThesCon in the past, please begin the registration process. You will be sent a confirmation link once you complete the registration steps. If you do not see this confirmation link, please check your junk/spam folder.
  4. The first screen you come to will request which roles you or members of your organization desire to perform at the conference. 

Check in is in Room 101, just off of Lobby A.

Here is a map of the Convention Center. Tables are located in Lobby B. Space is limited, so register early.

Additional tables cost $100 apiece. Please email vendors.cothespians@gmail.com to purchase one of these tables. An invoice will be sent to you after confirmation of an additional table.

Your registration allows for two representatives from your institution. For insurance purposes, please contact info@cothespians.com to pay a $50 day pass fee for additional representatives. No individuals will be allowed into the exhibitor lobby without a conference name badge.

Yes. Signs are placed on your designated table(s) based on those who have registered first, and we are able to help you find this table upon check in.

Exhibitors arriving between 8 am and 12 pm on Thursday may enter and unload through the Lobby B doors. Please drive to the Welton Street entrance between Speer and 14th Street and check in with security at the doors. Please do this after you complete check in in Lobby A. Any exhibitors arriving outside this window, as per contracts with the Colorado Convention Center, please use the A Lobby entrance.

The Colorado Convention Center has more information about possible parking locations, which include an attached parking garage.

If you are looking to load in items near your table: 

Please pull up on Welton Street between Speer and 14th Street, check in with security at the Lobby B doors. This load in site is only available between the hours of 8 am and noon on Thursday, December 7. All other times, vendors must load in through Lobby A after check in.  Load out will be accessible through the Lobby B doors Saturday from 1

1 am – 2 pm.

Here is a suggested load in and exhibit time, based on the Junior and High School Conference schedules: which are based on the times that the registration room is open:

  • Check in and Load In Thursday: 8am – 12:00pm
  • Exhibit to Middle School Attendees Thursday: 9am – 1:00pm 
  • Exhibit to High School Attendees Thursday: 1:00 pm – 5:30pm
  • Exhibit to High School Attendees Friday: 7am – 5:30 pm
  • Exhibit to High School Attendees Saturday: 8:30am – 11:15am
  • All Vendors/ Universities who have a table are allowed to leave their table setup overnight. However, while security is in place, tables are not secured, so leave items is at your own risk and take all personal items.

Most of the vendors will set up in the morning on Thursday. The doors open at 7 a.m., and the middle schools arrive at 9 am. Most vendors simply use Thursday morning to set up, and the High School groups begin to arrive at noon on Thursday. Friday is typically the busiest day for Vendors. On Saturday, the area closes at noon.

We recommend hanging banners on your table. Free standing banners are also welcome and encouraged. Wall space is not available for tables to hang banners.

Access is already provided, however, if you plug into the outlets by your table, you are charged by the Convention Center. The Convention Center does not provide Colorado Thespians with electricity rates in advance. Please contact the Colorado Convention Center two weeks prior to the event to ensure you have power to your table. 

Denver Convention Center Exhibitor Services

Unfortunately, Colorado Thespians does not have a shipping address. Most vendors coordinate shipping with the Convention Center or the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The Hyatt Regency is directly across the street from the Colorado Convention Center. (Hyatt Regency Address: 650 15th Street, Denver, Colorado 80202).

Contact Vendors Coordinator Casey Kesis with additional questions about Vendor participation.

You will have access to view students’ auditions through your login. Representatives will be granted access to the auditions on November 20 to share with all interested parties at their institution. There you will be able to view the audition as well as the student’s preferred contact method.

Please notify individual callback students via the email address they provided in their student profile. With this correspondence please outline the expectations of your callback.

Contact Auditions Coordinator Alex Burkart with additional questions about senior auditions.

General Partner FAQ

Please contact Colorado Thespians for a list of hotels with conference room block rates. All blocks close on November 20.

The Hospitality Room is open to our adult exhibitors/vendors, university representatives, and adult adjudicators and presenters. This room will be open during Friday’s conference from 9 am – 2pm in room 103. Here you’ll find beverages, lunch items, snacks, and a place to visit with colleagues in the industry. Enjoy!

Registration for ThesCon opens September 1 and closes November 10. If you’d like to register after this date, contact Colorado Thespians directly.

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