Colorado State Thespian Conference Dec. 4 - 6, 2008

Verify Your 2008 Registration Here & Amount Due

High School Theatre, alive and well in the Rocky Mountain Region, announcing the 2008 Colorado State Thespian Conference. Once again the Colorado State Thespian Society will be hosting their annual high school theatre conference, on December 4-6, 2008 at the Colorado Convention Center, in the heart of the Denver Performing Arts community. Here is a brief list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) that will assist your school in registering and attending the State High School Theatre Conference. High Schools from the three state region are invited to attend, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico and we would like to encourage new schools from these areas to join us and share the excitement of high school theatre. This year we have the following hotel choices and rates, feel free to pick the site that suites your needs. To secure your tax exempt status please download the pdf files listed above, fax both forms to the hotel and bring a copy with you as you register for your rooms at the front desk. You must pay Denver hotels with a school check in order to secure tax exempt status. Denver Local Weather

Money Raised for Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids at the Colorado State Thespians Conferences. Conference 2007  $3,453    Conference 2006  $3,500     Conference 2005  $1,400   Plan to bring your checks, so that we can top our 2007 record and see how much we can raise!  Hold a school fund raiser prior to conference! Pomona High School arrived at Conference 2007 with a $300 donation to Broadway Cares!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who attends the Conference?  Do you have to be a Thespian to attend the conference?
Over 2,300 of Colorado/Wyoming/New Mexico's most dedicated high school theatre students in grades 9 to 12th grade. Middle School’s that have a dedicated theatre arts program, are encouraged to check out Junior Thespians, with the Educational Theatre Association (edta.org).  The conference is open to all theatre students, the only event that is limited to Thespian members is the Senior University Auditions.

How do we register for the Conference? The Colorado State Thespian Conference registration is online, your school will receive several postcard reminders for the Conference and registration deadlines.  Registering on-line enters the school into a legal and binding contract.  Teachers can print any of the information off of this site.

Why should you attend? Last year over 40 Colleges, Conservatories and Universities dedicated to the service of the academic theatre community offered over $50,000 worth of scholarships to students in attendance. Besides college auditioning experience, students have the opportunity to train with some of the countries leading professionals in Acting, Directing, Play writing, and Technical Theatre. The conference also affords students the opportunity to watch professional theatrical productions and main stage presentations produced by area high school and university theatre programs.

How much does the conference cost? The conference registration fee is $80 per student, sponsor's and chaperones are free. The registration fee covers the cost of admission to the conference and all of the student workshops and performances. The registration fee does not cover the cost of your hotel room or food. There are numerous area restaurants where troupes usually go to partake of their meals.  If students sign up for performing a Colorado Individual Event Showcase there is a $10 fee per student in each CIES, limit of two performances allowed.

Where do we send our conference registration fees? Colorado State Thespians, 200 South Dexter Street, Denver, CO 80246-1055.  Please send only one check per school, no personal checks accepted for registration.

What is the conference deadline and how do you make changes to your registration after you have registered on-line?  The deadline for the conference is November 10th.  You can register after the deadline but you will be charged a late registration fee of $100 per student. Late registrants cannot participate in Colorado Individual Events Showcase or Senior University Auditions.  If you need to make changes to your on-line registration, you can logon to your account with your email login and your password, there is no charge to drop students, as long as those changes and drops are made prior to November 10, 2008.  If you desire to add students to your registration after the deadline of November 10, the late fee registration is $100 per student added, there are no replacement opportunities offered in the registration process after the deadline.

Is there supervision at the conference and what is the charge for additional Sponsors or Chaperones?
Each school district should carry liability insurance for each participant in attendance. Schools attending are required to provide chaperones to supervise their own group and Colorado Thespians provides security in and around the Colorado Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency.  Schools are strongly recommended to bring one sponsor per twelve students attending the conference.

What time should our school arrive and depart from the Colorado State Thespian Conference? Registration will be open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday.  Pre-conference workshops will take place between 3-5 on Thursday afternoon, check the schedule above to see what is offered. Opening ceremonies begin on Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. and closing ceremonies will conclude at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

How does our school receive tax exempt status in the city of Denver?
Denver has a new strict municipal code that requires hotels to prove tax exempt status. As a result hotels are shifting this responsibility to the schools themselves. If your school desires to take advantage of their tax exempt status, they must register the proper paper work with the Hyatt Regency Hotel bookkeeper’s office, prior to arriving at the conference. Schools must also supply the hotel with a complete room list, prior to check-in. If you fail to follow this procedure you will be charged tax at check-out. Please be advised that teachers using their own personal credit card will not qualify for tax exempt status, even if your school district is reimbursing you for the expense, you should be prepared to bring a check from your district.  There is a pdf file on the Hotel page of this site which will help you with the process.

How many events can a troupe register for; One Acts, Auditions and IE's? Students cannot participate in more than two events, to allow for plenty of opportunities for other students in attendance.  For example, you may register a student for a One Act from your school and then a Colorado Individual Events Showcase Audition (CIESA), we will do everything in our power to avoid conflicts with the Senior University Auditions. Schools are limited to one One Act session (75 minutes), however, they may perform as many One Acts within the 75 minute time block as they desire.  Cancellation of a One Act after the published deadline incurs a $250 room charge.

How do we register for the conference? Teachers and Troupe Directors can register at this web site, by following the proper links above for the registration process. Click on the arrow in the picture to begin your registtration process. You will need a valid email address to receive your conference confirmation.  Please do not allow your students to register your school, as numerous problems have resulted from student's attempting to proceed through the registration process.

How are schools or individuals selected for the Showcase Presentation on Saturday? Participants are adjudicated by the National guest adjudicators, which select the top performances in any given category for presentation to the whole contingency.  Students selected must receive three superior ratings from the judges.  Students with adult language will not be allowed to perform on the main stage.  One Acts will not be included in the showcase due to time constraints.

Where do we send our Senior University Auditions? Follow the link above to audition page.

Refund and Cancellation Policy No refunds granted for registered Thespians and/or their affiliated schools after the registration is closed. Schools are responsible for the full amount of their conference registration after the submission of said registration. Payment for conference registration is expected and should be received prior to attendance at the conference. The cancellation period is within the registration period and schools should take advantage of the opportunity to cancel within that extended period of time and make appropriate changes to their 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 fees incurred including but not limited to Registration fees, Individual Events fees and Senior University Audition fees. If a student fails to attend the annual conference for any reason, there is no refund for any and all fees paid. 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.