Have you ever wanted to become better at a sport or other activity? If you enjoy theater, the Thespian Festival is the place to do just that.

Thespian Festival is open to all Thespians and freshmen who haven’t been inducted yet. It lasts from Friday morning until Saturday evening and takes place at the University of Northern Iowa.

Students have several opportunities to compete in group and solo events. Rebecca Meissen, ‘18, competed in Scenic Design the past two years. This year, she placed first for her set design of Urinetown.

“It means that I accomplished something, and I’ve done the best work that I could and it paid off,” said Meissen. “It’s an amazing feeling.”

Apart from Meissen winning in scenic design, Elizabeth Fitzsimmons and Isabel Shubatt, ‘19, placed first for their short film, The Bachelor but for Homecoming. Meissen, Fitzsimmons, Shubatt and Jacob Nuti, ‘19, qualified for International Thespian Festival, which takes place June 25-30 in Lincoln, NE

“Thespian Festival was a lot more stressful this year, but it was also more exciting because I was competing,” said Megan Reichel, ‘18. “I had a lot of support when I performed. It gave me a lot of hope, confidence, and happiness.”

Throughout the festival, four shows are performed in front of everyone who attends. There are also smaller productions throughout the two days that are optional. On top of that, workshops are offered that teach students about various aspects of theater.

“Even if you aren’t a theater person, you will still get something out of it. It’s a great way to get introduced into the theater world,” said Cathleen Breslin, ‘20. “In a 48-hour time span, you get the gist of what we’re all about.”