BHS Thespian Troupe #7549 Looking for Assistance in Getting to Indiana for International Festival
By Chris Johnson on April 09, 2022
Bridgeport High School’s Thespian Troupe #7549 has already earned a spot at the International Thespian Festival. Now they are looking for help from the community in getting there.
Troupe #7549 took the top honor at the recent WV Thespian Festival by winning Outstanding One-Act for their performance of “Girl in the White Pinafore.” With that win, they were selected to represent West Virginia in the 2022 International Thespian Festival which will take place during June in Bloomington, Ind.
Fundraising is under way to help send students to Indiana.
The International festival is a week-long event during which the students will perform their one-act, as well as attend workshops, performances, college auditions and other educational opportunities.
Registration for the event costs $849 per student and transportation will cost approximately $200 per student. With 35 students planning to attend, BHS Theatre is setting out to raise more than $30,000 before the May 11 registration deadline.
Anyone wishing to support Troupe 7549 can donate in several ways:
• Debit or credit card via the Harrison County School Cash Online at this link:
• Check payable to BHS Theatre, or mailed to:
BHS Theatre - Bridgeport High School
515 Johnson Ave
Bridgeport WV 26330
• Cash provided to BHS school office personnel or BHS theatre staff
A sponsorship letter can be viewed HERE
In addition to winning Outstanding One-Act, individual honors won at the state festival by Troupe #7549 include:
Orian Post-Outstanding Supporting Performer
Morgan Sprouse-Outstanding Solo IE
Connor Headrick-All-Festival Cast
Adam Hess- All-Festival Cast
Klisty Snider- All-Festival Cast
Troupe #7549 will be hosts for a Parent’s Night Out from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 23 in the BHS Theater where the cast from “The Girl in the White Pinafore” will be on hand to teach kids all of the fun that can be had from being involved with theater.
There are also plans for Troupe #7549 to have another public performance of “The Girl in the White Pinafore,” which was written by Jiggs Burgess and is a fictional account of a true event that happened in Texas in 1937—the explosion of the New London School due to a gas leak.
Nearly 300 students and staff died in the disaster. At that time, gas was odorless and undetectable. Within weeks after the tragic explosion, the Texas legislature mandated that an artificial scent be added to natural gas in order to detect leaks and prevent future disasters.
A spaghetti dinner is also being planned to help Troupe #7549 raise funds. More details on that when they are finalized.
