GOSHEN COUNTY – Goshen’s own Thespian Troupe 757 brought home convincing finishes at the Wyoming State Thespian Festival (WSTF) this last weekend at Casper College from November 30, through December 2.

The event is produced by the Wyoming Thespians Chapter of the Educational Theatre Association, and materializes as a Wyoming High School State Activities (WHSSA) culminating event.

The occasion also provides an opportunity for students to attend a vast number of beneficial workshops offered by both college educators and professionals, both from Wyoming and around the nation. Additionally, students are able to view one-act plays and short films created by their peers from across the state.

Troupe 757 was able to bring home a Third-Place finish for the Proscenium One-act category, as well as a Second Place trophy for the class 3A Team Sweepstakes.

The competition furthermore acts as a qualifying event for the International Thespian Festival (ITF), as well as the Thespys Awards.

“This is an amazing accomplishment for our troupe, and by far the most events we have had qualify to compete at ITF,” Troupe Director Christine Quillen said. “I think the most we have had qualify before is five events.”

The ITF will be held in Bloomington, Indiana in June of 2024.

All in all the Troupe took a total of 32 students who competed in 35 events. 16 of those events, along with performances of 19 students were able to qualify for the upcoming ITF.

According to senior and ITF qualifier, Kaycee McCall, the experience of the entire competition was one for the books.

“Everyone was super nice no matter who you met,” McCallen said. “You knew they were just going to be wonderful individuals. The biggest challenge was getting over being so nervous, thinking that you were going to do terrible. You’re in your round and doing what you are doing, but you learn it’s just another day of performing and doing what you’ve been learning for months. You’re just doing it for judges now. I think with being around so many kids that enjoy the same thing as I did, I felt so happy like I could dance the entire time.”

“Our group was so supportive of each other and of course their peers,” Quillen added. “It’s so great to be around people like you. They made sure to go to work shops and participate. We even had them going online and review what they were supposed to, and most of them had no problem doing it. They were so excited, and they would all come back and talk about what they had learned.”

McCallen noted that as satisfying as it is to come home with much deserved recognition, she and her peers will have even more to develop when venturing to Indiana next summer. In fact since being there once before, McCallen is far more confident in going to ITF a second time around.

“Now that I’m 17 and my brain is a little more developed, I don’t think I’ll do anything embarrassing this time,” McCallen laughed. “I went as a sophomore going into my junior year. I think it will be the same, but there will be more of us going which I think will be more fun. I know more people and I know the campus, which is ginormous. I’m actually applying to the University of Indiana right now, and want to continue playwrighting, acting and film production in the future.”

Longtime Goshen County thespian and music teacher, Erin Jespersen also noted the incredible growth within Troupe 757, adding that both pupils McCallen and Sawyer Massie will have a chance to take their playwriting aspirations one step further in participating at ITF.

“These two are actually now eligible to enter a contest to have their plays produced,” Jespersen stated. “They have to turn them in by May. If either or both are selected to be produced, they will get to work with professional playwrights and a team of people who will help them rewrite and work their plays. When you get to ITF they will call for actors, and usually they produce four plays. Those kids will actually spend the week learning their lines and being casted in that production, and that play is then realized at the end of the week.”  

With a fantastic and successful fall theatre season coming to a close, Troupe 757 is now to begin the process of fundraising in order to send the 19 qualifying students, as well as others wishing to participate at ITF in Indiana next summer. While wisely planning ahead of time, several thespians already have concrete ideas in mind with how to raise appropriate funding for the upcoming national opportunity.

“For fundraising, we want to try and produce both Kaycee and my one acts and do them as a dinner theatre,” Massie said.

Overall both Quillen and Jespersen had nothing but proud words of admiration for their students, alluding to never-ending talent and potential among all of their performers.

“We always enjoyed watching the confidence grow in our kids,” Jespersen said “There were some that were fairly intimidated before we started. Once we were in there watching other people perform, they knew they could do this too. They put forth their best effort in our events. It’s live theatre, and to watch their confidence grow and become more and more excited about theatre is a wonderful feeling.”

Troupe 757 will be holding auditions for the spring production of The SpongeBob Musical shortly before Christmas break.

The production will be performed at the Torrington High School Auditorium April 11-13, 2024.

Full Troupe 757 results from the 2023 WSTF competition.

Quadruple Event ITF Qualifier-Oliva Judkins qualified in all individual event entries.

Triple Event ITF Qualifier-Callie Martin

Double Event ITF Qualifiers-Elias Bustamante, Madison Copenbarger, Keegan Black, Frankie Saland, Kaycee McCallen, Sawyer Massie, Inez Flores

Single Event ITF Qualifiers-Sernity Minter, Marcos Martinez, Nora Jespersen, Makenna Matthews, Hailey Antoine, Jordan Napier, Addison Hansen, Ty Fogle, Vanessa Shepherd, Jayden Judkins

Original Script Qualifiers-Sawyer Massie and Kaycee McCallen

14 events received WHSAA All-State recognition

9 WHSAA Honorable Mentions

18 Superior Ratings

12 Excellent Ratings

3 Good Ratings

Third Place Tech Challenge

12 Events earned rubric scores placing them in the top 10 of the State Wide Individual Event.

Group Acting-Olivia Judkins, Marcos Martinez, Elias Bustamante, Keegan Black, Madison Copenbarger, Callie Martin, Nora Jespersen and Serenity Minter-Top Two Rubric Score

Solo Acting-Olivia Judkins-Top Five Rubric Score, Four-way tie for second high Rubric Score.

Group Musical Theatre-Inez Flores, Olivia Judkins, Keegan Black, Callie Martin, Top Two Rubric Score, Second high Rubric Score

Moulage Makeup Application-Lola Ringrose, Top Six Rubric Score, Four-way tie for Second high score

Makeup Design-Madison Copenbarger, Top Five Rubric Score, Three-Way tie for Third high score

Original Script One Act-Kaycee McCallen, Third High Rubric Score

Lola Ringrose Perfect Score for Fantasy Makeup Application, Five-way tie for top Rubric Score

Sawyer Massie Perfect Score for Original Script One Act, Top Rubric score in event

One Act, Third Place Proscenium (3A), Inez Flores, Callie Martin, Frankie Saland, Keegan Black, Elias Bustamante, Madison Copenbarger, Nora Jespersen, Kaylee Johnson, Olivia Judkins, Cooper Smith, Haley DeFoe, Jordan Napier

TECH/CREW-Serenity Minter, Brayden Duffield, Jacob Barsell, Tyler Smith, Jenna Woodard

Group Acting, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Top Three Rubric Score, Elias Bustamante, Olivia Judkins, Serenity Minter, Marcos Martinez, Callie Martin, Madison Copenbarger, Nora Jespersen, Keegan Black

Group Acting, Excellent Rating, Honorable Mention, Top Ten Rubric Score, Makenna Matthews, Vanessa Shepherd, Ty Fogle, Tashara Sinner, Kaylee Johnson, Jacob Barsell, Sawyer Massie, Addison Hansen, Jayden Judkins, Jordan Napier, Haley DeFoe, Hailey Antoine, Avery Hunter

Duet Acting, Makenna Matthews/Hailey Antoine, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Jordan Napier/Olivia Judkins, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Frankie Saland/Addison Hansen, Superior Rating, Honorable Mention, ITF Qualifier, Ty Fogle/Vanessa Shepherd, Superior Rating, Honorable Mention, ITF Qualifier

Solo Acting, Kaycee McCallen, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Olivia Judkins, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Top Five Rubric Score, Elias Bustamante, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Sawyer Massie, Superior Rating, Honorable Mention, ITF Qualifier

Musical Theatre Events

Duet Musical, Nora Jespersen/Laney Walter, Excellent Rating, Elias Bustamante/Madison Copenbarger, Good Rating, Jayden Judkins/Frankie Saland, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier

Solo Musical, Jordan Napier, Excellent Rating, Honorable Mention, Inez Flores, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Top Ten Rubric Score, Callie Martin, Superior Rating, Honorable Mention, ITF Qualifier, Kaylee Johson, Excellent Rating

Group Musical, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Top Two Rubric Score, Inez Flores, Callie Martin, Keegan Black, Olivia Judkins

Group Musical, Excellent Rating, Jordan Napier, Avery Hunter, Sawyer Massie, Nora Jespersen, Jayden Judkins, Ty Fogle

Group Musical, Excellent Rating, Honorable Mention, Makenna Mathews, Frankie Saland, Kaylee Johnson

Tech Events

Moulage Makeup Application, Lola Ringrose, Superior Rating, All-State, Top Six Rubric Score, Fantasy Makeup Application, Lola Ringrose, Superior Rating, All-State, Top Five Rubric Score, 

Makeup Design, Madison Copenbarger, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Top Five Rubric Score 

Short Film, Kaycee McCallen, Good Rating 

Sound Design, Serenity Minter, Excellent Rating, Tyler Smith, Good Rating

Marketing Design, Tashara Sinner, Excellent Rating, Addison Hansen, Excellent Rating

Original Script One Act, Sawyer Massie, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Top One Rubric Score, Ty Fogle, Excellent Rating, Jersey Houk, Excellent Rating, Honorable Mention, Top Ten Rubric Score, Jayden Judkins, Excellent Rating, Honorable Mention, Top Ten Rubric Score, Kaycee McCallen, Superior Rating, All-State, ITF Qualifier, Top Three Rubric Score

Tech Challenge, Nora Jespersen, Avery Hunter, Serenity Minter, Laney Walter, Third Place