Theatre helps to roll out red carpet for one of nation’s largest high school thespian conferences

January 30, 2025

More than 200 student volunteers from Columbus State University’s Department of Theatre & Dance will help welcome Georgia Thespians to Columbus Feb. 6-8 for the organization’s 16th state conference in the Fountain City.

For those three days, Uptown Columbus performing arts facilities and tourist sites will host the 6,000-plus aspiring actors, singers, dancers, playwrights, designers and stage technicians—along with their teachers and directors—for the 2025 Georgia Thespian Conference. “Thescon,” as it's commonly known, allows the university to showcase all that Columbus State has to offer, especially in its College of the Arts programs based on its RiverPark Campus, which comprises a significant portion of Uptown Columbus’ downtown footprint.

“ThesCon places our students and our programs center stage while these talented and enthusiastic students are in Columbus,” said Dr. Larry Dooley, chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance. “While they’re here, they’ll learn new skills and deepen their interests with our faculty and learn about college life in theatre arts and other majors from our students.”

ThesCon includes more than 100 theatre professionals and educators from Columbus State, the region and the nation who will leading workshops in all aspects of show business. While at the conference, hundreds of students will audition for admission to Columbus State’s Department of Theatre & Dance and other university and conservatory theatre programs. Many students will vie for more than $25,000 in Georgia Thespian Scholarships. 

Representatives from the university's Office of Admissions will be onsite throughout the conference to speak with students interested in studying in any one of Columbus State's 90-plus degrees and programs—even if those interests lie outside theatre and the arts. By the end of the conference, theatre majors and other Columbus State students are expected to have logged more than 1,100 volunteer hours supporting the event and the schools visiting the city.

The conference is a multifaceted partnership that includes Columbus State and the city’s tourism and arts community—chiefly VisitColumbusGA, Uptown Columbus Inc., and excellent performing arts venues and meeting facilities based in the city’s downtown area. Stages at the elegant RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, the historic Springer Opera House, and Columbus State’s College of the Arts will showcase dozens of selected school musicals and plays. 

The university will host activities, workshops and exhibits in the Yancey Center at One Arsenal Place (home to the Department of Theatre & Dance and Department of Communication), the Schwob School of Music and the Corn Center for the Visual Arts. That is in addition to other Uptown sites that include the Columbus Convention & Trade Center and the Downtown Columbus Marriott. 

According to research by the university’s Butler Center for Research & Economic Development, Columbus State is credited as a significant contributor to regional tourism and quality of life in the Chattahoochee Valley. In addition to supporting large-scale conferences like ThesCon, sporting competitions and other community events, its 300-plus year-round arts and culture programs, educational and outreach centers, events featuring its 13 NCAA Division II sports teams, and other university activities undergird the community’s tourism sector. In addition, more than half of its student body hails from outside the area, bringing with them their families for visits and a heightened interest in the area.

ABOUT GEORGIA THESPIANS

Georgia Thespians is one of the largest state chapters of the International Thespian Society, the 95-year-old honor society for high school theatre. Students are invited to membership in the Thespian Society in recognition of exceptional and extensive commitment to the performing arts in their schools and communities. The International Thespian Society is part of the Educational Theatre Association, the nation’s leading association of theatre educators.

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Media contacts:
Nicholas Sostillio, State Director, Georgia Thespians State chapter, nicholas.sostillio@gathespians.org
Ashley Woitena, LEC, TMP, MBA, CDME, Senior Vice President, VisitColumbusGA, 706.317.2110, awoitena@visitcolumbusga.com
Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director of Strategic Communication + Marketing, Columbus State University, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu