Knightly News

The Episcopal Thespians are Going to Nationals!

The audience at the recent Louisiana Thespian Festival roared to their feet for a standing ovation after the Episcopal thespians presented a cut from “Bat Boy: The Musical.” The student actors earned first place in the Chapter Select competition, and the group will now represent the state of Louisiana at the International Thespian Festival in Indiana this summer.

Days after the break-out performance, Episcopal theater teacher Lily McGill is still pinching herself. McGill, who is in her first year at Episcopal, is proud of the 14 student actors. “This group is very musical,” she says. “There are some very talented singers.” “Bat Boy: The Musical” provided the perfect opportunity to highlight those talents. The production, which is intentionally unbelievable and campy, pushed the performers out of their comfort zone. “It was stressful, but they had the time of their lives,” says McGill. In addition to group success, several Episcopal performers also earned superior rankings in the Thespys.

McGill says preparing for the festival required tremendous commitment from all of the student actors. “They worked hard,” she says. “I’m proud of them for not getting discouraged.” While others were wrapping gifts and decorating the tree, the student actors spent Christmas break practicing and perfecting their pieces. They hosted a free performance for the Episcopal community and discovered several areas that needed extra focus. The students went to work.  “They didn’t give up,” says McGill proudly. The determination paid off, and now the students will perform on the national stage. “We worked really hard to make our performances as good as possible, so we’re all so excited that our work paid off!” says junior Joey Roth. “Now that Episcopal is on the map at the festival, we can’t wait to start building a legacy there in the years to come.”

“Winning was a cherry on top,” says McGill.

There is more to the state thespian festival than competing. McGill says the two-day experience is also a valuable learning opportunity as students participate in four workshops of their choice. The lessons are presented by university professors and industry professionals and cover everything from beginning costume sewing and dance to technical theater and acting. “They learn so much from it,” says McGill. “There’s something for everyone.”

For students interested in pursuing a career in theater, there is also the opportunity to audition for Louisiana colleges. Having the schools all in one place streamlines the audition process and makes it easier for students to interact with a variety of school representatives at once. Students also connect with actors from other schools. “By far, the best part of festival was meeting talented people from across the state who all shared a common passion for performing,” says Roth. “The competition became a community of supportive and enthusiastic peers who came together to celebrate each other’s hard work.” Thirty high schools from across the state participated in the event, offering a range of performances. The national competition will feature the same learning opportunities on a much larger scale. McGill expects a variety of universities and industry professionals to be present.

Congratulations to the Episcopal thespians! Good luck at nationals!

1st place in Chapter Select competition with “Bat Boy: The Musical.” Will represent the state of Louisiana at the International Thespian Festival in Indiana.

Superior scores for the following Thespy entries:

• Solo Acting, Maddie Guidry—"Crimes of the Heart/Bad Jews” (Second highest overall score in Solo Acting)

• Solo Acting, JP Saurage— “Baskerville/All My Sons”
• Solo Musical Theatre, Joey Roth—“Wondering” from “The Bridges of Madison County”
• Solo Musical Theatre Dance, Joey Roth—“Jailhouse Rock” from “All Shook Up” (Highest overall score in Solo Musical Theatre Dance)

• Duet Acting, Lauren Jack and Riana Yano—"Gidion’s Knot”
• Group Musical Theatre; John Luke Boagni, Marshall Elliott, Maddie Guidry, Sophia Horridge, Ella Palfi, Joey Roth, Lily Kathryn Watts, Riana Yano—“The Nicest Kids in Town” from “Hairspray”

In addition, Maddie Guidry and Joey Roth advanced to the “callback round” as one of the top two presenters in their category. Roth went on to win his category with “Jailhouse Rock.”

Visual Artists Celebrate Success

Episcopal visual artists Kathy Hu and Scott McAdams are also celebrating success. The two had their works accepted into the Juried LSU High School Art Exhibition. According to the LSU College of Art + Design’s website, “The goal of the exhibition is to inspire young artists by providing a platform for their work to be displayed in a professional, artistic venue and thus giving them a taste of a professional artist experience.” The exhibit will take place in the Barnes Ogden Art & Design Complex from February 15th – March 11th.

Episcopal Choir Shares a Song with the Community

A big thank you to the Episcopal Select Choir! Choir members helped St. James Place Retirement Community celebrate its 40th anniversary. The student singers also shared portions of Lessons and Carols with members of the Sunrise Rotary Club.

Mark your calendars for spring art events at Episcopal.

March 30th – April 2nd – Spring musical “Anything Goes”

April 25th – Spring Band Concert

April 27th – Spring Choir Concert

April 29th – Spring Arts Academy Recital

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2024-2025 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.