Thespians from all over Mississippi will come together for the State Thespian Conference on Jan. 30-31 at Tupelo High School.

Thespian Society is an internationally recognized club for actors, named for the Greek Thespis who is credited as the first to speak lines. Each separate group of Thespians is referred to as a troupe.

THS is home to Thespian Troupe 1949, one of 11 troupes attending the conference.

The annual event includes networking, scholarship and competition opportunities, and THS Thespians couldn’t be more excited.

“I expect it to be awesome,” senior Christian Bean said.

Bean, a third-year member of Troupe 1949, explained he is most looking forward to spending time with fellow troupe members and meeting Thespians from other schools.

“It gives you the chance to meet people who have the same love and passion you do,” said Katelyn Stieg, a senior and the president of Troupe 1949.

The conference encourages interaction among different troupes through workshops that span several topics, such as puppetry, makeup, dance, improvisation, film and more.

There is also a relatively new activity called Circle of Friends, in which Thespians are randomly assigned to groups and must concoct a scene to perform during the closing ceremonies.

Thespian Conference is not just a place for young actors to meet one another. It is also a competition.

Thespians can prepare scenes, songs and even short films to enter Individual Events. These events are scored by panels of judges, and a superior score can sometimes mean the opportunity to perform for the entire conference.

Troupe 1949 has the honor of hosting State Thespian Conference this year.

“Because it’s here, it will be run very well, and our troupe won’t have to drive several hours,” Bean said.

While there may be a little extra work involved for THS Thespians, it’s a small price to pay for a good conference.