ThesCon 2026: A Celebration of Theatre, Education, and Community

Thank you to the 1,600+ students, educators, and theatre professionals who joined us at MTSU for two unforgettable days of performance, learning, and connection. Together, we brought the Tennessee theatre community to life in a powerful way.

Scroll to relive the moments, celebrate achievements, and see the impact we made together.

By the numbers

  • Schools Represented: 67

  • Total Attendees: 1,600+

  • Colleges & Programs Present: 21

  • Scholarships Awarded: $3,000 across 3 recipients

  • One-Act Productions: 7

  • Mainstage Productions: 2

  • Workshops Offered: 237!

  • Master Classes Offered: 19

  • Teacher Track Sessions: 9

  • Volunteers / Student Leaders: 39

2026 ThesCon Student Leadership Board

  • Eddie Porras - President

  • Brycen Patterson

  • Emma Delane Singleton

  • Gabrielle Masternick

  • JT McCoy

  • Maddie Phillips

See More

Mainstage Performances

PETER & THE STARCATCHER
Presented by Centennial High School (Troupe #6061)
Friday, January 16th @ 8:15PM

See additional photos here (coming soon)

NORTH PLATTE CANTEEN: A MUSICAL MIRACLE
Presented by Summit High School (Troupe # 7830)
Saturday, January 17th @ 3:30 PM

See additional photos here (coming soon)

One Act Showcase

Selections for the 2026 ThesCon One Act Showcase have been finalized. We are excited to showcase an outstanding group of student productions that will take the ThesCon stage this year. Congratulations to the schools selected to participate. Your work represents the creativity, artistry, and excellence of theatre education across Tennessee.

The full list of selected One Act productions is available below. We look forward to celebrating these performances with you at ThesCon.

AI Play - Stone Memorial HS (Troupe #7271)

Are We Ok? - Saint Andrew's Sewanee School (Troupe #11474)

Bulletproof Backpack - Stewarts Creek HS (Troupe #8001)

Closing Shift - Fairview HS (Troupe #7936)

Great Gad - Ravenwood HS (Troupe #6790)

Help Desk - Concord Christian School (Troupe #8965)

Need a Lift - Cleveland HS (Troupe #505)

The Play that Goes Wrong - Rockvale HS (Troupe #10951)

Yellow Wallpaper- Walker Valley HS(Troupe #10253)

Our partners

Colleges in Attendance

Exciting news!! BookTix will be at ThesCon this year, making it even more awesome!

We are also thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with them. BookTix provides online ticketing and marketing resources for schools throughout the US & Canada and they are now giving back to Tennessee Thespians!

BookTix is a proud sponsor of this year's Teacher Track at Tennessee ThesCon 2026 and will be presenting on several topics such as Marketing, Parody Lyric Writing, Fundraising & more! This track will provide you with the tools and inspiration to make a lasting impact on your theater program, from fresh marketing ideas to an in-depth understanding of the licensing process. Plus, you'll walk away with additional resources to help implement your newfound knowledge immediately.

BookTix will give back to Tennessee Thespians whenever new schools sign up through our Affiliate Program and sell tickets or fundraise on their platform! Find out more by clicking

Use Our Affiliate Link

Don’t have an active troupe, but wondering how to start one at your school?

Get started on the processes of starting a troupe before Nov 17th and you can still attend ThesCon 2027!

Become a Member of EDTA

FAQs

  • Yes! Homeschool students are absolutely welcome to participate in ThesCon.

    Because ThesCon registration is open only to active Thespian troupes, homeschool students have a few flexible options for getting involved:

    1. Form a homeschool troupe – Homeschool students can join together to create their own official Thespian troupe.

    2. Join a community theatre troupe – Some local community theatres maintain active troupes that welcome homeschool participants.

    3. Join a nearby school’s troupe – In some cases, homeschool students may be invited to participate through a local school’s existing troupe.

    Once part of a troupe, homeschool students can be inducted as Thespians and fully participate in all ThesCon activities.

    For detailed information on how to start a troupe, troupe requirements, and the benefits of membership, visit the Educational Theatre Association’s official page here:

    Become a Thespian Member

    If you need help finding local troupe options or guidance on forming a homeschool troupe, please reach out to us — we’re happy to help!

  • No. Your school must be a registered troupe with EDTA.

    Interested in starting a troupe at your school? See below.

    https://schooltheatre.org/thespian-troupe-membership/

  • ThesCon is an experience unlike any other and a memory that will last a lifetime! Students have the rare opportunity to train with leading professionals in drama, musical theatre, directing, playwriting, and technical theatre. In addition, ThesCon allows theatre lovers from across the state to network and learn from one another in a one of a kind way!

    For educators and Troupe directors, you’ll also participate in workshops with leading industry professionals, network with fellow theatre educators from across the state, and be offered the chance to experience the work of your peers where schedules and distance might otherwise prohibit.

  • The registration fee is $95, which covers a full day of ThesCon programming—workshops, performances, meals, and all festival activities led by professional teaching artists.

    These fees help us bring in high-quality teaching artists and adjudicators and allow us to expand ThesCon to schools across the entire state.

  • You will need to contact the hotel to secure a discounted rate.

    List of hotel reccomendations:

    1. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Murfreesboro

    2. Hilton Garden Inn Murfreesboro

    3. Hampton Inn and Suites Murfreesboro

    4. Embassy Suites by Hilton

    5. Holiday Inn Express 

    6. Hyatt Place Murfreesboro

    7. Courtyard by Marriott Nashville SE/Murfreesboro 

    8. Home 2 Suites by Hilton Murfreesboro

  • All students must attend with their school and the troupe director/ school sponsor.

  • Not really. Troupe directors/ teachers need to register their students for festival. Students ARE responsible for registering for the Scholarship/ All-state audition process.

  • Troupe directors/ teachers will pay for their school via check or credit card. Invoices will be sent out with payment details after the registration form is completed.

  • Tennessee Educational Theatre Association (TN EDTA)
    2000 Mallory Ln STE 290-1411 Franklin, TN 27067