Emerald Coast Theatre Company (ECTC) recently announced an addition to its youth theatre program in the form of a new Junior Thespians Troupe chapter.

According to the Educational Theatre Association (ETA) this is the only Junior Thespians Troupe in Walton County, and it is believed to be the first ever.

It will serve the west end of Okaloosa and Walton County area. (Currently there are troupes in Okaloosa, Bay and Escambia counties.)

In partnership with the Seaside Neighborhood School campus of Seaside School, Inc. on 30A in Seaside, Florida, this ensemble of thespians will be a chartered member of the Educational Theatre Association’s Junior Thespians. The new troupe (No. 89447) will be part of District 10 and will be competing with other chapters in at regional and state competitions with other chapters and making appearances within our community sharing their love of performing and promoting Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s educational programs.

“We are honored to form this creative partnership with Seaside Neighborhood School. It’s such a natural win-win scenario. It enables Emerald Coast Theatre Company to further enhance our educational outreach offerings to our community, and the fact that our middle schoolage students can now join the International Thespian Society will greatly enhance their theater education experience,” said Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s producing artistic director Nathanael Fisher.

The International Thespian Society (ITS), founded in 1929, is an honorary organization for high school and middle school theatre students located at more than 4,200 affiliated secondary schools across America, Canada and abroad.

The mission of the International Thespian Society is to honor student achievement in the theater arts.

High school inductees are known as Thespians and junior high/middleschool inductees are known as Junior Thespians. The International Thespian Society is a division of the Educational Theatre Association.

The ECTC Junior Thespian Troupe is open to any student in grades six to eight, who is interested in developing personally in the craft of acting while creating a unique performance piece with fellow players. This troupe will focus on specialized training, acting techniques, and implementing those techniques into performance.

Darla Briganti, an actor, director and theater instructor who has been a teaching artist with  ECTC’s Theater Education programs since its inception in 2012, will serve as the troupe’s theater coach. Rehearsals will be held on Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at ECTC, 560 Grand Boulevard, Suite 200, upstairs located within Grand Boulevard at Sandestin in Miramar Beach. Additional rehearsals and/or private coaching will be scheduled as needed.

Seaside Neighborhood School principal Kim Mixson said, “We are super excited to collaborate with Emerald Coast TheatreCompany. They work they do with students is fantastic.”

“This partnership means that middle school-age students in Walton County now have a great opportunity to channel their interest and passion in drama.”

Emerald Coast Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) founded in 2012 by Nathanael Fisher, MFA, and his wife, Anna Fisher. Based in Miramar Beach, Florida, ECTC’s mission is to enrich and entertain the Emerald Coast community through professional and educational theater. Since it formed in 2012, ECTC has enrolled more than 1,376 local children in its educational programs.

For more information on Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s Junior Thespian Troupe, click here.

To learn more, visit Emerald Coast Theatre Company or call 850-684-0323.