The Chapter Select Showcase at the International Thespian Festival (ITF) features 20, 1-act performances from all over the #ThespianNation! Troupes can send one top-scoring show from their festival. The 20 slots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
There’s so much more than these simple facts about the Chapter Select Showcase. Let Taylor Davis (she/her/hers) of Mount Carmel Academy, Troupe #2075 in New Orleans, LA, fill you in. Taylor knows firsthand what it takes to be included in the Chapter Select Showcase. In fact, she directed, recorded, and edited the documentary posted above. It’s about her troupe’s efforts that earned them a slot in the showcase. They’ll perform Shakespeare, Clearly: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (By William Shakespeare, Adapted by Jon Jory, Directed by Kristi Jacobs-Stanley) at ITF 2022.
Documenting the Chapter Select Showcase Process
Taylor Davis (she/her/hers)
Director, Videographer, Editor
Photo Credit: Jaime Aguirre
Dramatics: What was the surprising thing you learned while filming the documentary?
Taylor Davis: I was surprised to learn how constantly attentive you have to be when filming a documentary. If you miss something, there’s no way to get it again since everything is happening in real-time.
D: What was your goal in filming and producing the documentary?
TD: My goal was to create a film that would showcase what happens at a state thespian festival and why events like these are important for high school students. I also wanted to experiment with implementing interviews to help tell the story and get different perspectives.
D: How satisfied are you with the outcome? What would you do differently next time? Or do the same?
TD: I’m very satisfied with how the video turned out. If I could do it again though, I would make a more specific filming outline beforehand to make filming easier. I had a lot of fun filming the documentary and am very thankful for the opportunity to share it with other people through Film Prize Jr.!
A Few More Details About the Documentary
A moment of joy captured on the bus ride!
TD: I had a lot of fun filming the bus ride from our school to Natchitoches because it was a way for me to capture memories of everyone singing and having fun. I also had a good time interviewing everyone who went to state. I hope my film communicates to audiences how theatre and art, in general, have the power to bring people together.
This was my first time creating a documentary, so I faced a lot of challenges. One challenge was trying to ask the right questions in interviews in order to most effectively communicate the story I was trying to tell. I’m glad that I pushed myself to try something new, however, because I was surprised by how much I enjoyed filming a documentary. It was very different from filming a scripted or pre-planned film and required me to be more attentive to what I was filming. ♦
Patty Craft is content manager for Dramatics.org.
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