Five Oakville High School students placed in various competitions at the Missouri Thespian Conference held Jan. 9 through Jan. 11 at Union Station.
During the competition portion – known as the “Thespys” – of the conference, students were scored in five skills, which varied depending on the category they competed in, from one to four. To receive the highest rank – a “superior” rating – students had to earn 18 to 20 total points.
Kaitlyn Bridges and Stella Kolb received the coveted “superior” rating in the “duet musical” category, qualifying them to compete in the International Thespian Festival held in June at Indiana University.
Ollie Burchett and Keaton Rick-Tappella received the next-best rank –“excellent” – in the “duet acting” category. Teagan Crecelius also received an “excellent” rating, though in a different category: “solo musical.” To receive an excellent rating, students had to earn 13 to 17 points.
“We’re so proud of them,” Hunter Robinson, Mehlville School District’s multimedia communications specialist, said.
Aside from the aforementioned categories, students on the performance side were able to compete in “group acting,” “group musical” and “solo, duet, or group musical theater dance.” On the technical side, categories included “lighting design,” “sound design,” “costume design,” “costume construction,” “makeup design,” “stage management,” “theatre marketing,” “short film” and” prop design/build.”
120 theater troupes from around the state attended this year’s conference.
The next Missouri Thespian Conference is scheduled for Jan. 8 through Jan. 10, 2026. It will again be held at St. Louis Union Station.
