Notre Dame Performers Excel at Missouri Thespians State Conference

The Notre Dame Performing & Visual Arts Department participated in the Missouri Thespians State Conference at St. Louis Union Station and the Stifel Theatre earlier this month.

The Missouri Thespian Conference (ThesCon) is an annual gathering of high school theatre students for workshops, performance showcases, scholarship opportunities and a chance to compete in various performance and technical competitions.

“Taking the students to Thespian Conference is one of my favorite weeks of the year,” said Notre Dame Theatre Director Emily Steimle. “I get to see these kids in their element doing what they love to do around other kids who also love it.”

Notre Dame students had a standout weekend, with strong performances from several individuals and teams across multiple events.

Lucy Allen auditioned for the 2027 All-State Show against high schoolers from across Missouri. The sophomore earned one of the lead roles in the 2027 production of The Blue Stockings as Maeve, and will perform at next year’s Thespian Conference.

“Lucy and I talked about how hard it was going to be to get a part in the All-State show, and we were in agreement that we would be thrilled to just get her in. Any part, no matter what part, would be an accomplishment,” said Steimle. “The fact that she got a lead, and the exact part that she had been dreaming of was just incredible. That was the most exciting moment of the week for all of us, I think. The entire troupe went crazy.” 

Senior Lauren Williamsen had a stellar week in her own right, earning a superior rating for her Solo Musical performance and qualifying for a spot at Nationals.

Also earning a superior rating was the Notre Dame improv team of seniors Minh Pham, Adam Cork, JP Alipala, and sophomores Owen Spinks and Josef Alipala, in the Improv competition. 

Senior Olivia Cisneros earned an excellent rating for her contrasting monologues in the Monologue competition. Senior Samantha Schoolman also earned an excellent rating, performing in the Solo Dance competition.

The ensemble of Allen, Spinks, Josef Alipala and junior Camila Keller earned an excellence rating for their performance in the Ensemble Acting competition.

“The past two years, I took nine and then 11 students. This year, we jumped up to taking 20 students,” said Steimle. “I'm really excited that we have seen so much growth in the number of kids who love theatre and want to go show off what they can do and learn more.”