​Are you a theatre groupie? 
Love seeing live theatre but rarely participate onstage/backstage?
We invite you to apply to be a THESPIE JUDGE for 2022-23.

The State Journal Thespie Awards will be published in LSJ SOON  - back from the COVID-gap! They originated forty-ish years ago when there were fewer theatres and more reviewers who worked for the paper. These objective experts (Ty Ross) originated the Thespie Awards, recognizing excellence in local live theatre. This still seems like a good idea - yay THEATRE, but...

Of late, there are fewer/no LSJ reviewers (though we do appreciate Bridgette Redman’s bi-weekly column of previews & news)  so other community judges have tried to fill the Thespie-judge gap. Assorted health challenges are causing some judge retirements.

SO — We invite YOU to apply to be a Thespie Judge!  (Hoping to get “detached” judges who still have theatre experience/expertise, since actor/directors have to recuse themselves from voting on a whole category (musicals; non-musicals) if they directed one - or from voting in any category that involved a show they worked on.) 

The perks: free tickets to about 60 shows a year (no actual $ pay)
The downsides: obligation to SEE and RATE the majority of those 60 shows

Judges devise their own individual point systems to use as tools to come up with up to three “nominees” in each category (lead actor in a play, supporting actress in a musical, best set design, … etc.) Each then brings his/her list of nominees to a year-end meeting with Mike Hughes who directs the voting and prepares the resulting Thespie Article for the Journal. 

If you are interested, please send me an email at [email protected] explaining what you believe would make you a good judge of local community theatre plus Williamston, MSU and LCC. (Not Lebowsky; it’s outside the official “Lansing Area”) Judging will run from July 2022 to June 2023. (I will send a list of shows as soon as I get the GLUT calendar together.)

Looking forward to hearing from YOU!