AHSTF by WorldStrides

We're here! We're here! AHSTF performers receive a warm welcome in Edinburgh as they check into their dorms and take in their first sights of this lovely town!

Heading out of London and on to Scotland! What an exciting time for our young AHSTF performers on their way to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Follow along on our theatrical journey!

Here at AHSTF we LOVE celebrating International Education Week! Did you know that every high school student who performs with us at FRINGE is eligible to receive up to THREE (3!) college credits from George Mason University AT NO EXTRA CHARGE? Want to find out more? Reach out here or email us - [email protected]. Applications are being accepted NOW for AHSTF '25 and '26!

Happy International Stage Management Day!

AHSTF program director, Cammie West, will be attending the Theatre Education Conference in St. Pete Beach, FL this week! Be sure to stop by our AHSTF/WorldStrides booth, #69, during exhibit hours to say hi or find out more about the American High School Theatre Festival!

In addition to preparing for AHSTF ‘24, we are already accepting applications for AHSTF ’25 – our 30th anniversary at the Fringe! ’26 applicants are also welcome. We would love to have your school in the wings!

Terrific article from The Oakland Press about AHSTF's own Avondale High School.

https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2021/11/29/avondale-theatre-company-performing-in-scotland-in-2023/?fbclid=IwAR2dIafT1UnJKilZSZJiio9MU97ruuuiw_2noQe0RwMuV3pgn8jrA4cbdeY

They're bringing the very funny and fanciful Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters to Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which is not to be missed! Get your show tix here:

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/terry-pratchett-s-wyrd-sisters

Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters Terry Pratchett takes Shakespeare's Macbeth and then turns it up till the k**b comes off. It's all there – a wicked duke and duchess, the ghost of the murdered king, dim soldiers, strolling players, a land in peril. And who stands between the kingdom and destruction? Three witches. Granny Weatherw...

Despite the name, we guarantee that nothing about this remarkable production from our friends at Ocean Springs High School (MS) will be a failure! Come join us at the Fringe, for this heartbreakingly beautiful show at our hub, Central Hall (Venue 295). (Ocean Springs Theatre & Film Department 🎭

Romance! Magic! Lost shoes?

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella has all this and more! We can't wait to see what this talented troupe out of King School in Stamford, CT is going to do with the classic tale at Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer! Won't you join us?

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/rodgers-and-hammerstein-s-cinderella

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella A magical musical with modern sensibilities, King School of Stamford Connecticut, just north of New York City, presents the grand and classic tale of a virtuous young woman who finally gets what she deserves: a chance to change the world. In this Fringe-sized re-creation of our grand and glorious wi...

We are looking forward to another incredible season of AHSTF shows at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe! Check out this fabulous promo video for a brand new musical out of Bellevue High in Washington State: Welcome to Camp Sasquatch!

Find yourself (and possibly BIGFOOT) at the Fringe!

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/welcome-to-camp-sasquatch

https://youtu.be/zNrWfJmBEr8

Welcome to Camp Sasquatch OFFICIAL TRAILER Coming to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August! Bellevue High Drama Department’s Original entirely student written and produced musical, WELCOME TO CAMP...

Check out this fantastic article about AHSTF alum director, Jill Campbell, and her troupe’s journey to the Fringe this past summer! https://dramatics.org/edinburgh-festival-fringe/. Jill and her PA-based troupe performed with AHSTF many times over the last 20 years (she first attended in 2004!) and the write-up is a real testament to her, her students, and her program. Brava Jill and Bravo State College Area High School thespians!

AHSTF Program Director, Cammie West, is spending the weekend up in Natchitoches, LA with the Louisiana Thespians at LA Thes Fest 2024. Thank you for inviting us to be a part of your "magical" celebration! It's an honor to adjudicate for your talented troupes. If you're there - come visit us in the Expo Hall! Break legs!

Break legs and safe travels to all of our outstanding Mississippi schools (current and alum) headed to Tupelo for Festival, , today! MTA's motto is "Mississippi Does Great Theatre" and here at AHSTF, we certainly know this to be true! Bravo!

Photo from The Diviners, produced by Oxford High School for AHSTF 2022 at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Here's wishing all of you, AHSTF friends and alumni, a Happy New Year! Snowy Edinburgh is a sight to behold, isn't it?

Applications are still being accepted for AHSTF '24. We won't see snow in August, but did you know there are SIX beaches within easy reach of Edinburgh? https://www.timeout.com/edinburgh/news/six-great-beaches-within-easy-reach-of-edinburgh-052215

Here at AHSTF we are thankful for each and one of our Directors and our Alumni. We are also thankful for the WorldStrides Family who with we are able to add more to our Festival including High School and College Credit! The WorldStrides Family is Celebrating 55 years of Life-Changing Moments. Please us by sharing your story at https://moments.worldstrides.com/
Happy Thanksgiving!

Expressing gratitude for the unsung heroes of our theatre programs - the Booster Club! Many of us have to "boost" ourselves, though, which finds us looking for new ways ways to lighten the proverbial lift.

What are some ways YOU raise funds for YOUR wonderful programs? Share your top tips below! The holidays are a great time to reach out to families, fans, and businesses and ask for support!

Application Deadline for AHSTF is December 1: https://ahstf.org/application-process/

What are you waiting for?! Applications are now being accepted for AHSTF '24! Deadline is DECEMBER 1.

Questions? We love talking with directors! Shoot us an email us at [email protected] and we'll tell you all about our incentives for early-bird planners. We want you onstage with us at the Fringe!

Apply here: https://ahstf.org/application-process/

*Photo from Menlo School's production of Learned Ladies, presented in conjunction with AHSTF '22 at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Big ups to all of our directors, and extended AHSTF family, in the throes of tech week! We tip our hats (ten-gallon and otherwise) to you!

*Photo from Barstow School's 2022 original show, Motor Court 103, presented in conjunction with AHSTF at Edinburgh Festival Fringe!

As theatre people, our minds immediately turn to the Bard and one of his most infamous plays when we think about spooky Scotland, but there’s so much more to uncover when delving into the history of the supernatural in the “Land of the Brave”.

Halloween in Scotland is all about witches, spirits and fire, and the Scottish Ghost Trail keeps that “spirit” alive year round. One of the recommended stops on the trail, Stirling Castle, is part of AHSTF’s full-day sightseeing tour!

Robert Burns wrote about the myths, legends and traditions associated with Halloween in Scotland in his poem ‘Halloween’, written in 1785 – which is also a perfect poem to teach traditional Scottish dialect! (Have yer wee thespians read it aloud…)

The origins of Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (‘shahv-nah’ in Scottish Gaelic) which marked the end of summer and the harvest, and the beginning of the dark cold winter. The festival symbolized the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead. It was believed that on the night of 31st October, ghosts of the dead would walk again amongst us, and large bonfires were lit in each village in order to ward off any evil spirits.

“Neeps” were dug out and lit with candles to aid in this effort. Thankfully, the modern-day pumpkins have mostly replaced these turnip lanterns and have a much better aroma! (No one’s heading to Starbucks for a Turnip Spice Latte!)

Instead of ‘trick or treat’, children dressed up pretending to be evil spirits and went ‘guising’ with the thought that they would blend in with the spirits that were about in the night. Children arriving at a house so ‘disguised’ would receive an offering to ward off evil. Today it is expected that the children, in addition to dressing up, perform a party trick – a song, dance, or poem recitation, for example – before they are offered a treat of fruit, nuts, money, or sweets. What fun!

If you don’t happen to be in Scotland on Halloween, there are still spooky experiences to be had in Edinburgh and across the country throughout the year!

Edinburgh has a grisly history with witches, gruesome murders, grave-robbers, mistreatment of prisoners, and a “lower” class once condemned to living in poverty below the city. Not surprisingly, numerous ghost tours can be found in the city which explore underground vaults and graveyards. Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, for example, is home to the MacKenzie Poltergeist, a particularly nasty ghost. Visitors have reported collapsing and being grabbed by an unknown presence, among other things. What will happen when you visit?

Join AHSTF at the Fringe and explore haunted Edinburgh in your free time. We would love to hear about your spine-tingling experiences!

*Photo from Inspire Chico's 2022 student-devised adaptation of Frankenstein, presented in conjunction with AHSTF at Edinburgh Festival Fringe!

Until next year Scotland. Great job to all the troupes this year. Looking forward to coming back next year!

Diagon Alley anyone?

Let the Ceilidh begin!!!

One of our Fringe Venues this year, Central Hall Auditorium!

is taking over the AHSTF Instagram today! Follow our stories to see our adventures through London today and meet our students! Today we’re going to The National Gallery, The Tower of London, and

Guess where this is?

Set up for our Fringe Venues has begun!
Break a leg!

View of St. Paul’s cathedral from Millennium Bridge. Photo credit to one of our Program Directors.

Full London team dinner. Looking forward for the rest of the groups to arrive.

Time for some friendly competition. Who set up better? Bankside or Novo?
Comment below!
# WorldStrides

Ready to welcome this year’s AHSTF 2022 Troupes! Whose excited??

Today, we showcase our final 4 troupes: Leysin American School, Oxford High School, Port of Los Angeles High School, and The Hun School of Princeton!