Recently, the Marlborough Performing Arts Department joined the International Thespian Society, an honors theater society for high school students. The program, which was brought to Marlborough by Clara Maranville ’26 and Sylvie Spivak ’26, is comprised of thousands of high school theater programs across the United States.
Currently, the leaders are in the process of choosing members for Marlborough’s troupe. Anyone with 100 or more hours of participation in Marlborough’s Upper School theater program is eligible to apply, whether they are an actor or involved in backstage, costumes, lighting or build crew.
“[The International Thespian Society] is for people who dedicate their time to do something they are passion-
ate about and interested in,” Spivak said.
Once all of the applications are in, eligible applicants will be inducted as members of Marlborough’s theater “troupe.” This troupe will be able to attend various theater festivals and workshops organized by the company to compete with and learn from other high school students on a local, regional and national level.
“[Membership in the International Thespian Society] is recognition that these are students who are truly serious about theater,” Maranville said.
The addition of the International Thespian Society to Marlborough’s theater program follows a larger pattern of the department’s efforts to broaden its recognition.
“In recent years, Marlborough has been working towards expanding the reputation of its theater department,”
Maranville said.
While Marlborough may not be as well-known on a national level for its performing arts program, those involved in the department want to draw attention to the quality of its shows, which has been praised by past attendees.
“We wanted to bring [The International Thespian Society] to Marlborough to help establish us as a school with a serious theater program,” Spivak said.
In addition to the International Thespian Society, Marlborough has also been working on expanding its theater department through its engagement in the Jerry Herman Awards. As a result, the Marlborough Ensemble Theatre’s production of “Alice by Heart” and the All-School Musical “Matilda” were nominated in categories for the past two school years.
The International Thespian Society is an exciting opportunity for members of the Marlborough theater community to showcase their talents and be provided with nationwide recognition.
