International Thespian Excellence Awards

high school, so let's just say it's for the best. Okay, so I want to talk about this. So this is the— it's the International Thespian, um, Festival. I was— we had ITS, uh, International Thespian Society, when— oh, good luck keeping up. Sorry, I'm gonna slow the hell down. I mean the heck. H-E-C-K. Um, anywho, we had ITS when I was in high school, and yes, I was the president until I was boycotted from my theater because my theater teacher hated me and I didn't do any plays my entire senior year. Literally boycotted. But that's not important right now. The point is, it was such a big deal when I got— when I became a thespian. So I'm so excited for you guys. And I want to just say, I know kids don't have a lot of money, but hopefully there's some adults watching. I'm sure you know the arts— first of all, the arts were being cut no matter what before anything happened. It's relentless how much the arts are being cut and how they're not considered important when really the arts are what teaches what teach children how to be adults. That's how you learn how to collaborate. That's how you learn how to use your own brain and come up with solutions. It is the best way to learn how to be an adult, and yet they're being cut. It's driving me up the wall. So besides the arts just being cut for whatever reason, of course now spring shows have been canceled. We don't know really what's— if schools are gonna come back, and if they come back, if they're gonna close. The arts are really in danger. So if you can, it'd be wonderful to get some money. And because We're all millennials at heart. We know how to text. So here's what you're gonna text. I wrote it down. You text thespian, make all the jokes you want, but it's thespian with a T-H. Grow up, people. You text thespian to 76278 to help save school theater. I mean, they do an amazing job. They find schools that have no theater whatsoever and they help them create theater. I mean, it's really an amazing organization. So you're gonna text thespian to 76278. 6278. Oh, there it is, it's scrolling on the bottom. Anywho, normally I'm the host of Stars in the House with James, but like I said, it's a two-show day, our show just got out 5 minutes ago, so I need a break, people. So I'm gonna bring in a TV star to host. I have a face for radio. Anywho, he is, what do I wanna say about him? You know, he basically won the Emmy, come on, let's just be honest, he's got it going on. He hosts New York One, he knows everything, his hair is stunning. Please welcome Mr. Frank Dilella.

What an intro!

Hey there, Seth, how are you?

Hi, Frank, I'm good. You look amazing as usual. Still got it.

Hi, Jeff.

Jeff's in the middle.

Hi, Jeff. I have to say, congratulations on all you're doing for the Actors Fund with your show. I mean, I've been following it. I'm so proud of you and James. And please keep up the great work because you guys are killing it. And we are so grateful for you and what you're doing for the community.

Thank you. Thank you for supporting theater with your job and thank you for supporting young theater 'cause this is what we need for the next generation. So thumbs up and I guess peace out.

Thank you, Seth. Well, I am so honored to be hosting this year's award ceremony, the virtual awards ceremony. I had the pleasure of attending the International Thespian Festival a couple years ago, and I have to say, I wish this festival, or I wish I knew about this festival when I was a kid, a little theater kid growing up in Philadelphia, because I mean, I walked into the festival and I was like, this is Mecca. This is the ultimate for any theater lover. And I just wish that I knew about it, but I didn't. So anyway, here I am tonight hosting the award show, and I'm so honored. I guess I should stop Stick to the Script. The International Thespian Excellence Awards, or Thespies for short, recognize the highest level of achievement in school theatre performance and technical theatre. This educational program gives thespians, high school students who have been inducted into the International Thespian Society, the opportunity to receive constructive feedback on prepared theatrical material and technical designs. Students must achieve overall superior ratings at their state chapter event to qualify for the International Thespian Festival. What you will see tonight, folks, is a showcase of the highest achieving students. All students performing tonight are live virtual theater. All right, I am going to welcome to the stage Grabel Howie and Jazz Mueller from Troop 3384, Niwot High School in Niwot, Colorado. Grabel and Jazz will be singing "I Am the One" from the musical "Next to Normal," one of my favorite shows. It won the Pulitzer Prize, with music and lyrics by my buddy Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. That will be followed by Jaina Lynn Gonzalez from Troop 6371, J. Arnold High School in Panama City Beach, Florida. Jaina will be performing contrasting monologues beginning with "Tribes," written by Nina Rain, followed by "Roosters," written by Milka Sanchez Scott, take it away, my friends.

I am the one who stayed. I am the one and you walked away. I am the one who waited and now you act like you just don't give a damn. Like you never knew who I am. I am the one. I am the one. I am the one you fear. I am the one who's always been here. I am the one who'll heal. I know you told her that I'm not worth a damn. I know you know who I am. No, I know you know who I am.

Can't you just leave me alone?

I know you know who I am.

Why didn't you go with her?

She's holding on. Let me go. I won't let go. Let me go. You don't know I am the one who held you. I am the I am the one who cried. I am the one who watched while you died. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I am the one who loved you. I tried pretending that I don't give a damn. You've always known who I am. Gabe.

Gabe.

Thank you.

You don't know what it's like going deaf.

You don't. I just keep thinking, am I different? Am I different? Am I different? Am I turning into somebody different? I'm becoming a miserable person. I feel like I'm losing my personality. Can't even be ironic anymore. I love being ironic. I feel stupid. When I lose something in the house, I have to put my hearing aids in to look for it. I have these dreams when I'm talking on the phone again, and I can hear perfectly. It's all so clear. I don't know who I am anymore. I'm going deaf. You people don't know what it is to eat fresh handmade tortillas. Okay, my grandmother Hortensia, the one they used to call la India con la Nada, she used to wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning so the men would have something to eat when they went out into the fields. One day I woke up. Tú sabes, con la sangre.

Ah, so you're a woman now!

Got your cycle like the moon! Soon you'll want a man. Well, here's what you do. When you see the one you want, you take the tortilla and you roll it on the inside of your thigh and you give it to him nice and warm. Be sure you give it to him and nobody else. Well, I've been rolling tortillas on my thighs, my nalgas, and God knows where else, and I've been giving my tortillas to the wrong men. And that's been the problem with my life! But you see, first there was Emilio. I gave him my first tortilla. After he did me the favor, he didn't have the cojones to stick around. Took my TV set too. Thank you.

Bravo, my friends. All right, up next, please welcome Zia Broadnax and Jaslyn Thomas and Adenlee Yigley from Troop 8336 Fulshear High School in Fulshear, Texas, performing "Make Him Mine" from the musical "The Witches of Eastwick," which of course ran in London at the Drury Lane Theatre, with lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P.

Rowe. <LYRICS>If I could ask, if I could choose, what sort of man might fill the shoes</LYRICS> I'd like to find inside my door what man might fill those tom cans. What would I ask? Yes, what indeed? What would I dare? What would I dare? I'd ask the moon. I'd ask the moon. I'd ask if I thought the moon would care. All right, if we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this right. Okay. I close my eyes and I see him there. Everything I dreamed of. Warm, attentive, successful, stalwart, and strong. I close my eyes and it's past compare. Everything I hoped for, everything I pictured, everything I wanted all along. Make him mine, make him mine, make him handsome as the devil, yet perfectly divine. Make him mine, the ultimate companion, the ideal design. All manner of man in one man. Make him mine. I close my eyes and I see him there. A stranger at the doorstep. Dark enchanted field with secrets for I tend to feel. I close my eyes and my heart's laid bare. Everything I've hoped for, everything I pictured, everything I wanted, and it all seems so real. I see him there. There he is. Pure perfection down to the core. A sight to see. Very handsome, yes, but so much more. Someone to touch, someone to talk to. A tower of strength, a man of meat, who likes to read, with calloused hands, who wears a suit, who likes to paint, who works the land, who runs an office, a gentle soul, and a warm, and handsome pair of hands. That's all I'm asking for. Make him mine, mine to hold. Make him brilliant as a diamond and beautiful as gold. Bright and bold. Let our many races conjoin and combine. All manner of men in one man. Make him mine. I think the words speak the thoughts. The moon shines bright. The night grows hot. The heavens give us all their gold. A matter of man and one man. Make him mine, all mine. Make him mine. Bye!

Thank you. Had a old dog, his name was Blue. You know, Blue was mighty true.

Go on, Blue!

I gotta get by. Say what? You in my way, Pop. I gotta get by. You wanna get by in my house while I'm sitting on the steps? You gonna say excuse me like your mama told you. Man, come on, Pop, I gotta get by. You just gonna walk over the top of me? I live here too. You just gonna walk over the top of me in my own house? Man, I ain't scared of you. I didn't ask if you was scared of me. I asked if you was gonna walk over the top of me in my own house. If that's how you wanna put it. How else am I gonna put it? I was walking by you, so I'm going to the house, but you just sitting on the steps drunk singing to yourself, man. You can put it like that. Without saying excuse me. I ain't gotta say nothing to you. I asked you a question without saying excuse me. I ain't gotta say excuse me to you. You don't count around here no more. Oh, I don't count around here no more? You got so old, your own daddy don't count in his own house. So what, you gonna go lay in my bed, kick your feet up on my couch?

Is that right?

Is that right?

That's right.

You always talking this dumb stuff. Now just get out of my way. You got some place to stick. Got food in your stomach, that's what you need.

You got that?

Do you have that? You don't know what I got. You ain't got to worry about what I got. You right. You 100% right. See, I done spent the last 17 years worried about what you got. But nah, you a man, right? All right, so how about you turn around, you walk on my yard, and when you get to that alley, you could forget about all of this. That's all mine. Dude, we're doing what for you? You talking about what you did for me? What you ever give me? I gave you the feet and the bones. I gave you a popping heart, and that's more than any other man ever will. You ain't never gave me nothing. You ain't never done nothing but hold me back, man. Afraid I was going to be better than you. All you ever did was try to make me scared of you. I used to tremble every time you called my name. Every time I heard some footsteps in the house, wondering all the time, what's Papa gonna say if I do this, huh? Or what's Papa gonna say if I do that? Or what's Papa gonna say if I just so happen to go and turn on the radio? And Mama too.

She tries, but she's scared of you.

You leave your mama out of this, boy. You know, I don't know how she stand you after what you did to her. I just said leave your mama out of this. What you going to do? You going to give me a whooping?

Well, guess what?

Can't whoop me no more. You're too old. You just an old man. Yeah, well, you just another Negro on the streets to me. You crazy, you know that? Go on, you got the devil in you. You just a crazy old man talking about I got the devil in me. You're right, I am crazy. And I'm about to show you just how crazy I am if you don't get the hell out my yard. It ain't your yard. You took old Gay's money that he made from the Army and then just put him out. Get your black ass out my yard. I ain't going nowhere. Come on, do your best. Come on, pull me up. Come on. Tell Ma I'll be back with my things. They'll be on the other side of that fence. Thank you.

Wow, a very powerful moment from August Wilson's brilliant play "Fences." That was Cody Dixon and Tristan Williams. And of course, right before that was Naziah Broadnax, Jaslyn Thomas, and Evan Lee Yeakley from Troupe 8336 performing a moment from "The Witches of Eastwick." All right, the International Thespian Excellence Awards is not just about performance. We believe that the work offstage and backstage are essential to telling the story, obviously. Please give your sparkle fingers— I love that— to our Technical Theatre Thespian Award winners.

Let's take a look.

Congrats, friends. All right, please welcome to the stage Rachel Rudolph from Troop 7935, Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rachel will be singing "Me in the Sky" from the fantastic musical Come from Away, with music and lyrics by David Hine and Irene Sankoff. That will be followed by Nicholas Harrison and Reece Henrich from Troupe 7963, Obra D. Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas, singing "Therapy" from the musical Tick, Tick... Boom! with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, who of course gave us Rent so many years ago.

Take it away, friends. They had a crazy kid, 'cause I was one of those kids who always knew what I wanted. They took me down to the airport to see all the planes departing. Watching them fly, something inside of me was starting. And I was 8 when I told them I'd be a pilot, but I was too young and too short and there were no female pilots. Captains, and my dad said, be patient, he said, just see what happens. But I took my first lesson, came down from the sky, and told my father I'd fly for the rest of my life. Then I got my first job, flying for a mortician in a tiny Bonanza. Mr. Corp sent me $5 an hour for flying dead bodies. I had to climb over their faces just to get to my seat. Then suddenly Suddenly the wheels lift off, the ground is falling backwards, I am suddenly alive. Suddenly I'm in the cockpit, suddenly everything's changed, suddenly I'm not too young or too short and the passengers in the back don't complain. Suddenly I'm a fly in a company charter. Suddenly everything's high. Suddenly there's nothing in between me and the sky. American Airlines had the prettiest planes, so I applied as a flight engineer. But the World War II pilots, they all complained. They said girls shouldn't be in the cockpit. Hey lady, hey baby, hey, why don't you grab us a drink? And the flight attendants were my friends back then, and they said, are you better than us, do you think? But I kept getting higher, and the World War II crew, they retired, and the Girls all thought much higher of me. 1986, the first female American captain in history. Suddenly I'm in flight. Suddenly I've got my wings. Suddenly all of those pilots protesting me, well, they can get their own drinks. Suddenly there's no one saying, stay grounded. Looking down, passing them by. Suddenly there's nothing in between me and the sky! Suddenly I've got an all-female crew! The news talked, it made headlines across the world. Suddenly it stopped! No one's saying you can't, or you won't, or you know you're not anything 'cause you're a girl. Suddenly I'm getting married, and we're putting pins on the map where we've flown. Suddenly I am a mother and suddenly shocked at how much they've grown. Suddenly I'm wondering how my parents would feel seeing me teaching them to be pilots. Suddenly I am a senior instructor and somehow I'm 51. Suddenly I'm flying Paris to Dallas across the Atlantic. Across the Atlantic and feeling dumb when suddenly someone on air-to-air traffic says at 8:46 there's been a terrorist action and the one thing I loved more than anything was used as the bomb. Suddenly I'm in a hotel. Suddenly something Something has died. Suddenly there's something in between me and the sky.

Thank you.

Are you saying we can't talk?

Are you saying we're not talking?

What are you saying?

What are you saying? I'm saying I feel bad that you feel feeling bad about me, feeling bad about you, feeling bad about what I said, about what you said, about me not being able to share a feeling.

If I thought that what you thought was that I hadn't thought about sharing my thoughts, then my reaction to your reaction to my reaction would have been more revealing.

I'm just afraid that you'd be afraid if If I told you that I was afraid of intimacy? If you don't have a problem with my problem, maybe the problem's simply called a tendency?

Yes, I know that now you know that I didn't know that you didn't know that when I said no, I meant yes. I know, and now that I know that you knew that I knew, you adored me. I just want you to say you were wrong too. Say I was wrong about you being wrong.

When you were in to save us.

When I was the wrong kid to marry.

I know what I said, but I said it before me.

I'm not mad that you got mad that I got mad when you said I should go fuck dead.

If I were you, would I have done what I done? I'd do what you did when I gave you the ring. Every single one of us did.

Yes!

How fun was that? Of course, folks, if you're just joining us, we are here for the Thespian Excellence Awards. I'm Frank DiLella, your host. That was Nicholas Harrison and Rhys Henrik from Troop 7963 from Obra Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas, with a number from Tick, Tick... Boom! And right before that, we saw Rachel Rudolph do a fabulous interpretation of "Me and the Sky" from the musical "Come From Away." All right, next is a brief tribute to one of this year's mainstage productions. Thespian Troupe 66 from Paola High School, a small Kansas town with very few coronavirus cases in recent months, was originally set to perform "All My Sons" live for ITF with recommended safety protocols, of course, in place. Then a couple weeks ago, the community saw an increase in cases, leading the in-person performance to be canceled out of caution. The troupe recorded the following scene for their fellow thespians to enjoy. Let's take a look.

You heard her say it. He's never been sick.

He misunderstood me, Chris.

He simply told your father to kill Pilate and covered himself in bed. You'd better answer, Manny.

Answer him.

I packed your bag, darling.

What?

I packed your bag.

All you've got to do is close it. I'm not closing anything. He asked me here and I'm staying till he tells me to go. Till Chris tells me.

That's all.

Now get out of here, George.

But if that's how he—

That's all, nothing more till Christ comes about the case or Larry, as long as I'm here. Now get out of here, George.

You tell me.

I want to hear you tell me.

Oh, George. Georgie? Georgie, please don't take it that way. Georgie!

What do you mean you packed her bag? How dare you pack her bag?

Chris!

How dare you pack her bag?

She doesn't belong here.

Then I don't belong here.

She's Larry's sister.

And I'm his brother and he's dead and I'm marrying his girl.

Never. Never in this world.

You lost your mind?

You have nothing to say.

I got plenty to say. 3 and a half years you've been talking like a maniac.

Nothing!

You have nothing to say. Now I say he's coming back and everybody has got to wait.

Mother.

Mother.

Wait.

Wait.

How long? How long?

Till he comes. Forever and ever till he comes.

Mother. I'm going ahead with it.

Chris, I have never said no to you in my life. Now I say no.

You'll never let him go till I do it.

I'll never let him go, and you'll never let him go.

I let him go. I let him go a long time ago.

Then let your father go. Your brother's alive, darling, because if he's dead, your father killed him.

Do you understand me now?

As long as you live, that boy is alive. God does not let a son be killed by his father. Now you see, don't you?

She's out of her mind.

Then you did it?

He never flew a P-40.

But the others?

She's out of her mind.

Dad, you did it?

He never flew a P-40. What's the matter with you?

Then you did it to the others.

What the hell is the matter with you?

How could you do that?

How?

What's the matter with you?

Dad!

Dad, you killed 21 men!

What?

Killed?

You killed them! You murdered them!

How could I kill anybody?

Dad!

Dad!

I didn't kill anybody!

Then explain it to me! What did you do? Explain it to me or I'll tear you to pieces!

Don't, Chris, don't!

I want to know what you did! Now what did you do? You had 120 cracked engine heads, now what did you do?

If you're going to hang me, then I might as well—

I'm listening, God Almighty! I'm listening.

You're a boy. What could I do? I'm in business. A man is in business. 120 cracked, you're out of business. You got a process, the process don't work, you're out of business. I never thought they'd install them. I swear to God, I thought they'd stop them before they took off.

Then why'd you ship them out?

By the time they could spot them, I thought I'd have the process going again and I could show them that they needed me and they'd let it go by. But weeks passed, and so I was going to tell them.

Then why didn't you tell them?

It was too late. The paper. It was all over the front page. 21 went down. Chris! I did it for you. It was a chance and I took it for you.

You even knew they wouldn't hold up in the air. I didn't say that. But you were gonna warn them not to use them.

But that don't mean that they would—

Eddie, you knew they'd crash.

It don't mean that.

And you thought they'd crash.

I was afraid maybe they'd—

You were afraid maybe?

God in heaven, what kind of a man are you? Kids were hanging in the air by those heads. You knew that!

For you! A business for you!

For me? Where do you live? Where have you come from?

For me?

I was dying every day and you were killing my boys and you did it for me? What the hell do you think I was thinking of? The goddamn business? Is that as far as your mind can see? The business? What is that?

The world?

The business? What the hell do you mean you did it for me? Don't you have a country? Don't you live in the world? What the hell are you? You're not even an animal. No animal kills his own. What are you? What must I do to you? I ought to tear the tongue out of your mouth. What must I do? What must I do? Jesus God!

Wow, very powerful moment from Arthur Miller's All My Sons. Um, all right, coming up next, please welcome to the stage Derek Norris from Troupe 277 Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Kansas, performing contrasting monologues beginning with "Hello Goodbye, Peace," a play in one act written by Gabriel Davis, and "Red," written by John Logan. That will be followed by Amelia Gibbons from Troupe 9011, West De Pere High School in De Pere, Wisconsin, singing "Safer" from the musical "First Date," with music and lyrics by Michael Wiener and Alan Zachary. Take it away.

Okay, so you study the behaviors of convicted murderers, right? Okay, now how many of them tell you that they were cuddling with an adorable puppy when they snapped? None, right? Okay, so why don't we Lock them away with puppies! Okay, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, well, Rob, what if they try to kill the puppies? What if the puppies couldn't be killed? What if, what if I told you that I had a way to engineer a totally lifelike, adorable, indestructible super puppy?

Ruff, ruff.

Now imagine it. We take someone who's grown up in a violent landscape filled with crime and abuse and crime. Now, instead of locking them away with more of that, why don't we say, "No, put them in the puppy room." Right? That's right. I have a dream. I have a dream of indestructible super puppies. That will not just be a marvel of modern engineering, but they will help lift humanity out of the darkness! Now, who among you would like to fund my research? Eh?

No? No?

Bored you? Bored you? Christ Almighty, try working for you for a living. I mean, all the talking, talking, talking. Jesus Christ, will you ever shut up? I mean, you stand there trying to look so deep when you're nothing but a solipsistic bully with your grandiose self-importance and lectures and let's look at the painting for another 2 weeks. Let's not actually paint it. No, Let's just look. Oh, and the pretension. I can't imagine any other painter in the history of art ever tried so hard to be significant. I mean, not every painting has to rip your guts out and expose your soul. Not everyone wants art that actually hurts. I mean, sometimes you just need a damn still life or a landscape or soup can or comic book, which you might have learned if you ever You actually left your damn hermetically sealed submarine here with all the windows closed and no natural light because natural light isn't good enough for you.

Thank you. I know that I have issues, I face them, I swear. Think I overcome them, then turn, they're still there. Wish that I was different, I'd like to let go. But when I try to change, there's my past saying no. Maybe it's all 'cause of Dad, his new kids, his new wife. Or why not just blame mom, who's been nuts my whole life? When you've felt so alone since the moment of birth, and you've struggled to find your own true sense of worth, when it seems there is no one across this whole earth to depend upon, you carry on just like you always do cause its flavor to rely on you. Oh, it's safer to rely on you. Seen a million movies all selling true love. Fantasies I'm not sure that I'm worthy of. Caution to the wind, my heart's been on display. Still, the end result is it's not gone my way. So when I date some new guy who's a deadbeat or jerk, at least I'm not so crushed when it all doesn't work. When you once unafraid wore your heart on your leave, and the ones that you love chose to just turn and leave. Every day it gets harder to somehow believe you will survive, so you strive just to keep up your guard, cause it's safer to hold every guard. Oh, it's safer to hold every turn. I feel out of control, I feel safe on the ground. I go building up walls, yet I wish to be found. A true contradiction to which I am bound. As I keep on spinning around and around, and I look at the people who've worked it all out, and I wonder why I'm still a bundle of doubt. And sometimes I wanna just stand up and shout, just commit and deal with it before your life flies by. Don't let your life fly by. But is it safer? Maybe it's safer if I don't try. Thank you.

My fellow seniors, graduating class of 2020, this wasn't the year we expected, hoped for, or wanted, but this was the year that we got to show what we're made of. We got to show what we can bring to this new world.

Strength, courage, ingenuity, resilience, determination, creativity, and hope.

Many of us didn't get the opportunity to take that one last bow, the final curtain call on this chapter of our life. Well, now is that opportunity. Thespians, it is with great honor and pleasure that on behalf of the International Thespian Society, I confer upon each of you the status of alumni. You join the ranks of more than 2.4 million who have come before you, who have acted well their parts, on stage and off, to make this world a better and brighter place. Please rise and take your final bow. Class of 2020, you may now turn on the ghost light of your high school career. This stage is clear.

Congratulations, seniors! Hi everyone, my name is Taylor and I'm on the membership team at the International Thespian Society. Tonight I have the honor and the privilege to recognize the breakout star of festival, the, the celebrity of ITF, and everyone's fan favorite, Jeffrey Johnson.

Oh my gosh!

Hi, Jeffrey! Jeffrey, we would like to welcome you as an official thespian of the International Thespian Society, joining over 2.4 million thespians before you. And now I'd like to invite you to recite the thespian pledge with me. Okay. I promise to uphold the aims and ideals of the International Thespian Society. I am a student of theater and excellence is my ideal. I promise to perform my part as well as I can, to accept praise and criticism with grace, to cooperate with my fellow thespians and work for the good of the troupe, and to share my love of theater. Oh my gosh, thank you so much!

So special.

Yes, Jeffrey!

Congratulations, my friend. All right, folks, for our finale performance tonight, all-star thespians from across the globe come together virtually to perform One of my favorite songs, "This Is Me" from "The Greatest Showman." Our virtual choir features 90 students from, get this, 38 states and 3 countries, plus Broadway performers. Here is the Thespian Virtual Choir.

I am not a stranger to the dark. Hide away, they say, 'cause we don't want your broken parts. I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars. Run away, they say, They want to love you as you are, but I won't let them break me down to dust. I know that there's a place for us, for we are glorious. When the sharpest words want to cut me down, I'm gonna set a flood and I'll drown them out.

I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be.

This is me, look out, 'cause here I come. And I'm marching on to the beat I drum. I'm not scared to be seen, I make no apologies. This is me. I am Bruce. I am who I'm meant to be. This is me. Look out, 'cause here I come. And I'm marching on to the beat I go. I'm not scared to be seen. I make no apologies. This is me.

Oh my gosh, you guys, so unbelievable. All right, we are coming to a close of tonight's celebration. In addition to the students who were showcased this evening, I want to congratulate all the winners of the International Thespian Excellence Awards. These students achieved the highest superior scores in their respective categories. Look at that. Amazing. All right, we want to remind you that to help us save school theater by giving to the Thespian Relief Fund, something Seth Rudetsky started this broadcast off with, please text thespian to 76278. Or go to www.lesbiangives.com. Again, I'm a firm believer in arts education, and these folks are really doing something that is so important for all of us. So give what you can, and we are so grateful. Thank you to all the sponsors for the festival. Tonight's showcase is sponsored by Concord Theatricals. Great, thank you guys. And we are coming to the end of our spectacular— we are coming to the end of a spectacular week at the first virtual International Thespian Festival. Thank you all for joining virtually, and be safe, be well, and good night.