GMC News

GMC Prep School to Perform at Georgia Thespian Conference

GMC Prep School to Perform at Georgia Thespian Conference

Georgia Military College Preparatory School students have a big event to look forward to in the new year. A select group of students will travel to Columbus, Ga. for the Georgia Thespian Conference February 7-9, 2019. GMC Prep School students attend each year, but this year will be different as Georgia Military College Prep School has been chosen to perform their State Championship production of “9-5 the Musical.” Out of the entire state of Georgia, only 25 schools are selected to perform at Thespian Conference. This was GMC Prep School’s first year applying to perform, and they were selected. They’ll be performing in the biggest theatre at the conference, the River Center. They’ll perform in two primetime slots, the evening of the opening day of the conference.

Around 5,600 people attend the conference from all over the state to immerse themselves in quality theatre productions, workshops, scholarship auditions, and other theatrical opportunities. Schools apply their shows each year to be screened as main stage shows for the Georgia Thespian Conference but only a small amount get chosen. There are four venues where shows are able to perform for conference attendees and GMC Prep will perform twice while there.

This is GMC Prep School’s first time performing at the Georgia Thespian Conference and Director of Fine Arts at GMC Prep, Mark Weaver, says this is a huge opportunity for his students.

“As a featured show at the conference, other performers, teachers, schools, and professionals will have the opportunity to see GMC Theatre for the first time,” Weaver said. “It’s an enormous spotlight on their talents and it’s so exciting that they’ll get to experience this.”

Jenny Morris, Co-Director of GMC Prep School Theatre, has been involved with Georgia Thespians for many years and has been the Director of the All-State show for 15 years. She says to be given the opportunity for her students at GMC Prep School to perform at this level is so exciting.

“I’m so excited for our students to feel the applause in the River Center,” Morris said. “The River Center is the biggest house that the students have the opportunity to perform in. It seats almost 2,000 students. Regional and Broadway tours come through that facility, and so our students will walk out on stage and see a house that has two balconies filled with students that will scream for them. Their chests are going to vibrate because the cheering is going to be so loud. There is no experience like that and I get tearful thinking about how amazing our students are going to feel when they feel that. It’s going to feel like they’re the most amazing Broadway stars and I’m really excited for them to feel that.”
Lieutenant General William B. Caldwell, IV, President of Georgia Military College, says he’s so proud of this accomplishment for the Fine Arts Department.

“This is a huge honor to be selected to perform at the Georgia Thespian Conference and I’m so thankful for all the work Mark Weaver and Jenny Morris have done to get us to this point,” Caldwell said. “They continuously go above and beyond to find new, creative ways for our students to perform not just in the school environment, but beyond. I am so excited that our students will get to perform at this level.”

Weaver and Morris say this experience will be one the students of GMC Prep School will never forget.