Seniors Kathleen Shumate and Kamron Jamali aren’t just showstoppers—they’re show-makers. As two of California Thespians’ 10 State Thespian Officers, Shumate and Jamali helped deliver an exciting weekend of performances, workshops and student leadership to over 1,700 thespians at this year’s California Thespian Festival.

Held from March 14-16 at Pomona College, the festival’s programming followed the theme of “Capture the Moment.” For Jamali, that meant running mainstage events like the “Thespians Got Talent” show.  

“Being able to connect with that many people on stage and perform a skit without feeling judged is something that’s going to stick with me forever,” Jamali said.

While there was no shortage of skill-building sessions, the festival didn’t stop on the stage. For instance, Shumate helped lead a mental-health-themed slime workshop with another STO.

“There were a lot of workshop options at the festival for stage combat, dialects or acting in general,” Shumate said. “We just wanted to give them an option to step away from theater for a second.”

Jamali’s and Shumate’s contributions to the festival reflect the broader purpose of the STO program: to bridge the gap between the adult board and high school thespians. During their one-year terms, STOs are able to explore and help target issues they’re passionate about.

As the advocacy chair, Shumate worked on promoting access to theater opportunities, drawing on her experience moving to Irvine from a smaller town.

“Before I lived in Irvine, the school I went to didn’t really have an established theater program,” Shumate said. “When I moved to Northwood, I realized how fortunate I was to be able to be included in such a large community where everyone cares about theater the same way. I want students at all schools across California to have that same experience.”

Jamali also focused on access to theater opportunities, serving as Southern outreach chair and developing online lesson plans with theater exercises to help teenagers recovering from substance abuse.

“I’ve seen how drug addiction and substance abuse can impact teenagers, and the community that theater builds can be really helpful in recovery,” Jamali said.

For both seniors, the festival was more than a space to give back to their fellow thespians. Connecting with new people provided an opportunity for personal growth, equipping them with skills they’ll carry into their future endeavors.

“Because I had that blue jersey on, people had trust in me and expectations of me, and that was out of my comfort zone,” Jamali said. “I haven’t ever really been treated in that sort of sense, so it was such an amazing experience to be able to have meaningful conversations and build a solid support system with all those people.”