2026 Conference Shows

Show Descriptions

Note: Please be aware of the wide variety of subject matter addressed in this year’s ThesCon performances. Some topics may induce negative feelings, anxiety, or trauma. The intent of our Content Advisory is to allow Conference attendees the opportunity to make informed choices when selecting tickets, along with the guidance of a parent/guardian and their Troupe Director. It is the responsibility of the Troupe Director to advise their students through the ticket selection process.

CONTENT ADVISORY KEY:

A - Alcohol/Substance abuse

D - Themes of suicide or death

H - Themes of hate, intolerance, prejudice, or racism

L - Mature language

S - Sexual situations

V - Violence

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SHOW SESSION 1

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Water For Elephants | Milton High School

RiverCenter: Bill Heard Theatre 

Music & Lyrics by PigPen Theatre Company

Book by Rick Elice

Musical - Water for Elephants is a mesmerizing play, utilizing music and circus as a storytelling medium. It is based on Sara Gruen’s novel about young Jacob Jankowski, who, after the tragedy of losing his parents during the Great Depression, hops a train and joins the Benzini Brothers Circus. (D,V)

The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition | Cherokee High School

Springer Opera House: Woodruff Hall 

Music & Lyrics by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., David Bowie, Tom Kenny, Tom Kitt, Andy Paley

Book by Kyle Jarrow

Musical - SpongeBob and his friends attempt to save Bikini Bottom from destruction, learning life lessons about community and friendship along the way.

Sergeant Brave | Norcross High School

Springer Opera House: McClure Theatre 

Play by Terry Gabbard

Play - Eugi Baker isn't your average kid. To say he has an overactive imagination would be the biggest exaggeration in the universe. When life gets rough, whether it's at school, at home, or on the football field, Eugi escapes into his private universe of robots, ninjas, and closet trolls. And when things get scary, he knows he can always turn to his imaginary best friend, the bravest hero in the cosmos, Sergeant Brave. But when sleepless nights start piling up and the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur, Eugi's mother grows increasingly alarmed. Things are getting out of hand, and what Eugi needs now is a real-life hero to step in and save the day. (D)

The Front Page | Northwest Whitfield High School

CSU Riverside Theatre: Mainstage 

Play by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur 

Play - Chicago, 1933: On the eve of her wedding, ace reporter Hildy Johnson gets caught up in the Scoop of the Century when an escaped murderer falls into the Criminal Courts Press Room. Filled with wise-cracking reporters, corrupt politicians, and a touch of Jazz-fueled romance, The Front Page shows how the power of the press can be a force of good and evil. Will Hildy leave the soul-shredding newspaper business and settle down, or will she be lured by the glamor, thrill, and occasional violence of the next big story?! (D,L,V)

SHOW SESSION 2

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Dreamworks The Prince of Egypt | Warner Robins High School

RiverCenter: Bill Heard Theatre

Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Book by Philip Lazebnik

Musical - Journey through the wonders of Ancient Egypt as Ramses and Moses, two young men raised together as brothers in a kingdom of privilege, find themselves suddenly divided by a secret past. One must rule as Pharaoh, the other must rise up and free his true people; both face a destiny that will change history forever. (D,H)

Peter and the Starcatcher | Calhoun High School

Springer Opera House: Woodruff Hall 

Play by Rick Elice

Music by Wayne Barker

Play - A group of orphaned boys is aboard a ship, sailing to a distant island, when they meet Molly, the daughter of a famous Starcatcher. Molly is on a secret mission to protect a trunk filled with "starstuff," a magical substance, from the clutches of the evil pirate Black Stache. The journey becomes an adventure filled with pirates, magical creatures, and the discovery of what it means to be a hero, a villain, and to stay a child forever.

These Shining Lives | Washington County High School

Springer Opera House: McClure Theatre 

Play by Melanie Marnich

Play - Playwright Melanie Marnich tells the true story of four women working at the Radium Dial Company in the 1920s and 1930s, painting watch faces with luminous radium. As their health deteriorates from radium poisoning, they band together to fight for justice, leaving a legacy of resilience and change in the face of exploitation. (D)

Working | Northside High School

CSU Riverside Theatre: Mainstage

Adapted by Nina Fasco & Stephen Schwartz

Musical - Based on Studs Terkel's best-selling book of interviews with American workers, Working paints a vivid portrait of the workers that the world so often takes for granted: the schoolteacher, the phone operator, the waitress, the millworker, the mason and the housewife, just to name a few. Nominated for six Tony Awards, this classic has been updated for a modern age, featuring new songs by Tony Award-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda, as well as favorites by Stephen Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, James Taylor, Micki Grant, and more.

I Never Saw Another Butterfly | Cartersville High School 

CSU Riverside Theatre: Studio Theatre 

Play by Celeste Raspanti

Play - Fifteen thousand children passed through Terezin with fewer than one hundred making it back to their families. The story follows Raja Enlanderova, one of the survivors. Her story teaches us about having hope, even when all seems lost. (D,H,V)

SHOW SESSION 3

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String | Brookwood High School

RiverCenter: Bill Heard Theatre

Music & Lyrics by Adam Gwon

Book by Sarah Hammond 

Musical - String follows the story of the Fates, three goddesses, who spin, measure, and cut the string of life for every human. When they are banished by Zeus to a modern office building, the eldest sister meets a security guard who will change the course of her life. (D)

Hetty Feather | Flowery Branch High School

Springer Opera House: Woodruff Hall 

Play by Jacqueline Wilson

Musical - Hetty Feather tells the story of a determined orphan, Hetty, who escapes Victorian London's Foundling Hospital to find her true mother and family, inspired by a brief, magical stint at a travelling circus. (L)

Monsters Under the Bed | Cherokee Bluff high School

Springer Opera House: McClure Theatre 

Play by Gay Hammond

Play - Monsters Under the Bed is a fast-moving, anthology-style play where a hilarious crew of monsters teaches the audience their essential “Monster Rules” - like being brave, being surprising, and even being happy. Through a series of short, funny, and slightly spooky stories, the monsters demonstrate how these rules help characters face fears, outsmart trouble, and see the world differently. 

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Women and War | Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School

CSU Riverside Theatre: Mainstage 

Play by Jack Hilton Cunningham

Play - Through correspondence and monologues, in the style of reader’s theater, Women and War is a collection of fictional stories based on historical fact, told by generations of Americans impacted by conflict from The Great War to the War in Afghanistan. (D,V)

Nunsense | Putnam County High School

CSU Riverside Theatre: Studio Theatre

Book, Music & Lyrics by Dan Goggin

Musical - A zany, wholesome, hilarious musical revue presented by the Little Sisters of Hoboken, Nunsense is a heavenly delight! This riotous show is a fundraiser put on by the sisters to raise money to bury sisters accidentally poisoned by the convent cook, Sister Julia (Child of God). (A)

SHOW SESSION 4

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Urinetown | Buford High School

RiverCenter: Bill Heard Theatre

Music by Mark Hollomann

Lyrics by Mark Hollomann & Greg Kotis

Musical - Urinetown is a musical set in the future that imagines what the world would be like if water usage was privatized and citizens had to pay to pee. (D,V)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Denmark High School

Springer Opera House: Woodruff Hall 

Music by Alan Menken

Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Musical - The Hunchback of Notre Dame follows Quasimodo, a deformed man living in the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral and hidden from society by his guardian, Claude Frollo. When Quasimodo escapes during the Feast of Fools, he meets the beautiful Romani dancer Esmeralda, and they both become entangled in Frollo's dark obsession with Esmeralda and his mission to destroy the Romani people. The story explores themes of prejudice, love, and the definition of beauty, culminating in a chaotic confrontation that involves Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and the handsome captain Phoebus. (H,V) 

The Yellow Wallpaper | Roswell High School

Springer Opera House: McClure Theatre

Play by Kathryn Funkhouser

Play - Yellow Wallpaper is a two-timeline, theatrical adaptation that wraps Charlotte Perkins Gilman's classic psychological horror story in a Hitchcockian thriller. The play explores how the past can haunt the present and highlights the enduring psychological consequences of repressing women's voices and autonomy.

The Vaudevillains | Johns Creek High School

CSU Riverside Theatre: Mainstage 

Play by The Terrible Infants

Play - Welcome to The Empire Music Hall for a night you’ll never forget. But tonight’s show will be a little different, as the club’s owner has fallen victim to a murder most foul. But….whodunnit? Could it be the nervy knife thrower Ray the Blade; sexy Siamese Triplets; The Cerberus Sisters; deranged ventriloquist Albert Frog; macabre mime artist Gaston Gasteu; or perhaps the mystifying magician – The Great Mephisto. Everyone’s a suspect as we discover the secrets of all the weird and wonderful acts who have found themselves upon The Empire’s bill. (D)

The Marvelous Wonderettes | East Paulding High School

CSU Riverside Theatre: Studio Theatre 

Musical by Roger Bean

Musical - Step back in time to the 1958 Springfield High senior prom, where the spotlight shines on four fabulous songleaders Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy. When the boys’ glee club suddenly can’t perform, the Wonderettes take center stage, dazzling the crowd with toe-tapping 1950s hits and plenty of personality! As the girls belt out beloved classics, you’ll be swept into their world of teenage dreams, crushes, catfights, and camaraderie, all while they compete for the ultimate honor: Prom Queen! (L)

SHOW SESSION 5

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Pippin | Houston County High School

RiverCenter: Bill Heard Theatre

Music & Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Musical - Pippin, the son of Charlemagne, is desperately searching for a life that feels extraordinary, and a mysterious troupe of performers is eager to guide him toward it. As he chases glory through war, power, pleasure, and fame, he discovers each “perfect” path is far more dangerous—and hollow—than he imagined. The charismatic Leading Player keeps tempting him with bigger, brighter promises, pulling him toward a finale that could change everything. In a world of spectacle, seduction, and illusion, Pippin asks how far you’d go to find meaning—and whether the life you want has been right in front of you all along. (D,V)

Bright Star: School Edition | Sequoyah High School

Springer Opera House: Woodruff Hall 

Music, Book & Story by Steve Martin

Music, Lyrics & Story by Edie Brickell

Musical - When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past, and what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives. (D,L,S,V) 

Little Women | Trinity Christian School

Springer Opera House: McClure Theatre 

Music by Jason Howland

Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein

Book by Allan Knee

Musical - Jo March is determined to become a renowned writer, and through a blend of past memories and present-day experiences, we witness the unfolding story of the March family: the joys, the struggles, and everything in between. It is through the strength of her family that Jo discovers her voice and pens the timeless tale of her “Little Women”. (D)

A Monster Calls | Cambridge High School

CSU Riverside Theatre: Mainstage 

Play by Adam Peck & Sally Cookson

Play - A Monster Calls tells the story of Conor, a boy struggling with his mother’s terminal illness while being visited by a giant yew tree monster who tells him stories. Through these encounters, Conor is forced to confront his grief, anger, and the truth he’s been avoiding. Ultimately, the tale explores loss, healing, and the courage to accept painful realities. (D,V)

The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon

CSU Riverside Theatre: Studio Theatre 

Play by Don Zolidis

Play - Two narrators and a troupe of actors attempt to recreate all of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in a wild, fast-paced extravaganza. To make it more difficult, they attempt to combine them into one gigantic fable using Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and more obscure stories like Lean Lisa.