As a Theatrical Arts Guild troupe director, your connection to theatre education is more than a membership ― it’s a yearlong investment in you and in your students.
Included on this page…
Student Recognition
The recognition students gain through induction in their Theatrical Arts Guild – TAG school troupe signals to colleges and employers their leadership, service, and extracurricular achievements. It gives theatre students the same validation common for sports or academic success. And it’s a valuable asset when recruiting new students to your theatre program ― especially in a year when live productions may be limited.
Event Access
Our theatre festivals provide opportunities for learning, recognition, and life-long memories ― at the regional and national levels. Regional and national events offer our students a chance to compete for thousands of scholarship dollars, earn commendation through our national festival structure, and audition for dozens of college theatre programs.
Professional Development
Your troupe renewal comes with exclusive access to our TAEA Drama Teacher Resource Library with resources from educational theatre experts such as Don Zolidis and Stephen Gregg. Whether you’re new to the field or an expert theatre educator, we have resources that will help your delivery in the drama classroom.
Community Support
As a member of TAEA, you gain access to the most engaged network of theatre educators nationwide, eager to share ideas, collaborate on problem-solving, and offer expertise.
What Is a STAR Guild and How to Start One at Your School - Step By Step
What is the National STAR Guild?
The STAR Guild is a national honours program for middle and high school students that excel in the theatrical arts at their school. Once your school has a TAG Troupe your drama teacher/troupe director can induct you into the National STAR Guild.
What is a school TAG Troupe?
Drama Teachers/Schools Register as a School Theatrical Arts Recognition (STAR) Guild and they get an official Theatrical Arts Guild (TAG) troupe number and renew annually to maintain their active status in the Guild. This allows them to run their school TAG (Theatrical Arts Guild) within the National STAR Guild. Once your school has a TAG Troupe your drama teacher/troupe director can induct you into the National STAR Guild and those student recieve many benefits including discounted prices for attending our STAR Festivals.
STEP 1 – SCHOOL MEMBERSHIP IN THE STAR GUILD WITH A TAG TROUPE –
Schools Register their school as a School Theatrical Arts Recognition (STAR) Guild and they get an official Theatrical Arts Guild Number and renew annually to maintain their active status in the Guild. This allows them to run their school TAG (Theatrical Arts Guild) within the National STAR Guild
BENEFITS FOR THE SCHOOL & GUILD DIRECTOR –
- This allows the School Guild Director (usually the drama teacher) to induct their STAR honour students into the Guild.
- It also elevates the stature of the program to be a National STAR Guild Drama School.
- The Guild Director automatically becomes a member of the TAEA – with wonderful member benefits.
- Plus, they have the opportunity to apply for exclusive guild school awards, grants, programs and even apply for royalty reductions.
- And so much more…
STEP 2 – INDUCT STUDENTS INTO THE GUILD –
The school can then induct students into their School Theatrical Arts Guild (TAG) and by doing so they become a member of the National STAR Guild – linking them with the best Theatrical Arts students and alumni from across the country. Induction should be managed by the School STAR Guild Director, usually the school drama teacher or designate and once inducted the STAR student is inducted to the guild for life. In order to maintain the highest standards of commitment and excellence to the theatrical arts, STAR Guild induction is based on the requirement that a student completes 150 quality hours in the development of theatrical arts productions, this also allows them to be declared an Inducted Major in the area of work.
Areas that a student can major in (150 quality hours) or minor in (75 quality hours) are:
- Performance: Acting
- Performance: Musical Theatre
- Technical Theatre
- Design
- Stage Management
- Directing
- Script Writing
- Front of House
- Theatre Marketing
- Film & TV
- Multidisciplinary Theatrical Arts
A student needs to qualify for one of these areas as a Major to be inducted into the guild.
Upon induction, a qualified student can have a maximum of two areas – presented as a:
- major and minor or they can be just a single major
BENEFITS FOR STUDENT INDUCTEES – All students that qualify and are inducted into the National STAR Guild from their Guild School will receive a personalized STAR Guild Induction Certificate, Personalized STAR membership card, official Guild induction pin and a Bumper Sticker. They will get discounted rates to select TAEA, STAR festivals and programs. Plus, they have the opportunity to apply for exclusive guild scholarships, bursaries, awards, student leadership programs and so much more…
Step 3 – MONITOR YOUR STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT IN THE GUILD AND UPGRADE THEIR STAR CREDENTIALS IN THE NATIONAL STAR GUILD
- A student can continue to upgrade and push for further accolades once inducted into the guild.
- Minors can become Majors once the 75 quality hours have moved up to 150 quality hours of work.
- Each school year that a student has been active, post induction, in the STAR Guild they can add another area of specialty as they explore more areas of the theatrical arts in your program (up to 4 areas by the end of grade 12). This will be added to their file upon completion and an updated induction certificate will be created to honour their achievement. Middle school students will be transferred into their local high school if the are an active STAR Guild school
- Students that want to go deeper in their areas of inducted Major within the Guild can complete 500 quality hours of Theatrical Arts work to qualify to upgrade their Major to Major with Distinction. This will be added to their file upon completion and an updated induction certificate will be created to honour their achievement within the National STAR Guild.
Theatrical Arts Guild (TAG) Program Costs –
$100 – One Time TAG Troupe Activation Cost
Materials provided upon chartering your school Theatrical Arts Guild – Your TAG introduction package including an Official TAG Charter, TAG Induction Ledger.
$129 – Annual School Theatrical Guild (TAG) Renewal
$35 – Per STAR student induction
Materials provided upon induction includes induction pin, personalized certificate, bumper sticker, personalized ID Card
$15 – Per STAR student upgrade
Materials provided upon upgraded credential application – updated Certificate expressing the upgraded credentials.
National STAR Guild and school Theatrical Arts Guilds (TAG's) -- Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National STAR Guild?
The STAR Guild is a national honours program for middle and high school students that excel in the theatrical arts at their school. Once your school has a TAG Troupe your drama teacher/troupe director can induct you into the National STAR Guild.
What is a school TAG Troupe?
Drama Teachers/Schools Register as a School Theatrical Arts Recognition (STAR) Guild and they get an official Theatrical Arts Guild (TAG) troupe number and renew annually to maintain their active status in the Guild. This allows them to run their school TAG (Theatrical Arts Guild) within the National STAR Guild. Once your school has a TAG Troupe your drama teacher/troupe director can induct you into the National STAR Guild and those student recieve many benefits including discounted prices for attending our STAR Festivals.
Is it the same thing as the International Thespian Society?
No the STAR Guild is an honour society for more then just thespians. Students can be inducted for their work in any area of school theatrical arts including, but not exclusive to, acting performance.
How much does it cost to start a TAG troupe at your school?
A school that would like to be a member pays $229 per year to charter a troupe and then $129 per school year to renew.
What are the benefits of having a TAG troupe at your school?
- By chartering a troupe your school gets a national troupe # and recognition as one of Canada’s most committed Drama & Theatrical Arts programs
- You get the opportunity to win national honours for your school troupe annually.
- As the troupe director you will get your professional membership for free including all of the awesome membership benefits
- Playwrights reductions and other promotions specifically for TAG troupes.
- You are able to induct your talented, passionate drama students to our national student honours society – the Theatrical Arts Guild aka the STAR Guild. They get a personalized certificate of induction, personalized ID card, bumper sticker and pin. This is a lifetime induction with opportunities for credential advancement as they demonstrate excellence in your program. TAG/STAR Guild induction lowers the students registration costs at our Regional and National STAR Festivals. Induction also opens your students to potentially win scholarships and awards at our events.
Can I participate in our STAR festivals without being a school TAG troupe?
- Yes your school does not need to be a TAG troupe to participate in our event and if you are a TAG troupe school your students don’t need to be inducted into the STAR Guild to participate at the STAR Festival. Inducted National STAR Guild students will be given a discounted rate at our events.
How can I induct students from my TAG into the National STAR Guild?
Induction should be managed by the School TAG Troupe Director, usually the school drama teacher or designate and once inducted the STAR student is inducted to the guild for life. In order to maintain the highest standards of commitment and excellence to the theatrical arts, STAR Guild induction is based on the requirement that a student completes 150 quality hours in the development of theatrical arts productions, this also allows them to be declared an Inducted Major in the area of work.
Areas that a student can major in (150 quality hours) or minor in (75 quality hours) are:
- Performance: Acting
- Performance: Musical Theatre
- Technical Theatre
- Design
- Stage Management
- Directing
- Script Writing
- Theatre Marketing
- Front of House
- Film & TV
- Multidisciplinary Theatrical Arts
A student needs to qualify for one of these areas as a Major to be inducted into the guild.
Upon induction, a qualified student can have a maximum of two areas – presented as a:
- major and minor
- or they can be just a single major
How do students upgrade their credentials in the National STAR Guild?
- A student can continue to upgrade and push for further accolades once inducted into the guild.
- Minors can become Majors once the 75 quality hours have moved up to 150 quality hours of work.
- Each school year that a student has been active, post induction, in the STAR Guild they can add another area of specialty as they explore more areas of the theatrical arts in your program (up to 4 areas by the end of grade 12). This will be added to their file upon completion and an updated induction certificate will be created to honour their achievement. Middle school students will be transferred into their local high school if the are an active STAR Guild school
- Students that want to go deeper in their areas of inducted Major within the Guild can complete 500 quality hours of Theatrical Arts work to qualify to upgrade their Major to Major with Distinction. This will be added to their file upon completion and an updated induction certificate will be created to honour their achievement within the International STAR Guild.
How much does it cost to induct a student into the National STAR Guild
– A one-time fee of $35 – Per STAR student induction gets them lifetime membership in the STAR Guild. Materials provided upon induction includes induction pin, personalized certificate, bumper sticker, personalized ID Card Plus $15 – Per STAR student upgrade.
- Materials provided upon upgraded credential application – updated Certificate expressing the upgraded credentials.