Lincoln Middle School’s Thespian Troupe 88521 recently had a successful showing at the 2026 Florida Junior Thespian State Festival, earning Superior ratings for all eight of their performance pieces for the first time, along with several Top Honors awards and a Judge’s Choice Award. 

More than 50 troupe members attended the state festival, which took place Feb. 5-7 at the Orlando Convention Center. 

State performance pieces are listed below. 

• Superior, Top Honors, Judges’ Choice – Small Ensemble Musical: The I Love You Song (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) selected to perform at Closing Ceremonies 

• Superior, Top Honors – Small Ensemble Musical: All Girl Band (A… My Name is Alice) 

• Superior, Top Honors – Ensemble Acting: The Bible in 30 Minutes or Less 

• Superior (two perfect scores) – Large Ensemble Musical: Join The Circus (Barnum: The Musical) 

• Superior (two perfect scores) – Small Ensemble Musical: Forget About the Boy (Thoroughly Modern Millie) 

• Superior (two perfect scores) – Ensemble Acting: The Internet is Distract…Oh Look a Kitten 

• Superior (one perfect score) – Duet Musical: Freedom (The Mad Ones) selected to perform at Opening Ceremonies 

• Superior (one perfect score) – Small Ensemble Musical: Edgar Allan Poe (Snoopy) 

In addition to their achievements in performance pieces, the Lincoln Middle Troupe was also one of just two troupes chosen statewide to perform ‘Mean Girls Jr.’ on the Mainstage at the state festival in front of more than 1,000 thespians, according to a press release. This was the first time that a Gainesville-area middle school or District 1 (consisting of 20 counties representing Northeast Florida from Jacksonville to Ocala) representative has been selected for a Mainstage performance, the release said. 

Lincoln Middle Troupe director Jackie Collins, who is also a theatre and choral teacher at Howard Bishop and Lincoln Middle Schools, started the troupe during the 2022-2023 school year. The troupe finished their competition season by performing ‘All Girl Band’ at the 2026 Education Gala on Feb. 27.