Cold Spring Harbor High School student appointed state officer of the International Thespian Society
Zoe Abelson, a senior at Cold Spring Harbor High School, has been elected New York State officer of the International Thespian Society. In this position, Abelson will serve as a voice for all theatre students in New York, ensuring that every student, regardless of socioeconomic circumstances, has access to the tools, education, and opportunities they need to shine. As part of this appointment, Abelson joins the International Thespian Society’s board of directors and will also serve as social media officer.

“Zoe Abelson’s appointment as a New York State Officer of the International Thespian Society is a remarkable achievement and a testament to her leadership, passion and commitment to the performing arts. At Cold Spring Harbor, we take great pride in being recognized for academic and athletic excellence, and Zoe’s success highlights our growing reputation as a top school for performing arts as well,” said James Guarini, chairman of the music department at Cold Spring Harbor High School. “Her accomplishments–ranging from her All-State recognition to her Best Lead Actress Hunting-Tony nomination–serve as an inspiration to her peers and demonstrate the extraordinary talent and dedication of our students. We are incredibly proud of Zoe and excited to see the positive impact she will continue to have at the state level.”
In this role, Abelson is responsible for advocating for the needs and interests of theatre students across New York. She will work with the board to support the organization’s expansive mission, which includes lobbying for more funding at next month’s Albany Advocacy Day, promoting Theatre in Our Schools Month, and preparing for the upcoming New York Thespian Festival. The event takes place at LIU Brooklyn on March 8-9 and hosts the Thespys, an awards event that recognizes the highest level of achievement in school theatre performance, technical theatre, playwriting, and filmmaking.
“I am a huge advocate of fostering diversity in storytelling because as actors, it’s our responsibility to inspire harmony by promoting a better understanding of the world,” said Abelson. “I wanted to work with the International Thespian Society to help drive this kind of positive, social change by encouraging more diversity, equity, and inclusion in performing arts. By representing Cold Spring Harbor High School’s Thespian Troupe #7583 at the state level, I hope to create more opportunities for our aspiring actors and inspire more young thespians to be active in our theatre community.”
The appointment comes on the heels of Abelson’s intensive studies at prestigious universities Carnegie Mellon and New York University, where she earned college credits while training with some of the best instructors and working actors in the country, including NYU’s Experimental Theatre Wing Director, Rosemary Quinn, Carnegie Mellon’s acclaimed acting coach, Jill Wadsworth, and actor Jason McCune from The Outsiders TV series fame.