by JIM CULLEN

RIVERA

Lehman High School theatre director Marissa Meek and her Hays High School counterpart, Dana Naughton, annually coordinate the Hays CISD Middle School One Act Play Festival. With comments still rolling in from those involved after this year’s event, the positive community theatre experience appears to have become something very special.

“The enthusiasm of the audience was palpable – and much appreciated by all the performers,” Meek said of the day’s full slate of seven one act plays. The annual event always concludes with performances by the two high schools, soon to see UIL competition.

Meek calls the event “a pleasure,” noting she “really enjoyed seeing all the young talent and hard work of the directors. It was a wonderful chance for the high schools to work together, as well as for the high school students to mentor the middle school performers.” Meek added her kudos for the exemplary assistance of the student and adult staff at the Performing Arts Center.

Offered to the public were Barton’s Seussical, Jr., Simon’s The Little Princess, Dahlstrom’s Chewy, Wallace’s Nothing Says I Love You Like Bad Poetry and Chapa’s Winners. School directors include Stephanie Townley at Barton, Hilary Lockhart at Simon, Rob Vinyard at Dahlstrom, Brandon Snyder at Wallace and Susannah Wynne at Chapa.

MADERAL

Wynne noted she always looks forward to “being able to interact and learn from the other theatre programs in the district…I really appreciated how the high school students took the time and patience to work with and really teach my students about their individual theatre niches.” Dahlstrom’s Vinyard added his students “were exhausted” by day’s end.  Barton’s Townley called the experience “absolutely delightful” and says she “can’t wait to do it again next year!” Simon’s Lockhart said her students were “excited to participate and learned so much.”

Barton’s Alaina Maderal won Best Actress for her role as Mayzie la Bird in Seussical, Jr. and Wallace’s Marcos Rivera won Best Actor for his role as Boy in Nothing Says I Love You Like Bad Poetry. All Star Cast members were Wesley Sutton, Adam Ramirez and Starr Rivers from Chapa; Jaciel Cruz and Leticia Patterson from Simon; Jordan Romee from Wallace, Katelyn Hellmer, Lyndsey Bourland and Kailey Bozarth from Barton; and Dylan Fall from Dahlstrom.

Honorable Mention All Star Cast went to Chapa’s Erin Limon; Simon’s Elizabeth Armendariz and Alexis Gossett, Wallace’s Keaton Miles, Jamie Gonzalez, EmmaLea Stewart, Katie Carver and Shelby Smith; Dahlstrom’s Meghan Guerin, Michelle Gillenwaters and Austin Tate; and Barton’s Leah Hixon.