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Chaparral Theater Staging Drama Comedy
Drama and comedy mix into an entertaining and thoughtful theatrical concoction in a supernatural courtroom drama at the Chaparral High School black box theater.
The Bobcat Drama department is staging The Last Days of Judas Iscariot with shows at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the school’s small, intimate theater space alongside the auditorium. Tickets are $5.
The play places history’s most infamous traitor on trial with a cast of historical figures weighing in on who is responsible for Judas’ betrayal of Jesus Christ.
Chaparral junior Kayoni Harrell has the challenge of playing the role of defense attorney for the accused.
“I’m trying to defend Judas and say he deserves to go to heaven and get my point across,” she said prior to a dress rehearsal this week.
“There are funny moments, serious moments, it really takes the audience on a rollercoaster.”
As a trial attorney, Harrell said she has a lot of lines to deliver and has to figure out her body motions as she addresses an audience seated all around her.
The drama plays out in a small theater in which the audience will have an up-close view of the actors, and feel the ups and downs of an emotional, heavy subject punctuated with surprising moments of levity.
“Since it’s so much closer, and we can interact with the audience, it pulls them in easier than in an auditorium. They can see the small details and see our facial expressions,” said Harrell.
Junior Armie Melton is assistant director for the production.
“There are a lot of great lessons,” she said. “The ending is up to interpretation. It’s thought-provoking. The way it’s written, it’s very whiplash from drama to comedy. Something big will happen, and the audience is shocked, and then there’s a really funny scene.”
Now seven weeks into the school year, the student cast members are excited to perform in front of an audience.
“It’s exciting. I’m a little nervous,” Melton said, from the standpoint of a student director proud of her peer students.
“There has been such growth since the start of the school year.”
“It’s so exciting,” said Harrell. “Doing something people enjoy makes me happy. When the audience is enjoying themselves, you know you are doing something right.”
The Chaparral High School drama begins a busy month of theatrical performances in Killeen ISD. It also begins the district’s theater season that continues throughout the school year.
The following link leads to a KISD fine arts brochure detailing each school’s theater schedule. Please see this link.
The rest of October includes the following:
Harker Heights High School will present MAMA MIA! at 7 p.m. Oct. 24-25 and 3 p.m. Oct. 27.
Killeen High School will present Clue: On Stage at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 24 and 26.
Audie Murphy Middle School is presenting Leap Day: A Musical at 6 p.m. Oct. 10.
Union Grove Middle School I Don’t Want to Talk About It at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 8 and 10.
Manor Middle School is presenting The Tale of La Llorona at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.
“From musicals to plays, student-directed works, improv nights and student-written plays, we have something for everyone to enjoy,” said KISD Assistant Fine Arts Director for Visual Art and Theatre Morganne Davies.
“Be sure to save the dates and don’t miss this incredible work by our student artists and theatre teachers.”
See our gallery of photos from a CHS dress rehearsal https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720320810408