Following a year of extra classwork and community service, the Chaparral High School theater department on Saturday earned “Gold Level Troupe” status to officially enter a global honor society.
Last year, during the school’s second year of existence, the Bobcat theater officers took a wide range of classes, worked outside of school and promoted their drama activities.
The work led to an International Thespian Society Troupe Day on the Chaparral campus that drew high school theater groups from across Central Texas and beyond.
A group of 25 Chaparral theater students led their peers during the day-long series of acting, dancing, improv, games and other workshops.
The event culminated with a ceremony on the auditorium stage and a Gold Level banner for the Bobcats, the first for a Killeen ISD theater group.
Proud Theater Directors Chad Moore and Samantha Dunaway recalled a year ago as they participated in a Troupe Day at Waco High School and saw theater groups earn their gold and silver credentials.
“We looked at each other and said we want to do this,” Moore said, “and we want to do it on our stage.”
"We are so proud of our Bobcat Drama Troupe Officers and members for working so diligently at setting a high standard of excellence for our program," Dunaway said. "Their eagerness to continue building campus and community culture and awareness for Fine Arts is inspiring."
Killeen and Harker Heights high schools and Audie Murphy Middle School participated Saturday, along with Belton High School and schools from Dallas and Austin areas.
Chaparral juniors Hadassah Moon and Armie Melton, both theater officers, said the day of workshops and the gold banner were exciting culminations to a satisfying and busy year of work.
“Today was so exciting because we got to host,” said Moon. “We’re representing this area of Texas. Our gold honor status shows our work last year.”
Monthly activities, she said, addressed officer engagement, troupe engagement and community visibility.
Each activity resulted in a grade that led the high-achieving group to the highest honor for a high school theater troupe.
“It shows we are working hard and solidifies that we’re going places, we’re doing the work,” she said.
Student officers like Moon and Melton took part in leadership training earlier in the year that provided an even higher level of professional experience.
“Today was really fun because we’ve been working all year for this, and it was a lot of work,” said Melton.
“Setting up volunteers and outreach outside our school gave us new experiences and it’s really rewarding,” she said.
The Troupe Day provided fun activities and also valuable information such as preparing for college theater auditions and applying for scholarships.
Last year’s work will continue since the Gold Level Troupe has to maintain its status through similar community engagement and learning.
“It brings us closer together,” Melton said. “We’ll keep working and keep coming together as a team.”
"Over the past year, they have made strides to advocate for their craft and grow as leaders which is why they have received the Gold Honor Troupe status with Texas Thespians, which only 89 other high schools in Texas achieved," Dunaway said. "We look forward to continuing this tradition in years to come."
Chaparral HS Theater photo gallery:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720319335202/
