For the first time in KISD history, a UIL one-act play has qualified for Region.
Chaparral High School is now in the top 24 5A schools across the state in one act competition.
The Chaparral High School Bobcat theater troupe is emerging as an elite drama group in the Central Texas area and beyond.
They attract large crowds to ambitious stage productions. They earn hundreds of thousands in college scholarships. They are a Texas Thespians Gold Level Honor Troupe.
This week, Chaparral Bobcat Theater competed in the area round of state one-act play competition, the first KISD theater group to reach that stage in 20 years.
Chaparral's individual honorees at area included All-Star Technician Karis Lemmons, Honorable Mention All-Star Cast Kiara Logan and All-Star Cast Awards to Hadassah Moon and Armie Melton.
Getting ready for a dress rehearsal run-through after school Monday, Director Chad Moore reminded the talented cast of their impressive run of success going back three years since the school opened.
As they stood in their opening positions on the school auditorium stage, Moore encouraged them to relax and enjoy their well-earned moment in the spotlight.
They put in award-winning performances at district and bi-district and on Thursday will compete among six area round qualifiers in hopes of finishing in the top three to advance to region, the qualifier for state.
Their show, “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” focuses on three sisters who live an idyllic existence in a peaceful wood with loving parents until their mother dies, and their father becomes lost in heartache.
The action follows the sisters as they pursue their own lives for the first time, one traveling west, one traveling east and one staying in the woods building a home.
The one-act play, restricted to 40 minutes, never pauses as the 16 cast members remain on stage the entire show.
Shifting stage sets and lighting, the narration and the ensemble cast play especially important parts in moving the action along.
Lameika Boulding, a junior and stage manager, sees positive progression in the three-year-old theater program at Chaparral.
“I felt really good about this play,” she said. “We have been very collaborative. I have been very confident about this show. It tells a good story. It tells about these girls going out on their own. Our program has been dominant with women, so that represents us as a program although we have strong male performers, too,” Boulding said.
“We believe in ourselves. This is very much student-made and directed. I think the judges can see that.”
The three sisters, played by juniors Armie Melton and Hadassah Moon and senior Kiara Logan, bring the story to hilarious, tragic, redemptive life. All three earned all-star cast honors at the bi-district event. Senior Emely Fernandez was outstanding technician.
“We’re really happy we broke our bi-district curse,” said Kayoni Harrell, a junior who plays the role of narrator, among other parts.
“We’ve never done a play where everyone stays on stage the whole time,” she explained. “This has been such an experience.”
“It’s so fun. You feel included and heard even as an ensemble member. We’ve been getting compliments on our ensemble work. You know where to look because of the ensemble.”
“This is a different show for us,” said Logan. “We’ve practiced ensemble work all year and seeing it pay off (is satisfying). Everyone has played a big part. We’re such a team with this show. There’s a lot of cast chemistry and that makes me happy. It’s moving and inspiring to me.”
It was a proud, emotional moment to make it to area. “Knowing we can share our story and do it again and again, it’s a story that resonates and I feel like we’re doing something great.”
Theater directors Samantha Dunaway and Moore have praised their students all year for their willingness to put in extra work and buy in to a journey to excellence on the stage, in the classroom and in the community.
Photo gallery of the one-act play rehearsal: https://www.flickr.com/photos/killeenisd/albums/72177720324958091
You can still catch this talented group when Bobcat Drama presents “Six, The Musical,” teen edition in a single scheduled performance at 7 p.m. April 25 at the Chaparral auditorium. Tickets are $10.
Links to past Chaparral theater stories this school year:
CHS Theater Celebrates High Achievements:
Texas Thespian State Festival:
CHS Theater Staging Hadestown Musical:
