SUBJECT: Theatre Guild eNews - September 5th Labor Day edition 2022-23 Guild Newsletter
September 5, 2022
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
This week while we celebrate the opening of The Wiz directed by our current Director Ms Guinea Bennet-Price; we mourn the loss of the former Conservatory Director, charter faculty member and founder of the Theatre Guild, Ms. Karon Cogdill. Please join us in honoring the legacy that was created and lives on through the Theatre Conservatory
When former Theatre Conservatory director Karon Cogdill passed away last week, the outpouring of emotion and gratitude were evident in the halls of Booker T and on social media. While many current juniors and seniors experienced having a class with Ms. Cogdill, not all current students or their families got to know her in the classroom. It is with that in mind that the Guild hopes to capture and share some of the magic that Karon Cogdill left behind. There will be more eloquent and extensive tributes written about this legendary teacher, mentor and actor. Each of her students has their own personal connection and were impacted in a myriad of ways. In fact, Ms Cogdill was responsible for the very existence of the Theatre Guild which was born from her desire to ensure that all of the students staying long hours after school had access to a hot meal.
Karon Cogdill joined the Booker T faculty in 1976 and after years of teaching, she added Theatre Conservatory Director to her role. Perhaps it is best to share some of what others have written about Ms Cogdill over the years. In September of 2020, The Atlantic featured her in an article chronicling her experience and role in the evolution of Booker T Washington HSPVA. When she retired in 2021, her impact was made evident by the sheer number of alumni, colleagues, family, friends, students and parents that gathered to celebrate her 45 years at Booker T. A little bit of that love is captured in the messages that were sent in for inclusion in a lengthy tribute video and as posts in the Karon Cogdill Retirement Tribute Facebook group. During the 2020-21 school year, the Theatre Guild announced the creation of the Karon Cogdill Theatre Guild Scholarship as a means of allowing her to keep pushing Booker T graduates to pursue their passions beyond their high school years. With her passing, that scholarship takes on added meaning for future generations of students who may never have had the benefit of Ms Cogdill in the classroom.
As news about Ms Cogdill spread, her friends, family, colleagues, and former students all took to social media to express both their sadness and also their joy for having been part of her world. The Theatre Guild invites you to visit our Facebook page and the Guild's group to learn more about Ms Cogdill's impactful life. Please take the time to share your memories and photos as well. There many ways to honor her memory including a donation to the Karon Cogdill Theatre Guild Scholarship fund.
Memorial Service September 24th at 10 am First United Methodist Church 1928 Ross Avenue (corner of Ross and Harwood) Dallas, Texas 75201
Theatre Conservatory's Back to School Dinner
Booker T. Theatre Parents & Friends!
Where: El Fenix 1845 Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Suite 1100, Dallas, TX 75201
When: Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Time: 6:00 - 8:00PM
Cost: $20.00 per person for tickets purchased by September 16. $25.00 per person at the door. Purchase online tickets here
Parking: 2 hour free parking in the El Fenix Parking Lot
Contact Jennifer at president@btwtheatreguild.com or text (214) 551-2944 if you need assistance with the ticket cost, to arrange to purchase ticket by cash/check, or with any other questions about this
North Texas Giving Day 2022
In 2021, Guinea Bennett Price took the reins of the Booker T. Washington HSPVA Theatre Conservatory and has already placed her indelible mark on the conservatory. The Theatre Conservatory is expanding the program with new vision and purpose while still steeped in the traditions established by Paul Baker, the creator of the Booker T. integrated arts program. The Theatre Conservatory Faculty's vision includes more robust film and musical theatre programming, as well as expanded and innovative technical theatre. The Theatre Guild would love for you to become a financial partner to support these new programs, to assist in recognizing the vision of the Theatre Conservatory, and to bridge the gap between DISD allocated resources and the actual costs of providing the desired programs. 100% of your contribution will directly support the Theatre Conservatory programs, faculty and students. The Theatre Guild is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Join the Theatre Guild in supporting Booker T. Theatre Faculty in launching these artist-students with your donation during the Communities Foundation of Texas' 2022 NTX Giving Day!
Early giving opened September 1. Now is the perfect time to start giving for those who can't wait until September 22.
Tickets are now available for the first Theatre Conservatory production of the school year. Ms Cotie will be directing Puffs written by Matt Cox about "Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic." Performances will be at 7pm on October 12, 13, 19, 20 & 21.
As the opening of the first production of the year approaches, note that the procedures for audience members have changed. BTWHSPVA will be using a single entrance for each event. Events in the MAT (like The Wiz) will enter from the lobby off Jack Evans, events in the Hudson Gallery or Black Box will enter from the visitor entrance off the Routh Street Circle and events in the zero floor dance studios or band hall will enter from the student entrance off the faculty lot. Once an event ends, the audience should exit the building and wait to greet their students outside the designated entrance. Please do not re-enter the building. In addition, BTWHSPVA has adopted the district stadium clear bag policy. A copy of the policy can be found below. All bags are subject to search at the discretion of security and administration. Thank you for adhering to these new policies. rmd.me/1BbuPdbJsPu
Donation Needed: LEGOS
Need more space in your playroom?
Have years worth of legos been taking up prime real estate in your closets and under beds?
We would love to relieve you of those space consuming toe breakers! If you are willing to donate even a ziplock bag full, it would be very much appreciated and will be going to a great senior showcase related cause. Please reach out to Allison Francis (text her at 214-906-9307) and she will arrange to pick the legos from your porch or other convenient location. Thanks in advance!
SENIOR CORNER
One of the best ways for seniors and their parents to keep updated is to join the Guild. Since you are already reading the Guild newsletter, another great option is to join the Theatre Guild Class of 2023 Facebook page. Scroll down to Ways to Stay In the Know to learn all about the Facebook group.
Special Edition Senior Class Newsletter
Seniors & their parents who are members of the Theatre Guild should have received a special edition of the newsletter last week. If you missed it, you can check it out here on the Guild website. In order to ensure that it is easy for the Guild to communicate with the class of 2023, we are reminding you to
1) join the Guild -- it's FREE-- or
2) log in to Membership Toolkit to make sure that your information is up to date.
College Communications Tip
Seniors should create & use a separate email address for college applications. It should be an email address using their name. Creating a separate college email account will make it easier to find important application related emails. Seniors should also get in the habit of checking their email including the SPAM, junk or promotions folders.
All seniors should now have had their senior showcase headshots taken by photographer Vonda Klimaszewski. Every senior's selected photo is available electronically in a single Theatre Conservatory gallery. Note that these headshots were taken as part of the Theatre Conservatory Showcase headshot session for reduced rate per student and as such do not result in individual viewing galleries. Students who purchased extra images on the day of the shoot will receive those additional photos separately but no earlier than the group gallery. Please expect those images this week.
Showcase Countdown 10 weeks
Showcase Week is Monday November 14th through Saturday November 19th (the week before Thanksgiving break). The Theatre Showcase will be on Friday November 18th and Saturday November 19th. Showcase Chair Leah Sandock has been communicating with college reps and will be providing updates throughout the fall semester. The 2022 Booker T. College Showcase website can be seen here.
CALENDAR OF SENIOR EVENTS
Oct 1 Young Arts Filming (seniors only)
Oct 8 Young Arts Filming (seniors only)
Oct 14 Young Arts submission deadline by 10:59pm CT(Central Time)
Senior Tech Set Up in Commons (tbd after College Fair)
Nov 19 Showcase Saturday
Acting (Spoken/Musical) Showcase 9-11am
Tech Theatre Showcase 11am - 1pm
Callbacks 1pm-5pm
Nov 21 Cyber Monday / Virtual Showcase
OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD AUDITIONS
Mr Gavitt will be directing Our Country's Good written by British playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker, adapted from the Thomas Keneally novel The Playmaker. Auditions will be held in conjunction with the UIL play Digging Up the Boys on October 3rd & 4th with callbacks on October 5th.
Pegasus in the Wild
Over the summer and throughout the school year, many of our talented Theatre Conservatory students can be spotted on stage, creating magic behind the scenes or even on screen. Be sure to check out theTheatre Guild Facebookgroup for opportunities to catch a Pegasus. And let us know where you have spotted a Pegasus in the wild! You can submit the information via Facebook or contact VP Communications Kathy Gameros via email communications@btwtheatreguild.com
SPOTLIGHT ON THE GUILD: Chips, Cheer and Tea
Founded to support both Theatre Conservatory students and faculty, the Theatre Guild asks members to donate their time and money every year. This occasional eNews feature is intended to highlight some of the ways that you can learn more about the Theatre Guild. What do chips, cheer and tea have to do with the Theatre Guild? They each refer to one of the many annual Guild social events held for the parents & guardians of BTW theatre students.
Chips
In the fall, the Guild holds an annual Back-to-School dinner for the parents/guardians to meet and hear from Theatre faculty. This year's dinner will be held at El Fenix on September 20th from 6-8pm. Be sure to purchase online tickets here by September 16th
Cheer
Before Winter Break, the Guild schedules an annual evening celebration for adult Guild members to gather. The atmosphere is cheery and the laughter flows freely. The date for the 2022 party will be announced in an upcoming newsletter.
Tea
Each spring, a panel of parents speaks during the Theatre Guild College Tea. As parents of students who have recently gone through the college application/audition process, the panelists bring their unique experiences and plenty of advice for parents of all grade levels. Check out the 2022 Theatre Guild College Tea handout.
RENEW YOUR THEATRE GUILD MEMBERSHIP FOR 2022-2023
The Guild relies on Membership Dues, Donations and Sponsorships to support the Theatre Conservatory Faculty & Student events, programs, and activities.
