SUBJECT: Theatre Guild eNews - September 25 edition 2023-24 Guild Newsletter [revised Pegasus in the Wild]
September 25, 2023
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PRESIDENT'S CORNER
NTX Giving Day Celebration!
We were thrilled at the enthusiastic participation we received for North Texas Giving Day! A deeply felt THANK YOU to our matching donors, those of you who gave, and those of you who shared your experiences as part of the social media campaign lead by our own Rhonda Thompson. Reading the beautiful alumni and staff spotlights were the highlight of my day. The Guild does not take this participation lightly and will be diligent stewards of the funds to make sure our Theatre Conservatory is supported and able to continue to educate our theatre students the best way they see fit.
Another highlight for me on September 21 was Fair Assembly Theatre Company's performance in the black box. You can read all about it in the newsletter.
Below you will also find details below about the PTSA Hispanic Heritage performances this week with another opportunity to catch some theatre students in action.
And finally, if you are a non-senior parent or junior student and have time to spare this weekend, please check out our volunteer sign-up to assist with Young Arts taping that takes place September 30 and October 1 for seniors.
Thank you to the 67 donors for the $21,000 in donations and to our Theatre Guild Community for your stories, encouragement, time and energy.
Passion Meeting Purpose!
The Theatre Conservatory needs Juniors (Class of 2025) to help with the taping on Saturday Sept 30th and Oct 1st. There is also a role for non-senior parents to help at the school during this time.
On September 21, Fair Assembly presented a special director's cut of As you Like It. The Black Box was filled with students and the public who learned about the choices that led the company to their production. Some clearly recognized Fair Assembly's Artistic Director Emily Ernst (Celia) and Mac Welch (Orlando) as Booker T. teachers.
The movement and physical acting choices, including the wrestling scene between Jon Garrard (Charles the Wrestler) and Mac Welch, were broken down by Sara Romersberger. Musical composer Ivan Dillard not only played some of the songs from the production, he described his process in creating the music.
Students heard how the actors developed their characters including the traits that Dennis Raveneau (Duke Frederick/ Duke Senior) chose to explore and eventually highlight as he played both the antagonist and his banished elder brother.
Betsy Roth (Rosalind) addressed both character traits and costuming choices related to Rosalind's transformation into Ganymede. Costuming was front and center as a physical manifestation of Austin Tindle's Touchstone.
Meagan Harris (Jacques) described how their expression of the character's melancholy developed and changed over rehearsals. They eventually landed on a delicate balance that was highlighted by
the Company's choice to show both Jacques singing a satirical verse of "Under the Greenwood Tree" and the All the World's A Stage monologue.
The company discussed how they approached their staging and lack of conventional scenery or extensive props. They gave a shout out to two Booker T alums who were directly involved bringing As You Like It to stage.
Olivia King (BTW 2022) was recognized as the assistant director and Maya Reddy (BTW 2022) as the assistant costume designer. The evening ended with questions and conversations between the students and the Company. Some of those cast in the upcoming Midsummer Night's Dream could be heard discussing how the Fair Assembly Production was already impacting the way that they want to approach their roles. Among the senior directors there were conversations about collaboration in directing.
Photo credit to Ben Torres for images of Dennis Raveneau as Duke Frederick, Betsy Roth's Rosalind chasing Emily Ernst's Celia in the forest, and Austin Tindle as Touchstone (Booker T performance and post performance photos are uncredited)
Big Love Play Bill Ad Deadline
TODAY September 25th
What: Student Recognition Playbill ads are an excellent way to celebrate a student who is in the CAST or CREW of the show or show your support for Booker T Theatre performances.
How: It is easy – just submit the artwork (picture or clipart) and the copy you wish to have with the artwork to the Playbill Coordinator at playbill@btwtheatreguild.com. Or you can create your own ad.
What does it cost to place an ad in one Playbill?
Full page 5"x8" $75
Half page vertical 2.5" x 8" $50
Half page horizontal 5" x 4" $50
Quarter page 2.5" x 4" $25
Where can I buy an ad? Ads can be purchased online using this link to the BTW Theatre Guild or you can use your membership benefits for an ad. Theatre Guild membership benefits for guild members at the Copper ($75) level and above include one or more ads.
Does my membership come with an ad? All levels at Copper or above get FULL page student recognition playbill ads (which can be broken into ¼ or ½) as follows:*
Copper 1 page per school year
Silver 2 pages per school year
9th Grade Only Gold 3 pages per year
Gold 3 pages per school year
Platinum 4 pages per school year
Diamond 6 pages per school year
If you are already a member, please make sure to tell us that you intend to use one of your included ad when you email your ad materials to playbilldesign@btwtheatreguild.com
Break a leg to all of the Theatre Conservatory students appearing onstage, assisting backstage or participating in house crew for the Hispanic Heritage Festival. Tickets are available through Eventbrite or at the Montgomery Arts Theater box office. Adults $15, Students $10, and children under 5 are free. All tickets are for general seating. This is a PTSA all school production so Playbill ads are purchased through the PTSA and not part of your Theatre Guild membership benefits. You can use this link to purchase an ad in the PTSA's Hispanic Heritage Festival Playbill. The deadline to submit an ad to the PTSA has been extended to 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, September 26.
Pegasus in the Wild
We don't want to miss an appearance or accomplishment! We rely on our guild members to let us know where to spot a Pegasus in the wild. If your child is in a non-Booker T production, please let us know. Our talented kids are so busy we need your eyes and ears to make sure we get the word out. Please include viewing dates, ticket links and any other details that will help us spot a Pegasus in the Wild. Alumni are Pegasi as well so keep those tips coming in too!!!
North Texas Performing Arts honored Theatre Conservatory Director Guinea Bennett-Price with the prestigious Outstanding High School Performing Arts Educator Star Dust Award. Alumni parent Elly Marsh (mom to Ria Marsh 2022) was on hand to present the award.
2024 National Merit Semifinalists
Congratulations to Theatre Conservatory seniors Isabel Gameros & Madeleine Jenkins and Music Conservatory Seniors Alexander Calvez & Evan Graeme! These four Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts scholar artists were recently named 2024 National Merit Semifinalists. The four Booker T semifinalists are among the more than 1.3 million students who took the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) as juniors last year. The nationwide pool of over 16,000 Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. Break a leg to all four! Use this link to learn for about the National Merit Scholarship Program. Members of the class of 2025 will need to sit for the PSAT/NMSQT at Booker T on October 26 if they want to be considered for next year.
NYCDA's Rising Star Program Scholarship Winners
A representative from New York Conservatory for the Dramatic Arts attended opening night of the all school musical Hairspray. After the final performance on Saturday, September 16, Principal Williams announced that NYCDA awarded BTWHSPVA students with the maximum scholarships allowed for one high school. A total of $65,000 in scholarships were awarded to fifteen students. Congratulations to all the scholarship winners!
$1,000 summer intensive scholarship recipients: Charlotte Foree (Theatre 2026), Callie Woodchek (Theatre 2025), Isabella Gream (Theatre 2025), Zoe Ford (Dance 2026), Danny Sullivan (Dance 2026), Alina Cruz Peña (Dance), Madison Bell (Dance 2026), Kaitlyn Paul (Dance 2025), London Lockhart (Dance), Bonner Ruff (Dance 2026) | $10,000 scholarship towards 2 year degree: Campbell Smith (Theatre 2024), Lyric Davis (Theatre 2024), Trace Edge (Theatre 2024), Josiah Gamino (Theatre 2025)| $15,000 scholarship towards 2 year degree: Keelyn Singleton (Music 2024 and MT)
NTPA's Sweeney Todd
Five Booker T. Theatre Conservatory students will be onstage in North Texas Performing Arts's production of Sweeney Todd. You can see Harper Sharp (2026), Zoe Moore (2026), Everett Johnson (2026), Charlotte Foree (2026) and Trace Edge (2024) beginning Thursday October 5th. Use this link to buy tickets: Sweeney Todd: School Edition - NTPA Dallas
DCT's Secret Life of Girls
The Dallas Children's Theatre Center Teen Scene Players will present The Secret Life of Girls. Nancy Schaeffer will be directing a cast which includes three Booker T Theatre Conservatory freshmen: Ruby Eckian, Hope Medrano and Caroline Cooper. You can catch these Pegasi on stage October 6-9 and 13-15. After the show there will be local experts on hand to lead a conversation about the topics addressed. Tickets are available from DCT's website using this link. For the eagle eyed among you, the current promotional material includes the cast of the 2019 production which also featured three familiar Booker T faces: Azelea Brown (BTW 2023), Zoë Gameros (BTW 2022), and Hannah Moore (BTW 2022).
NTPA's Anything Goes
Three Booker T juniors will be part of the North Texas Performing Arts Collegiate Pursuits production of Anything Goes. You'll be able to see Tallulah Buss, Tatiana Gonzalez and Maddie Sandock on the NTPA stage from October 19-22. Tickets are available using this link to NTPA's ticketing site.
MPM Studio's Sweeney Todd
Theatre Conservatory freshman Elyjah Kodua will be on stage as Anthony Hope in MPM Studio's Sweeney Todd. Performances will be held at the Farr Best Theater in downtown Mansfield, TX on October 27 & 28, 7:30pm; October 29, 2:30pm; November 3 & 4, 7:30pm and November 5, 2:30pm. Tickets can be purchased using this link.
Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors
If you are the parent or guardian of a Theatre Conservatory student you are invited to join the individual class Facebook group for additional information & updates about everything that is going on at Booker T.
All Facebook groups are private and you will need to provide your BTW student's name and answer the questions in order for your request to join to be approved.
Showcase Chair Cindi Wakefield has overseen the updating of the Theatre Showcase webpages and sent email invitations to hundreds of reps. But if your senior really wants to make an impression, they can send their own personalized email invitation. And the letter has already been written for your senior to personalize and email.
September 30th & October 1st from 10am-4pm Prescreen/Young Arts Filming
October 13th YoungArts Submissions Due
November 1st Final day to Jury|Photograph|Upload all Showcase material to WIX page (if applicable)
November 3rd CUE DAY Acting|Musical Theatre|Tech Preview
November 16th-18th SENIOR SHOWCASE WEEK 2023
Thursday November 16th Final Dress Rehearsal in Black Box Theatre 9am-4pm. Senior Parents Invited to watch (there will be filming for 11/21 Vimeo Upload)
Friday November 17th 8:30-10am Breakfast Meet & Greet (seniors only) 9:30am-1:00pm Workshops|Masterclasses 12:45-1:15 Lunch 1:30-3:30pm Playwrighting/Physical Theatre Showcase 3:30-6:00pm College Fair in Commons 7-9pm Film Showcase in MAT Evening (tbd) Tech Theatre Set Up in Commons
Saturday November 18th 8-11am Acting Showcase (Spoken/Musical) in Black Box 11am-1pm Tech Theatre in Commons 1-5pm Callbacks
November 20th Cyber Monday Showcase when VIMEO uploads go-live for Virtual College Reps. (Seniors will schedule callbacks directly with school reps when contacted)
Amanda Clayton is the on campus college counselor from the community based organization Academic Success Program (ASP). If you, or your senior, have any questions or want to know the most up to date information reach out to Amanda Clayton aclayton@aspdallas.org
