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 Temple High School's Spring Musical, Footloose, will perform February 5-6-7 at 8 p.m. and February 8 at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Reserved seats (first six rows of the two center sections) are $15 each. General admission tickets are available from students working on the production as well as online. Reserved seat tickets are only available online.
The musical is based on the 1984 film which starred Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer. It tells the story of Ren McCormack, an upbeat Chicago teen who moves to a small town where dancing and rock music have been banned. The film is loosely based on events that took place in the small rural and religious community of Elmore City, Oklahoma. Some of the characters are described on the Information Page. CLICK HERE for the Information Page about Footloose |
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 This year's Texas Thespian Festival in Dallas has the largest attendance in the history of the event — 5045 people are registered from 225 troupes. Temple students have finished their various competitions, students have auditioned for the all-state show and for scholarships, and Temple teachers presented six workshops. Temple's All-Star Troupe Display is shown below and received a 93 score (out of 100). Temple was one of only four troupes who were named All-Star Troupes because of their displays.
When Temple was loading the bus to leave Wednesday afternoon, they were notified that they were one of four finalists for the Outstanding Troupe Award. This is a different award than the All-Star Troupe Display. Although Temple didn't win outstanding troupe, being one of the top four out of 200 high school troupes at the competition was wonderful. Six of Temple's seven entries will advance to the international competition in Lincoln, Nebraska, in June 2015. These include monologue, duet musical, group musical, theatre marketing, costume design and stage management. BTW, Derresha Webb (marketing) and Hannah Avery (costumes) both received perfect 100 scores. Daniel Eshbaugh and Emma Tolleson were named to the cast and Derresha Webb was selected for the crew of the the all-state show, Big Fish. Specific roles will be announced after the first all-state rehearsal in January. Avery Ling and Scott Searles received callbacks from colleges and universities. Avery received a $1000 Texas Thespian musical theatre scholarship. NEW: During the adult reception and awards ceremony on Friday night, Natasha Tolleson was inducted into the Texas Thespian Hall of Fame. Texas Thespian Hall of Fame has been established to honor those adults who have given 20 or more years of service by dedicating themselves to promoting Texas educational theatre. Members of the Hall of Fame are chosen for their dedication to theatre performance in Texas and to the aims and ideals of the Educational Theatre Association, as well as their contributions to continued standards of excellence in Texas theatre. YOUTUBE LINK to Duet Musical Competition
YOUTUBE LINK to Group Musical Competition
LINK to Facebook Photo Album from the convention 
Outstanding Troupe Presentation with (from left) Chris Kleypas, Dana Lauchner and Remy Kent.
Thespians in the hotel lobby before boarding the bus Sunday for the trip home.
The article below appeared in the Temple Daily Telegram on Sunday, November 30, 2014: 
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 Eric Paslay, Temple High School graduate and country singer/songwriter, visited his old high school on November 10, 2014, and met with current theatre students and his high-school director, Natasha Tolleson. Eric appeared in many plays and musicals in high school that were directed by Tolleson, including playing the Scarecrow in The Wiz, Gandolf in The Hobbit and the Spirit of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol. He was performing at a sold-out benefit for the Temple Education Foundation that evening.
Eric definitely knows how to create a hit song. He wrote No. 1 singles for Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts, the Eli Young Band and others before his own single "Friday Night" (from his debut album) hit No. 1. When Eric visited with the theatre students, he told them about the biggest lesson he learned. "Nobody wants to work with a jerk — or hang-out with one," he said. "Be easy to work with." After graduating from Temple High, Eric attended Temple College and worked at Holze Music Company. When he moved to Nashville, he worked at Starbucks so that he would have health insurance for his juvenile diabetes. He said he had been writing professionally for eight years, and four years ago got his first No. 1 with "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" recorded by Jake Owen, which was named ASCAP Country Song of the Year. "Eric used to take his guitar to cast parties," added Tolleson. "We've been listening to him entertain for years." "I think I wrote a song about theatre during my senior year," said Eric, "and called it something like 'My Final Bow'." Eric's latest single is "She Don't Love You," which was released after "Song About a Girl." He also had one of his songs featured on The Best of Me movie soundtrack that came out in October. "It's cool to be a little piece of the soundtrack of people's lives," he added. www.EricPaslay.com Facebook Photo Album 
Tolleson and theatre students pose for a "selfie" with Eric Paslay.
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 Temple High School Theatre Arts will present It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play on Friday and Saturday, December 5 and 6, 2014, at 8 p.m. and on Sunday, December 7, at 2 p.m. The show will be performed on the Temple High School Auditorium stage, with the audience seated on the stage with the performers. Audience members will enter through the glass lobby located on the east side of the main school building.
This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings characters to life in a radio studio, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. CLICK HERE for the Information Page that includes a cast and production staff list. |
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Temple High School theatre students have begun preparing for competitions at the Texas State Thespian Festival, November 20-22, 2014, at the Dallas Convention Center and Omni Hotel. Students will leave after school on Wednesday, November 19, and will return to Temple on Sunday, November 23. More information is available at the Texas Thespian website — http://texasthespians.org/index.php/en/state-festival Competitors will include:
Monologue (Friday 10-11) = Andrew Tye
Solo Musical (Friday 12-1) = Avery Ling
Duet Musical (Friday 10-11) = Kassie Benner and Zoe Mischtian
Group Musical (Friday 12-1) = Eleni Boyle, Matt Caldwell, Daniel Eshbaugh, Dana Lauchner, Remy Kent, Chris Kleypas, Oliver Marshall, Marina Quintanilla, Scott Searles, J'Kobe Stevens, Emma Tolleson, Anyssa Torres, Taylor Wilson and Nick Winkler
Costume Design (Thurs. 7-8) = Hannah Avery
Stage Management (Thurs. 7-8) = Morgan Thomas
Theatre Marketing = (Thurs. 5-6) Derresha Webb Tech Team Set Design = Chris Brown, Zach Elliott, Aislinn Mullen and Rosemary Winsor
Tech Team Costumes = Hannah Avery, Morgan Garcia and Dana Lauchner
Tech Team Hair & Make-Up = Kassie Benner, Oliver Marshall and Chase Yerkes Outstanding Troupe Award = Top 3 finalists will present a 30-minute workshop at convention with handouts and a film/multimedia presentation All Star Troupe Display = Coordinated by Hannah Avery and Remy Kent
Thespian Scholarship & College Auditions = Avery Ling, Scott Searles Auditioning for the All State Musical Big Fish = Daniel Eshbaugh, Emma Tolleson, Andrew Tye
Auditioning for the All State Musical Production Staff = Derresha Webb Last year, Temple had more events (11) advance to the International Thespian Competition in Lincoln, Nebraska, than any other school at the convention. Temple also performed Saturday's main stage show, The Secret Garden. |
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 In October 1998 Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyoming.
Five weeks later, Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project (NYC) went to Laramie, and over the course of the next year, conducted more than 200 interviews with people of the town. From these interviews they wrote the play The Laramie Project, a chronicle of the life of the town of Laramie in the year after the murder. During the play, more than 60 characters are portrayed in a series of short scenes.
Performances will be Thursday-Friday-Saturday, November 13-14-15 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Limited seating. The show will be performed on the Temple High School Auditorium stage, with the audience seated on the stage with the performers. Audience members will enter through the glass lobby located on the east side of the main school building. The cast includes Eleni Boyle, Matthew Caldwell, Ta’Shawn Chunn, Morgan Garcia, Chris Kleypas, Avery Ling, Jackwalyn Riley, Scott Searles, Emma Tolleson, Derresha Webb, Nick Winkler and Rosemary Winsor. News reporters include Kassie Benner, Abby Denman and Robert Solar.
CLICK HERE for the Information Page, which includes a listing of the cast and production staff. Below is an article by Susan Chandler, with photography by Michael Miller, that appeared in the Temple Daily Telegram on Thursday, November 13, 2014. 
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 The first production of the 2014-15 school year, The Addams Family musical, will be performed October 9-12, 2014. General admission tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Reserved seat tickets (first six rows of the center sections) are available online and are $15 each. Tickets are available from students in the cast or production staff. Online tickets are available by clicking on the SeatYourself logo on the right side of this web page.
CLICK HERE to view the Information Page about the show, which includes a cast list, a production staff list, and a rehearsal schedule. That lovable family of creepy kooks, created by Charles Addams, is alive and well and living in their super-spooky mansion in Central Park. The Addams family, led by devoted husband Gomez (Chris Kleypas) and his elegant and seemingly undead wife Morticia (Kassie Benner), is in turmoil. Their daughter Wednesday (Avery Ling) finds herself falling in love — a sensation that is unsettling for both her and her family of endearing misfits. When the teen invites her new boyfriend Lucas (Remy Kent) over with his “normal” mom and dad (Zoe Mischtian and Matthew Caldwell) to get better acquainted with the Addams household, comic chaos ensues. Adding to the confusion are Uncle Fester (Herbert Clardy), Pugsley (Scott Searles), Grandma (Dana Lauchner) and Lurch (Daniel Eshbaugh), as well as several other Addams characters and ancestors.
NEW: CLICK HERE for a Facebook Photo Album of behind the scenes photos. (You don't have to be a Facebook member to view this album.)
The sets have been Gorey-fied by Technical Director and Lead Scenic Artist Brad LaMotte and his students. Below are some photos from Monday night's dress rehearsal: 
Below is an article by Susan Chandler, with photos by Michael Miller, that appeared in the Temple Daily Telegram on October 9, 2014. (The photo labeled "Creepy and Kooky" appeared on the front page. 
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Texas Thespians have posted a photo album from Temple High School's performances of The Secret Garden at the Texas State Convention in Dallas, November 23, 2013. The Flickr album contains 597 photos. CLICK HERE to view the album. |
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UIL Theatrical Design award-winning students, pictured with Dramatic Design Teacher Natasha Tolleson, include (from left) Alyssa Kerr, Mickey Copple, Bri Rodriguez, Taylor Bookout, Jonathan Nabours and Dana Lauchner.
 Temple High School students won the 2014 UIL State Championship in Group Theatrical Design, as well as two individual design awards. The awards were announced during ceremonies Wednesday, May 21, 2014, on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. The group design award is the highest honor given during the evening, and was awarded last. Theatrical designs by 10 Temple students had been on display in Bass Concert Hall for three days.
There is only one State Championship awarded in this UIL contest. All school classifications (A through 5A) compete equally against each other. Temple's four-person group entry included Dana Lauchner (costume design), Mickey Copple (make-up design), Bri Rodriguez (set design) and Taylor Bookout (marketing design). Alyssa Kerr won 2nd in Texas in individual set design and Jonathan Nabours won 4th in Texas is individual marketing design. Other students who were state finalists for individual design entries included Mikayla Craig (costume design), Priscilla Guillen (make-up design), Emma Wenkert (make-up design) and Hannah Gilmore (set design). CLICK HERE to see a photo album with pictures from Austin.
CLICK HERE for a YouTube video of the announcement. 
Temple winning the 2014 UIL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP in Group Theatrical Design
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Temple High won the 2014 UIL Film State Championship in Division 2, Narrative. The results were announced Wednesday, April 16, during a screening of all the state finalist films at the Paramount Theatre in Austin. Temple's winning entry was VORTEX, and the film team included Jared Smith, Spencer Mathesen and Michael Guillen. Faculty sponsors were Natasha Tolleson and Richard Tolleson. In the first year of this UIL contest, 495 films were entered. Division 2 consisted of 4A and 5A schools. The entries were screened by 123 volunteer judges who provided written critiques, ranked the films and advanced 143 of the 495 films to the state semi-finals. Next, 65 judges screened the semi-finalists, advancing 37 to the state finals. The categories for the competition included animation, documentary and narrative. CLICK HERE for a YouTube video of the announcement.
CLICK HERE for a Photo Album from the event. 
The Paramount Marquee and Temple's Film Team (from left): Jared Smith, Spencer Mathesen and Michael Guillen
Temple's state championship win made the FRONT PAGE of the Temple Daily Telegram on April 18, 2014, with an article by Susan Sharp and a courtesy photo furnished by Jody Donaldson:
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2013-14 Highlights
International Thespian
Champion, Film
Texas Thespians,
Main Stage Performance
The Secret Garden 11 Events Advance to
International Competition
10 Students Advance
to State Finals in
UIL Theatrical Design
(2nd Highest Number of
Any School in Texas) Texas Top 12, UIL 5A
One-Act Play Competition
(Out of 257 schools) Texas State Champion
UIL Film Contest
Division 2, Narrative Texas State Champion
UIL Group
Theatrical Design 2nd Place in Texas,
UIL Set Design 4th Place in Texas,
UIL Marketing Design
22 Years in a Row
Temple's UIL One-Act Play team has been the District Co-Champion for 22 years in a row (as of March 2014). No other UIL team at Temple High holds such a record.
2012-13 Highlights
International Thespian
Champion, Scenic Design Texas Thespians,
All-Star Thespian Troupe
Eight Events Advance to
International Competition
3rd Place in the State,
Thespian Team Set Design
Four Students Perform
in the All-State Play 10 Students Advance
to State Finals in
UIL Theatrical Design
(2nd Highest Number of
Any School in Texas) 2nd Place in Texas,
UIL Group Theatrical Design 4th Place in Texas,
UIL Make-Up Design 4th Place in Texas,
UIL Marketing Design
2011-12 Highlights
International Thespian
Champion, Costume Design
Texas Top 12, UIL 5A
One-Act Play Competition
(Out of 254 schools)
10 Students Advance
to State Finals in
UIL Theatrical Design
(Highest Number in Texas)
Texas Thespians,
All-Star Thespian Troupe
Eight Events Advance to International Competition
1st Place in the State,
Thespian Mask Making
Four Students Selected
for the All-State Play
2010-11 Highlights
International Thespian Champion, Sound Design
International Thespian Co-Champion, Group Acting
Texas Thespians,
All-Star Thespian Troupe
Nine Events Advance to International Competition
1st Place in the State,
Thespian Team Set Design
Three Students Performed
in the All-State Play
Six Students Advance to State Meet in UIL Theatrical Design
4th Place in the State,
UIL Group Dramatic Design
2009-10 Highlights
International Thespian Champion, Scenic Design
International Thespian Champion, Sound Design
State Finalist (Final 8),
UIL 5A One-Act Play Contest (Out of 255 schools)
4th Place in the State,
UIL Group Dramatic Design
Texas Thespians,
All-Star Thespian Troupe
Nine Events Advance to International Competition
More UIL Theatrical Design State Finalists than any other school in Texas
2008-09 Highlights
International Thespian Champion, Theatre Marketing International Thespian Champion, Stage Management Texas Thespians, All-Star Thespian Troupe Texas Thespian Champion, Group Musical Texas Top 12, UIL 5A One-Act Play Competition (Out of 255 schools) 4th Place in the State, UIL Group Dramatic Design International Thespian
Top 2, Duet Mime International Thespian
Final 4, Group Musical
2007-08 Highlights
International Thespian Champion, Group Musical International Thespian Champion, Publicity Design Texas Second Runner-Up at the state contest, UIL 5A One-Act Play Competition Best Performer in Texas, UIL 5A One-Act Play Competition Best Actor in Texas, UIL 5A One-Act Play Competition Texas State Champion, UIL Group Dramatic Design (Conferences 1A-5A) Texas Thespians, All-Star Thespian Troupe
2006-07 Highlights
Texas State Champion, UIL 5A One-Act Play Competition Best Performer in Texas, UIL 5A One-Act Play Competition Best Actress in Texas, UIL 5A One-Act Play Competition Best Actor in Texas, UIL 5A One-Act Play Competition
Other Years
2004
International Thespian Champion, Scenic Design 2001
Texas Second Runner-Up at the state contest, UIL 5A One-Act Play Competition
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