The musical Cabaret will be the first production of the 2016-17 school year. The cast and production staff is listed on the information page.

Evening performances (8 p.m.) are Thursday through Saturday, September 29 through October 1. Sunday matinee is October 2 at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 in advance (available from students involved with the show) or online. At the door, general admission tickets are $15. You can also obtain reserved seating tickets (first six rows of the center section) online. Reserved seats are $20.

Cabaret takes place from 1929-1930, a time when Berlin, in the midst of a Post-World War I economic depression, is transitioning from a center of underground, avant-garde culture to the beginnings of Hitler’s totalitarian regime and the rise of the Nazi Party. Into this world enters Clifford Bradshaw (Andrew Tye), a struggling American writer looking for inspiration for his next novel.

On his first night in Berlin, Cliff wanders into the Kit Kat Klub, a seedy nightclub overseen by the strange, omniscient Emcee (Benjamin Clardy). Here, Cliff meets Sally Bowles (Emma Tolleson), a vivacious, talented cabaret performer, and an utterly lost soul. Sally and Cliff begin a relationship, which blossoms unexpectedly into a dream-like romance.

As time passes, however, the situation in Berlin changes from exciting and vital to ominous and violent. Ernst Ludwig (Dylan Prather), Cliff’s first German friend, turns out to be an up-and-coming member of the Nazi Party. Herr Schultz (Nickolas Winkler), a fellow boarder at Fraulein Schneider’s (Kaiya Fowler) guest house (and Schneider’s fiancée), is the victim of an Anti-Semitic hate crime.

The musical numbers include many famous songs including "Willkommen", "Don't Tell Mama", "Mein Herr", "Maybe This Time", "Money" and "Cabaret".

The original Broadway production won many Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Featured Actor and Actress, Best Direction, Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design and Best Costume Design.

CLICK HERE for the Information Page (cast, production staff, etc.) The show is rated PG-13.

Temple High's One-Act Play Team swept the conference 5A state finals on Tuesday, May 24 at Bass Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Not only was the group named the State Champion, Temple received all three of the top individual acting awards. Emma Tolleson was named Best Actress in the state as well as winner of the Samuel French Award (Best Performer in Texas). Andrew Tye was named Best Actor in Texas. 251 conference 5A schools began the year in the one-act play competition, and Temple succeeded in becoming No. 1.

This is the 7th time that Temple has made it to the state finals (the Final 8) and the 2nd time the team has won the State Championship. Six of those trips to the state finals were under the direction of Natasha Tolleson. The 7th time was in 1928.

Results of the State UIL Dramatic Design competition were announced Wednesday evening, May 25. The UIL received almost 700 entries in this year's contest. Temple's group team (Zach Elliot, set design; Abryanna Ingram, costumes; Callie Ortega, hair and make-up; and Emma Tolleson, marketing) was named 3rd place in the state in Division 2 (classifications 5A and 6A).  Jonathan Nabours placed 6th in Texas in the individual theatrical marketing design contest and Bailee Poelker placed 3rd in Texas in the individual hair and make-up design contest.

UPDATE: CLICK HERE to see a Facebook album with photos from the send-off performance immediately before the team won the UIL State Championship.

Below is an article by Annette Nevins that appeared in the Temple Daily Telegram on Sunday, May 29, 2016.

Temple theatre students are traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska, to compete in the International Thespian Festival, June 20-25, 2016. Competitors include:
Duet Acting = Adara Felix and Callie Ortega
Scenic Design = Zach Elliott 
Group Musical = James Equals, Daniel Eshbaugh, Kaziah Fields, Kiaya Fowler,
     Marina Quintanilla, Latrice Scott, J'Kobe Stevens, Emma Tolleson,
     Andrew Tye, Malcolm Watson, Faith Whitaker, Nick Winkler, Taylor Wilson
Monologue = Ta'Shawn Chunn
Costume Design = Abrianna Ingram
Stage Management = Chase Yerkes
Sound Design = Derresha Webb
Lighting Design = Sam Little

Three students (Emma Tolleson, Daniel Eshbaugh and Derresha Webb) will also participate in a special performance of the Texas All-State Show, Big Fish. These students rehearsed the show for four days at Denison High School prior to a send-off performance on Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m. In Lincoln, Big Fish will perform Saturday, June 25, at 3 and 7:30 p.m.

At the International Festival in Lincoln, Temple students were competing on Tuesday, June 21, in various events. Here is the group musical team rehearsing on the sky bridge between the hotel and parking garage. "You rehearse where you can," said Director Natasha Tolleson.

It all started at the beginning of this season, as 251 5A high schools entered the annual UIL One-Act Play Contest. Advancing through district, bi-district, area and regional contests, there are now only 8 schools remaining — and Temple is one of them! In fact, it's the second year in a row that Temple has made the Final 8 and is going to state. Temple's play, Bug, advanced to state from the regional contest held at San Jacinto College in Pasadena on Friday, April 22.

Through all the contest levels, Temple has received many individual acting awards. The two top individual awards are Best Actor and Best Actress, and Temple students have received one of those two top awards at every level. In fact, at the area level, all five cast members received one of the 18 individual acting awards that were given to the six schools.

At the regional contest Emma Tolleson was named Best Actress in the region. Andrew Tye was named to the All-Star Cast, and Latrice Scott was selected for the Honorable Mention All-Star Cast. Derresha Webb was named an All-Star Technician.

The state contest will be May 23-25 in Bass Concert Hall on the University of Texas at Austin campus. (See schedule below.) In addition to the one-act play, Temple also has seven students that advanced to the state finals in the UIL Theatrical Design contest and Emma Tolleson will be competing in the state finals UIL Academics Prose Interpretation contest.

A public performance in Temple prior to the state contest will be Sunday, May 22 at 6 p.m.

CLICK HERE for Information Page  with complete cast and crew listings.

Monday, May 23
       6:30 p.m. Prose Interpretation Coaches' Conference, UTC 2.112A
             (Prose prelims are Tuesday, with finals on Wednesday)

Tuesday, May 24 at Bass Concert Hall
       6:30 a.m. Begin unloading set pieces, props, costumes, etc.
       7:30 a.m. Company meeting for all schools
       During the Day: Official Rehearsals for 8 schools, 50 minutes each
   SESSION ONE
       4:00 p.m. Grapevine High School, Death of a Salesman
      *4:50 p.m. Lewisville: The Colony High School,
            The Hands of Its Enemy
      *5:40 p.m. Magnolia High School, Bob: A Life in 5 Acts
      *6:30 p.m. Leander High School, Picnic
   SESSION TWO
       7:30 p.m. Canyon: Randall High School, Eurydice
      *8:20 p.m. Temple High School, Bug
      *9:10 p.m. Waxahachie High School, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
      *10:00 p.m. Corpus Christi: Tuloso-Midway High School,
            The Caucasian Chalk Circle
      *11:30 p.m. Awards Ceremony for the 5A shows
*Times are approximate because shows run back-to-back.

Tickets: Adults $14 per session, Students $12 per session. The UT PAC Box office will only accept cash and checks (no credit cards). Checks should be made out to "UT-Austin". For best seat selection, plan to line-up for Session Two. The auditorium is cleared after Session One, and people already in line for Session Two are the first people to get in the auditorium.

Wednesday, May 25 at Bass Concert Hall
      9:00 a.m. Walk-through Critiques of State Theatrical Design contest finalist entries
      10:00 a.m. Critiques of previous night's 5A one-act plays
      3:30 p.m. Prose Interpretation Awards Ceremony in the LBJ Auditorium
      6:30 p.m. Theatrical Design Awards Ceremony in the LBJ Auditorium
             (located in the LBJ Library and Museum building)

Below is an article by Annette Nevins that appeared in the Temple Daily Telegram on May 8, 2016:

Temple students after the announcement that the team was "Going to State"

Temple's Literary Criticism team won the District 17-5A championship during the first day of the district academic meet at Waco University High on Saturday, April 2, 2016. The team is composed of Daniel Eshbaugh, Andrew Tye, Taylor Wilson and Mikayla Craig. They will compete at the regional meet on Saturday, April 23, at 12 noon at Magnolia High School.

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