Temple High School Theatre Arts' first production of the 2020-2021 school year will be the high school edition of the musical Chicago. Renovations in the fine arts areas of the school will be finished, and the theatre department will be able to again use the full auditorium.

Auditions are scheduled for Monday, August 3 and Tuesday, August 4 from 2 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium. Specific COVID-19 safety instructions will be posted at a later date. Rehearsals begin on August 5. Performance dates are October 1-2-3-4.

The show is set in roaring twenties Chicago. Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband, Amos, to take the rap — until he finds out he's been duped and turns on Roxie. Arrested and sent to jail, Roxie and another "Merry Murderess," Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines. Ultimately they join forces in search of fame, fortune and acquittal. Specifically designed to be content-appropriate, Chicago: High School Edition has been adapted to remove overtly sexual references and adult language.

Musical numbers include "And All That Jazz", "Cell Block Tango", "When You're Good to Mama", "All I Care About is Love", "Mister Cellophane", "Razzle Dazzle" and "Nowadays". The 2002 movie, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, starred Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere and Queen Latifah.

Adult production staff includes Natasha Tolleson, director; Cameron Roucloux, musical director; Brad LaMotte, technical director and Kayla Stewart, lighting and sound.

Students can receive a PE credit for participating in this musical.

The UIL has announced new district alignments for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. District 12-6A will change from a nine schools to eight. Waco High and Waco Midway will leave our district and Bryan High will be added. The newest school in our area, Lake Belton High, will be in the 4A classification.

Posted on April 17, 2020 — With the announcement from Governor Greg Abbott that all Texas schools are to remain closed to in-person learning for the remainder of this school year, and in an effort to help protect the health and safety of Texans, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) is canceling all remaining 2019-2020 spring activities and state championships.

UPDATE: Rachael Gomez has been announced that the UIL Theatrical Design state finals will be judged from the original online submissions of the state finalists. The UIL will host an online awards ceremony on Monday, May 4 to announce the medalists and the title for next year's contest. State qualifiers will receive a critique from his or her state judge. Medals are awarded for 1st through 6th place in each category.

Seven Temple High students were named state finalists in the annual UIL Theatrical Design contest. Temple competes in Division 2 against other 5A and 6A schools. All students in this year's contest created designs for Life Is A Dream by Pedro Calderon de la Barca.

Temple's finalists include the group entry (Lauren Bruckbauer, costumes; Olivia Cabrera, hair and makeup; Morgan Madsen, scenic design; and Allison Quiroz, marketing) as well as individual entries by Julia Prather, hair and makeup; Sereniti Patterson, hair and makeup; and Keslie Glasscock, marketing.

Temple High School's One-Act Play Team advanced to bi-district during the district 12-6A contest on Saturday, March 7. 2020, at the Midway ISD Performing Arts Center. Other advancing schools included Midway and Waco High. Belton was the alternate. This marks the 28th year in a row that Temple has been a District Champion.

Named to the all-star cast were Sereniti Patterson (Macbeth) and Olivia Cabrera (Lady Macbeth). Named to the honorable mention all-star cast was Kerynn Eckenrode (Banquo). Named to the all-star tech team was Michael Jones (sound designer).

The next level of competition is the bi-district contest on Saturday, Apil 4 (revised date) at the Midway ISD Performing Arts Center. In addition to Midway and Waco High, Temple will be competing against Tyler Lee, Rockwall Heath and Rockwall High. Three of those schools will advance to area.

FACEBOOK PHOTO ALBUM from district contest by Mimansha Shrestha

On an autumn afternoon, in an abandoned lot outside the city, seven school girls meet up to perform a play. In an urban wasteland, the girls in their tartan school uniforms transform into witches, ghosts and kings. They hurl headlong into the unchecked passions of Macbeth — in Shakespeare’s original text — as the line between real life and blood fantasy quickly blurs. Through prophecies and smartphones, blood and music, unexpected resonances emerge from Shakespeare’s dark nightmare of ambition gone awry, while at the same time, these young women discover what’s done cannot be undone.

Mac Beth was adapted by Erica Schmidt. The play originally premiered in 2018 at Seattle Repertory Theatre. Erica is married to Peter Dinklage of "Game of Thrones" fame.

The seven girls are played by Jasmin Buckner, Olivia Cabrera, Torrie Culp, Kerynn Eckenrode, Genevieve Myers, Sereniti Patterson and Mimansha Shrestha.

Temple's UIL team has an amazing record in one-act. For the past 27 years in a row, Temple has been district champion. No other UIL team at Temple High holds such a record. For four of the past five years, Temple has advanced to the state finals (elite eight). Typically, around 250 schools begin the contest in the 6A classification. 

In a statewide contest, Temple High School was named as one of six Outstanding Troupes for the 2019-2020 school year by the Texas Thespians. Below is a photo showing students in their convention t-shirts holding the banner presented at the convention awards ceremonies.