TheatreFest ’15 is just around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of such an incredible organization and to be surrounded by such an incredible board of directors and convention personnel. This year’s festival promises to be overflowing with a plethora of workshops and special events. For those that have attended TheatreFest in Houston in prior years, you will notice a huge change in the “appearance” of our annual event. I won’t give away any surprises, so be ready for “Together Toward Tomorrow”, January 30 – February 1 in Houston!
I am forever grateful to the leadership and dedication of so many people who are making this year’s festival the best ever.
* Convention Director Jerry Ivins and Program Director Missey Head have diligently organized an assembly of volunteers, exhibitors, professionals and programs that will prove to be the best ever! Working with these awe-inspiring theatre gurus is my privilege. I am constantly amazed by what they have to report in our weekly conference call meetings.
* Jackie DeMontmollin has secured a bevy of special guests who are eager to share their knowledge and talents.
* Once again, Dusty Davidson has proven to be invaluable in organizing auditions for this year’s festival.
* Gloria McLuckie, Kim Blann and Mandy Epley are planning and organizing the best awards reception ever staged at convention. I can’t wait to honor those educators who have been so integral in making Texas Theatre the best in the world!
* The number of entries submitted for DesignFest has increased exponentially thanks to the skills of Paul Davis John Landon. Entries have increased five times over last year’s entries. I look forward to witnessing the design talents of the theatre students and teachers from across our great state.
* Our Communications Director and Convention Registrar, Darve Smith, is worthy of our appreciation for maintaining our website, Texas Theatre Notes and convention and membership registrations to name a few of his responsibilities.
* Terri Castleberry has done an outstanding job of revamping our CAPS Committee and updating our Institutional Membership roster.
* And finally, it is my honor to work with such an outstanding Board of Directors. The work that this group of professionals gives to our organization during their “time away” from their work and family does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
In addition to all of the workshops and the outstanding line up of vendors that are a part of TheatreFest, it is very important that you attend this year’s convocation and annual business meeting. We have a lot of information that will be shared with our members and of course you need to be a part of our annual elections.
The nominating committee has put forth these theatre professionals for election to the following offices:
PRESIDENT-ELECT: CHARLIE HUKILL
Charlie Hukill is a Professor of Theatre at McMurry University, and the Chair of the Division of Fine Arts within the School of Arts and Letters. He holds a BFA in Theatre from Stephen F. Austin State University, an MFA in Design and Playwriting from Trinity University, via the Dallas Theater Center, and has completed an additional 60 hours of post graduate study in Fine Arts, with concentrations in Playwriting, Acting, Directing, and the Fine Arts, from Texas Tech University.
Since 1979, he has designed sets for more than 100 productions, designed lights for over 90 productions, directed over 60 productions and performed roles in 39 plays, mostly in Texas, but also in Minnesota, Iowa, and Louisiana. He has had two original scripts produced, Southbound, at Simpson College, in Iowa, for which he also designed the scenery, and Occupational Hazards, at Texas Tech and McMurry.
Charlie is an active member of the Texas Educational Theatre Association. In addition to serving a term as Vice President for the College/University section of TETA, he has also been very involved in the former Adjudicator’s Organization of TETA, now known as TTAO. For the AO, he has served on the Standards and Practices Committee, the Administrative Committee, and was Chair of that organization for two years. He has been an approved Critic Judge for UIL one-act play competitions since 1980 and has judged at all levels, zone to state, A-AAAAA all across the state. In 2001, Charlie was selected as the Educator of the Year for Colleges and Universities by the TETA.
Recognitions at McMurry University include the Outstanding Faculty of the Year (2000), the Graduates’ Faculty Award (2001), the Gordon R. and Lola J. Bennett Award (2002), and the E.E. Hall Memorial Scholarship Award (2005).
TREASURER: RACHEL MATTOX (Incumbent)
Rachel Mattox has acted, directed and taught theatre for over thirty years, including for the University of Texas Summer Theatre Workshops, for the University of Houston Children’s Theatre Festival, Theatre Showcase, The Country Playhouse, and The Texas Repertory Theatre Company. She taught theatre at Spring Branch High School, St. Agnes Academy, James E. Taylor High School, and Hempstead H. S. before retiring from teaching in 2004. As a theatre educator, Rachel directed her students to the U.I.L. State Meet One Act Play contest 11 times, winning three State Championships and placing 2nd in State twice.
Rachel has also conducted acting and directing workshops for TETA, and taught acting, directing, voice and diction, and children’s theatre at the University of Texas, and at the University of Houston. Rachel Anne received the U.I.L.Sponsor Excellence Award in 1992, and was named TETA High School Educator of the Year in 2004.
She has served on several TETA committees, and is former chair of the UIL OAP Advisory Committee which formulated the Ethics Code in practice today. She was also one of the TEA appointed writers of the early TEKS for theatre curriculum.
Since 2006 Rachel has been proud to be a U.I.L. Theatre Adjudicator and clinician. For the past year she has served as TETA’s Treasurer.
Rachel studied at the Mary Wigman Institute of Dance in Berlin, Germany, was a dancer and actress at the Ashland, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and received a BFA in Theatre from the University of Texas, Austin, and a MFA in Directing from the University of Houston.
TREASURER-ELECT: TIMOTHY ESTELLE
Timothy Estelle has served the Texas Public School system since 2005. Previous professional experiences include Assistant Theatre Arts Director at Clear Creek high school from 2005-2009, and Theatre Arts Director at Cypress Woods high school from 2009-2014. As Theatre Arts Director, Timothy’s students have excelled in both the Texas and National Thespian Competitions, garnering awards and scholarships, as well as advancing to the State UIL One-Act Play competition. Prior to Timothy’s educational work he was the artistic intern at the Arizona Theatre Company in Tucson, AZ from 2004-2005. Currently, Timothy serves the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District as the Coordinator of Secondary Fine Arts for Dance and Theatre Arts. In his role, Timothy is responsible for guiding the alignment of district curriculum practices with State and National standards, the advocacy and support of district performing arts groups, as well as the development of authentic professional growth opportunities for content teachers. Timothy has been a member of the Texas Educational Theatre Association since 2005, as well as the Educational Theatre Association since 2009. Timothy holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre as well as a Masters of Education from Stephen F. Austin State University.
AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBERS: ANNIE DRAGOO and RONALD WATSON
Annie Dragoo began teaching and directing in 1993. She holds a BA in English and Speech Communication with a Concentration in Theatre Studies from Houston Baptist University. In the summer of 2008, she was granted a scholarship to study in residency at the Globe Theatre in London and has trained for several years with the Broadway Teaching Lab in New York. Her career has included directing elementary, middle, and high school students across Texas. Annie began the musical theatre program at Austin High in 2004, and in that time has directed fifteen musical productions. She wrote the Musical Theatre Curriculum for the state of Texas and is currently writing a musical theatre text book. She has performed in several professional productions in Dallas, Houston, & Austin. Dragoo co-directed three of the last seven UIL One Act Play productions that have qualified for the 5A State Contest, winning the State Championship in 2012. Among her favorite productions to direct are Round and Round the Garden, Into the Woods, Urinetown, Spring Awakening, Radio Eyes and Gypsy. She was nominated for the UIL Sponsor Excellence Award.
Ronnie Watson attended Southwest Texas State University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a pre-professional concentration in acting in 1987. He received his Master of Arts Degree in Directing and Design from Baylor University in 1997. From 1994 to 2005 he taught and directed at Odessa High School, Sonora High School, Jersey Village High School, Klein High School, and Alief-Taylor High School. In 2005 he joined the theatre faculty at San Antonio College where he currently is a tenured instructor of theatre. He has served as the State Contest Director for the Theatrical Design Contest since its inception in 2006 and has served as a U.I.L. One-Act Play Adjudicator since 2006.
At the annual business meeting, which is held at TheatreFest, members will have the opportunity to nominate individuals for any of the offices above.
One big change you’ll notice at this year’s conference will be the absence of a printed program of events. We will be using Guidebook in place of a program. So, be sure to download the Guidebook app in preparation for TheatreFest. If you don’t have a smart phone or tablet of some sort and would prefer a hard-copy version of the programming, you are encouraged to print a copy from our website just prior to departing for TheatreFest as our programming is constantly tweaked and updated.
I look forward to seeing you in Houston!
Safe travels.
Travis Poe
TETA Board of Directors
President-Elect
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