Secondary School Theatre Festival

Debbie Corbin

Debbie Corbin is a past president of EdTA, serving from 2017-2019. Before her time on the EdTA board, she served 10 years as Missouri’s Chapter Director for Thespians. Debbie cares a great deal about theatre education, having taught for 27 years at Branson (Missouri) High School.

Brooke Phillips

Brooke Phillips is the Director of Theatre for Millard West High School. She feels lucky to work with such remarkable individuals in the performing arts. Brooke received “Outstanding Theatre Teacher of the Year” from Nebraska Thespians in 2015 and 2019.  Brooke serves as Co-Chapter Director for the Nebraska Thespians Organization, where she works to promote educational theater across the state and country, supporting both students and teachers. Act well your part, there all honor lies.

Keith Salter

Keith Salter recently retired after teaching secondary theatre for 37 years. Keith’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie received the High School Musical Theatre Awards “Best Overall Production” award in 2012 and he received the “Best Direction By a Teacher” award the same year. In 2021, he was the recipient of the Inspiring Teacher Award, sponsored by HSMTA. Keith can also be seen playing a small role in the 2003 Oscar-nominated film, 21 Grams.

BEST PRODUCTION
Cardboard Stories: Thinking Outside the Box
School for the Creative and Performing Arts @ Lafayette High School

RUNNER UP BEST PRODUCTION
The Vicious Circle Contemplates a Vicious Time
Charlottesville High School

BEST PERFORMERS
Ron played by Alex Yang
Five Stars
Oak Grove High School

Jo played by Jaden Fuisa
Masked Perfection
Ocean Springs High School

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMERS
Monica Velez played by Sam Dedrick
Ordinary Heroes
Stewarts Creek High School

Valencia played by Ariana Ortiz
The Transition of Doodle Pequeño
Windermere High School Theatre

OUSTANDING ORIGINAL COMPOSITION
Helen of Troy and Cassandra the Prophet
D. W. Daniel High School

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY THEATRE
Say Her Name
Charlotte Country Day School

BEST DIGITAL PRODUCTION CONCEPT
Call Declined
The Galloway School

OUTSTANDING USE OF FOUND SPACE
Monday the 13^th
Lake Norman Charter

Deadline! A Short Film about a Short Film
Lake Norman Charter

OUTSTANDING SENSE OF WONDER
Step on a Crack
Springwood School

BEST ENSEMBLE
Shakespeare’s Mix Tape
Notre Dame High School

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Timeless Love
Ocean Springs High School

Charlotte Country Day School
Say Her Name

Charlottesville High School
The Vicious Circle Contemplates a Vicious Time

D. W. Daniel High School
Helen of Troy and Cassandra the Prophet

Lake Norman Charter
Monday The 13th
Deadline! A Short Film About A Short Film

Notre Dame High School
Shakespeare’s Mix Tape

Oak Grove High School 
5 Stars
JP’s Interview

Ocean Springs High School
Timeless Love
Masked Perfection

School for the Creative and Performing Arts @ Lafayette High School
Cardboard Stories: Thinking Outside the Box

Springwood School
Step on a Crack

Stewarts Creek High School
Ordinary Heroes
Yellow Ribbon

The Galloway School
Call Declined

Windermere High School
The Transition of Doodle Pequeño

Thursday Performances – Feb. 27, 2020 – Block 1

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
The Trench
Georgia – Perry High School
Written by Oliver Lansley Directed by Joseph Sendek

11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
The History of Tom Jones
Virginia – Jefferson Forest High School
Written by Dennis M. Maganza Adapted into a one-act play by Luis Munoz Based on the book by Henry Fielding; Directed by Spence and Niki White

NOON – 12:45 PM
The Exile and the Onion Girl
Mississippi – Clinton High School Written by Lindsay Price Directed by Sarah Hankins

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Ernest and the Pale Moon
North Carolina – Watauga High School
Written by Oliver Lansley; Directed by Zachary Walker

2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
A Murder of Crows
South Carolina – James F Byrnes High School
Written by Mike Kenney; Directed by Carol Sutton

Thursday Performances – Feb. 27, 2020 – Block 2

5:30 PM – 6:15 PM
Scenes From Metamorphoses 
Tennessee – Nolensville High School
Written by Mary Zimmerman Directed by Laura Lindsey

6:30 PM – 7:15 PM
Failure: A Love Story
Kentucky – SCAPA Lafayette High School
Written by Phillip Dawkins Directed by Amie Kisling

7:30 PM – 8:15 PM
Future Here
West Virginia – Jefferson High School
Written by Jeremy F. Richter Directed by Trisha Nupp

8:30 PM – 9:15 PM
The Dentist
Alabama – James Clemens High School
Dialogue written by James Clemens HS through devised theatre improv; Directed by Amy Patel

9:30 PM – 10:15 PM
The Arkansaw Bear 
Florida – Windermere High School
Written by Aurand Harris Directed by Jonathan Jackson

Friday Performances – Feb. 28, 2020 – Block 3

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Never the Sinner 
Georgia – Lakeside High School
Written by John Logan; Directed by Lisa Bridges

11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Silent Sky 
Virginia – Lafayette High School
Written by Lauren Gunderson; Directed by Suzan McCorry

NOON – 12:45 PM
Badger 
Mississippi – Northwest Rankin High School
Written by Don Zolidis Directed by Juniper Wallace

1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Ernest and the Pale Moon
North Carolina – Sanderson High School
Written by Oliver Lansley; Directed by Peter Comperator

2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Haiku
South Carolina – Sumter High School
Written by Katherine Snodgrass; Directed by Kelly Melton

Friday Performances – Feb. 28, 2020 – Block 4

5:30 PM – 6:15 PM
The Old Man and the Moon
Tennessee – Stewarts Creek High School
Written by Pig Pen Theatre Company Directed by Donald Fann

6:30 PM – 7:15 PM
James and the Giant Peach
Kentucky – Tates Creek High School
From the book written by Roald Dahl Dramatized by Rochaird R. George Directed by Daniel Ellis

7:30 PM – 8:15 PM
Crow and Weasel
West Virginia – Wyoming East High School
Written by Jim Leonard, Jr. Directed by Curtis Lovejoy

8:30 PM – 9:15 PM 
The Trench
Alabama – Huntsville High School
Written by Oliver Lansley Directed by Meghan Browning

9:30PM – 10:15PM
Runaways
Florida – Gulf Breeze High School
Written by Elizabeth Swados; Directed by Margie Timmons

Dylan Bollinger

Dylan Bollinger is currently an assistant professor, director of Theatre Design/ Technology, and the BA Theatre- Secondary Education Coordinator at Avila University. He holds an MFA in Drama with a concentration in design from the University of North Carolina Greensboro and an M.Ed. in Theatre Education from Columbus State University (Columbus, GA). Dylan also received his undergraduate education at Columbus State University.

Diane Carr

Dr. Diane Carr is an experienced and dynamic leader whose focus is on developing strategies for sustainable growth, managing business operations, advancing volunteer, mentor and outreach service programs, defining community relationship development and leading educational program development. In addition to her doctorate in educational leadership, she also holds a Masters in Education, a Masters in English, and an MBA. She works to demonstrate servant leadership in all that she does and believes in the core value that “People Matter.” #drservantleader.

Gai Laing Jones

Gai Laing Jones is the president of the national Educational Theatre Association Governing Board which sets policy for the professional members and students of Theatre; Thespians; CA Youth in Theatre Founder; has a theater named after her at El Dorado H.S. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at CSU East Bay, writes Theatre Ed books, directs, produces educational theatre productions, and is a SAG/AFTRA commercial actress.

Diane Carr

Dr. Diane Carr is the Director of Chapter Relations and Community Engagement for the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) where she is responsible for leading and supporting EdTA’s national volunteer base including all state organizations. She earned her BA and MEd from Northern Kentucky University, an MA from University of Cincinnati and an MBA from Xavier University. In her spare time, she serves as costumer for several community theatre organizations.

Moses Goldberg

Moses Goldberg retired after 25 years as Producing Director of Stage One: The Louisville Children’s Theatre. He now works as a freelance director, teacher and playwright. He has directed professionally at theatres from Washington to Florida, including — in 1988 — one of the first U.S./Soviet exchanges at Moscow’s famed Taganka Theatre. Sixteen of his plays for young audiences have been published, as well as his most recent book “TYA: Essays on Theatre for Young Audiences.” He has taught at Florida State University and Southwest Texas State University and as an adjunct faculty member elsewhere.

Herb Parker

Herb Parker is Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance with East Tennessee State University. He is the author of “A Monologue is an Outrageous Situation! How to Survive the 60-Second Audition,” and “Acting Shakespeare is Outrageous! Playing the Bard for Beginners,” published by Routledge Focal Press. His productions of “Six Characters in Search of an Author,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and “Little Shop of Horrors” all received the KCACTF “Excellence in Directing” Meritorious Achievement Award. Professor Parker is a proud long-time member of Actors’ Equity Association.