Theatre is the art of acting in, producing, constructing, directing or writing plays. Veterans Memorial offers Theatre and Technical Theatre, both of which have ranks one to four and can be taken for a semester. Productions is a full-year class. Theatre is acting and includes more participation, while technical theater tends to draw in more artistic individuals. A student can go straight into productions with acting auditions or technical auditions without having to take the required prerequisite.

Theatre directors Rodrigo Mireles and Rachel Gilmour focus on getting kids out of their shells and teaching them how to talk to people in Theatre 1, which is for beginners who would like to try something new. Theatre 2 is for characterization, while Theatre 3 and 4 focus on script and theory. In Technical Theatre, each year, students build upon the knowledge gained from the previous year, whether that’s sewing, prop building, lighting design, sound design or scenic design. In contrast, scenic construction, costume construction and power tools are only allowed for higher-level technical students. 

“Theatre is a passion of mine, and I realized I loved it when I pursued it in high school. I love being able to give the students knowledge, tools, and the background to figure out if this is what they want to do so they gain a better idea of what they’re interested in.” Gilmour said.

Students in productions and varsity theater only work on shows and participate in UIL competitions. As classes get higher, the material gets more rigorous and advanced. This is when things become more specialized, and students actively participate in becoming better at one thing. 

“My time in the theatre department here at Veterans has been so special to me. I learned what I wanted to be and found a place where it was okay to be yourself. I absolutely love to perform and challenge myself to be the best version of myself,” Mialma Alegria, senior actress, said. 

Another student added,

“Tech has been a large experience for me. From being a slacker to being head of construction, it’s been an amazing journey and development as I’ve gotten to experience and make many connections here. Quite frankly, it’s changed my life,” Keslin Georges, senior theatre technician, said. 

Theatre at Veterans is known to be a welcoming place for aspiring actors, creative individuals, and people who aren’t afraid to try something new to show what they can do in the theatre industry. It’s never too late to join, as it is available to all grade levels.