Competition isn’t something people typically associate with high school theater, but over the past couple of years, Anderson’s theater department has taken their place in the UIL One Act Play competition as a well-known competitor, appearing at the regional level two years in a row and earning their title as one of the top 16 5A theater departments in the state of Texas. The path to success is not an easy one, however, with such a subjective art form, it takes a specific skill set to design, build, and perform a show for such a variety of judges.
Anderson Theater began their journey in the competition with their show, Underdog: The Other Other Bronte back in early March. After a successful performance it was clear that the company had created something special, bringing home numerous awards such as All Star Technician (Jeffrey Pickell), Outstanding Crew (Jeffery Pickell, Nolan Strippoli, Jacqueline Buckland, Ellie Tumbusch), two All Star Cast Awards (Steely Schmid, Atik Foley), and Best Performer (Gretchen Palm). The show rapidly gained success after this amazing start, advancing from Bi-District, and then continuing to take 1st place at Area, securing their spot at region. Anderson swept up medals as they performed but, more importantly, they grew closer to the show and the art that they were presenting.
Senior Lighting Designer, Ellie Tumbusch gave an interview talking about her experience in the competition cast throughout her high school career. When speaking about the sheer amount of time spent on a UIL show compared to a typical one-act play, Tumbusch emphasized how “the amount of time you spend working on and producing a show will always benefit the technical aspect of the production”. She went on to highlight that despite these benefits, “you have to actively seek out opportunities to make the show feel fresh and new so that the cast doesn’t lose their energy.” This insight shows the opportunities as well as the difficulties that come with the competition and how it encourages students to get creative and stay motivated.
Rachel Seney, Anderson’s Theater Direction, has been in charge of directing the annual UIL show for 22 years, having to come into each season with a new show, concept, and cast. Not only does she have the experience of directing, she also performed herself when she was a student. Seney highlights that “getting feedback from a clinician is a whole extra layer to the process, which is something that you don’t experience in a lot of other shows.” When discussing this year’s process, Seney emphasized how much she loved the production of Underdog: The Other Other Bronte, gushing over the story and the technical elements. She emphasized how “the performances are what they are at the end of the day, regardless of the scoring, and the shows we do here at Anderson… are the kind of shows I would want to go see.”
All this to say, maintaining a successful company in competition over the years is no simple task and Anderson High School has blown us away the past two years with their meaningful shows, striking concepts, and outstanding dedication. We are so excited to see what the competition cast will bring to the table next year and we hope our Trojans maintain their winning streak and, as always, break a leg!
