Students from across the district brought down the house at the Junior High One Act Process Festival, a two-day event hosted by the Arlington ISD Center for Visual and Performing Arts.
The theater department from each Arlington ISD junior high had the opportunity to perform one act from a play of their choice at the inaugural event. Each school had exactly 10 minutes to set up and break down their set, which is the same amount of time given at the UIL One-Act Play contest.
The festival was split into two zones with five schools in each. On the first day of the event, Ousley, Shackelford, Young, Nichols and Boles presented acts. Barnett, Carter, Workman, Gunn and Bailey performed on the second day.
“This has been a dream of a lot of our theater directors that’s been in the pipeline for a while now, and I’m glad we’re finally making it happen,” said Micah Green, fine arts coordinator of theatre and dance.
Green began planning the festival in August, and professional development sessions on the one-act process for teachers started as early as June. Students and teachers have been preparing for the show since the start of the school year.
“These kids have worked so hard to get to this point, and it showed in their performance today,” said Geoffrey Grissom, an Ousley teacher who filled in for director Ana’Leese Provau. “Even when their director couldn’t make it to the performance, the kids still put their all into it and showed us why it’s important for us to keep supporting them as they pursue their passions at such a young age.”
Overall, about 320 students participated in the festival. There were 10 junior high theater teachers, as well as three high school theater teachers involved to help make the show possible.
Fine arts programs are offered throughout the district, and there are specialized programs that can integrate arts into every element of their curriculum. Arlington ISD offers many opportunities for students to cultivate their passions and prepare for a bright future, whether that means going to college or starting a career.
If you’re ready for your star student to shine in a specialized program, please visit aisd.net/specializedprograms and apply today.