Theater
Plano East offers two distinct theater-related programs: a Technical Theater program and a Theater Major Studies (TMS) program.
The school's advanced Technical Theater course is under the instruction of Zachary Elms. Elms has been the technical director at Plano East since 2007 and was awarded the PISD Beginning Teacher of The Year award in 2007. Advanced tech students participate in all department productions while learning lighting, set design, stage managing, and sound design. All advanced tech students send submissions into the annual state UIL design competition. In the 2012 season the technical theatre department received six nominations at the state UIL design competition, scoring wins with fifth place in publicity, and fifth place in set design. Plano East also took home the top prize in set design.
As of 2011, the Theater Major Studios program is under the direction of Gavin Mundy, who previously taught at local Vines High School and Carpenter Middle School. Mr. Mundy also served as the theatre director at Travis High School (Austin), and Llano High School. He received his MFA in Directing from the University of Texas at Austin and has written, performed, and directed in Austin, New York, and Los Angeles. Theater veteran Lisa Hale was the former director of the department from 1984–2011 and directed over 60 plays. Students in the theater program are able to take advantage of experts that are brought in for workshops, particularly professionals from neighboring Southern Methodist University, UT Dallas and Collin College.
The theater department produces four major productions each school year: A Theater Major Studies show (limited to students in the program), an open audition show, the senior-directed one act plays, and the open audition one act.
Plano East's one-act competes annually in the state UIL One-Act Play Competition every spring. In 2006, Plano East won the state championship for their production of The Marriage of Bette and Boo.
Read more about this topic: Plano East Senior High School, The Fine Arts and Performing Arts
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