Carver, Davis One-Act Play Productions Advance to Area
As the UIL competitions heat up, Aldine ISD thespians show off their theater skills.
A scene from Carver HS’ production of “To Be Young, Gifted and Black: A Portrait of Lorraine Hansberry in Her Own Words.” Hansberry is known for writing her 1957 play “A Raisin in the Sun.”
[dropcap color=”#888″ type=”square”]H[/dropcap]igh school thespians at Carver and Davis are talented with serious theatrical chops. After recent wins, the theater troupes advanced to the Area [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]UIL One-Act Play Competition.
[icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Carver‘s production is To Be Young, Gifted and Black: A Portrait of Lorraine Hansberry in Her Own Words. Hansberry is known for writing her 1957 play A Raisin in the Sun. The play made Hansberry the first black author of a show. After her death in 1965, Hansberry’s ex-husband Robert Nemiroff collated her unpublished writings. The play was adapted using Hansberry’s letters, interviews, and journal entries. It was then converted into an equally successful autobiography with the same title.
The classroom scene from Carver HS’ “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.”
The play begins at the start of Lorraine’s life, highlighting her early childhood in a Chicago ghetto. It moves through her college years and then later life. The story includes the creation and inspiration for A Raisin in the Sun. Her journey from Chicago to New York was complicated. But she overcame obstacles to get her play on Broadway. To Be Young, Gifted and Black incorporates fragments of her personal life such as her marriage. It also highlights her involvement in politics. She supported racial and gender equality. Hansberry died at 34 after battling cancer.
Critics lauded the play when it debuted in 1968. They described the play as fast paced, powerful, touching and hilarious. The kaleidoscope of shifting scenes, mood and images recreates Hansberry’s world. The play weaves through her life experiences and the times that shaped her. The play is a major statement of the American Black experience.
[icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Davis‘s play is The Cover of Life by R.T. Robinson. The play centers on the lives of five women during World War II. Tood, Weetsie and Sybill are brides. Each is married to a Cliffert brother who are off fighting in the war. They live in rural Louisiana with their mother-in-law. A local news story about these young wives intrigues Henry Luce. He decides that they make a great human-interest story and belong on the cover Life Magazine. He assigns Kate Miller to the story. She has been covering the war in Europe. Kate is a career-oriented New York City woman. Although she views doing a “women’s piece” as a career set back, she accepts because it. This is her first cover story opportunity. Kate spends a week with the Cliffert women. Her haughty urban attitude gives way to sympathy as she begins to understand them. In the end, what she found was more than she expected.
Davis HS — Katharine Chávez & Remerica Earl
The Cover of Life is filled with laughter and charm. It is a deeply affecting story about the struggle for self worth. There are intense moments of heart-wrenching drama.
The Area UIL One-Act Play Competition is set for April 7 at San Jacinto College in Pasadena. The competition starts at 2 p.m. Individuals who want to view the competition can buy $10-tickets at the door. Davis and Carver will compete against Cy-Fair, Morton Ranch, Carnegie Vanguard and Katy.
Both Roshunda Jones and Cliff D. Alexander are proud of their theater troupes. Each serves as the theater director at Carver HS and Davis HS, respectively.
“The Davis students did an outstanding job in the production,” said Alexander. “I couldn’t be more proud of the troupe’s success.“
“Carver theater students continue to shine in the One-Act Play competitions,” said Jones. “This is the [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]sixth consecutive year that Carver has advanced to the Area Contest. Many who received recognition in district and bi-district events earned recognition this year again. The students have worked hard to hone their skills.“
All UIL Bi-District winners on stage.
District Competition Results
Carver HS — Ahreon Holly
Advancing Play — To Be Young, Gifted and Black by Carver HS
Best Actor — Ahreon Holly @ Carver HS
Best Actress — Kiera Prusmack @ Carver HS
All Star Cast — India Sherman @ Carver HS
All Star Cast — Remerica Earl @ Davis HS
All Star Cast — NaQuell Turner @ Davis HS
Best Technical — Jayla Rhodes @ Carver HS
Best Technical Crew — Ahreaile Holly, Jayla Rhodes, Ri’Chard Jordan, Louis Butler & Ivan Geters @ Carver HS
Davis students Remerica Earl, NaQuell Turner and Journei Rogers also earned individual tech crew honors for The Cover of Life.
Bi-District Competition Results
Carver HS — Areille Wilson
Advancing Play — To Be Young, Gifted and Black by Carver HS
Best Actor — Kyle Ward @ Carver HS
Best Actress — Kiera Prusmack @ Carver HS
All Star Cast — Ahreon Holly @ Carver HS
All Star Cast — Katherine Chávez @ Davis HS
All Star Cast — Remerica Earl @ Davis HS
Honorable Mention All Star Cast — Jhazman Carter @ Davis Ninth
Honorable Mention — India Sherman @ Carver HS
Honorable Mention — Arielle Wilson @ Carver HS
Honorable Mention — Entire Ensemble @ Carver HS
Best Technical — Ahreaile Holly @ Carver HS
(Campuses provided the list of winners.)
Davis HS — Tynell Jackson
Elysa Aguilar, Jaela Amos, Louis Butler, Korrian Carr, Treat Carrier, Kevin Crear, Yamir Ellis, Ivan Geters, Kassidy Fajardo, Mykaelan Flournoy, Jasmine Garcia, Miriam Hernandez, Ahreaile Holly, Ahreon Holly, Ri’Chard Jordan, Je’Qwan Owens, Bishop Pearsall, Kiera Prusmack, Jayla Rhodes, India Sherman, Debrycen Sumuel, Trenten Thomas, Kyle Ward and Arielle Wilson comprise the cast and crew of the play performed by Carver HS. Roshunda Jones and Jabari Collins direct the troupe.
Cast and Crew from Davis HS included Katherine Chávez, Remerica Earl, Journei Rogers, NaQuell Turner and Tynell Jackson. Alexander and Roenia Thompson direct the troupe. Thompson is the director at Davis Ninth Grade School.
Congratulations and Good Luck @ the Area Competition!
Carver HS — India Sherman, Arielle Wilson and Treat Carrier
Carver HS — Kyle Ward and Kiera Prusmack win Best Actor/Best Actress
Carver HS — Cast and Crew
Carver HS — Tech Crew
Carver HS — Ahreon Holly and Kiera Prusmack win Best Actor and Best Actress
Davis HS Cast and Crew
*Carver HS photos courtesy of Kristin Wilson.
There are many transferable skills theater students develop. These are skills that an individual can use in any career. They are also skills many employers want.
Transferable Skills Gained Being a Theater Student Include:
Oral communication skills
Creative problem solving abilities
Teamwork
The ability to work independently
Time management skills and respect for deadlines
Leadership skills
Confidence
Carver High School made [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]U.S. News & World Report‘s Best High Schools in the U.S. rankings. [icons icon_name=”icon-external-link” icon_size=”14px”]Carver, a magnet school, focuses on engineering, applied technology and the arts.
About the Author: Leticia Fehling
