Theater--the Red-Headed Step Child

Change is afoot at Round Rock High School. Brendan tells me that the 100 Building is to be torn down. That's the main building, containing the offices, including the nurse, and, most importantly, the Ford Theater.

I remember Round Rock High School when the Ford Theater was the library. That stuff happens when you live in one town for 30 years. I also remember Ford Ainsworth, for whom the theater was named. His son teaches at McMurry University in Abilene. I saw only one of the plays Ford directed at Round Rock--a production of "Macbeth." The quality was so far above the usual high school fare that it has stuck in my mind for 24 years.

The theater students have a "performance space," a small room separated from the cafeteria by an accordion wall.

They say that there are no plans to put a theater in the building that will replace the 100 Building.

So theater students are canvassing the Round Rock attendance area with a petition. They need a theater.

Round Rock ISD has a Performing Arts Center. It's a very nice venue, with a large auditorium and a small black box. However, it's used for theater, choir, band and orchestra productions by four high schools and easily twice that many middle schools. Elementary schools use it from time to time, as well. Without a theater in the school itself, the number of plays the kids can do is severely limited. Round Rock had two at the PAC last year, both in the black box. This year, Round Rock is doing a musical, and it will be in the auditorium. "Ordinary People" was in the black box, as was the mime show.

I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir when I say that theater is important to the development of young people. They learn to speak in public. They learn to put themselves in the shoes of others. They learn to work as a team. They learn to be self-reliant. They learn to be observant, and to analyze text. They learn a bit of history, a bit of philosophy and a bit about human nature. But, most of all, they acquire self-confidence.

There is not a single Round Rock graduate who has performed in the Ford Theater who will ever be afraid to stand up and speak in public, whether it's giving an oral report, speaking before a City Council meeting, running for political office, selling insurance, or being a Girl Scout Leader.

Come on people, build the kids a theater!

I have email addresses for each member of the School Board, and that of the Superintendent. These are also available at the Round Rock ISD website.

Please drop them a line.

Jesús H. Chávez, Ph.D.
Superintendent

superintendent_rrisd@roundrockisd.org