Temple's 2010 UIL One-Act Play team gave a tremendous performance at the state finals, but the team did not place in the Top 3 schools. But since 255 schools in 5A began the one-act competitions this year, being in the Final 8 at State is a tremendous accomplishment in itself. Temple's entry was Degas in New Orleans by Rosary Hartel O'Neill, a drama that explores Degas' scandalous visit to New Orleans in 1872.

Gloria Matthews was named to the state all-star cast and Mikah Young was named to the state honorable mention all-star cast. Listed below under "Competition Results" are all the team and individuals awards won this year.

Temple's group design team (Cassi Anderson, Stephanie Ewing and Trenton Schneiders) received 4th place in Texas. There were 298 total entries in the theatrical design contest this year. More details and photos will be posted in the future.

LINKS ABOUT THE ONE-ACT PLAY:
   Videos on our YouTube page
   Photos in our Snapfish Photo Group Room
   Photos from the Regional Contest (Baylor) posted to Facebook
   Article about the team's trip to Austin
   More about the work of Author/Playwright Rosary Hartel O'Neill
   About this play on Samuel French's website
   Article about advancing to State (Bass Concert Hall)
   Article about advancing to Regionals (Baylor)
   Article about advancing to Area (Cedar Park)
   Article about advancing to District (Cultural Activities Center)
   Article about district contest
   Printed Program from the Final Performance of the play
   Limited-edition Souvenir Degas Trading Cards
  

CAST

Edgar Degas, the famous painter = Trenton Schneiders
René Degas, Edgar's younger brother = Spencer Tolleson
Michel Musson, their uncle = Reese Atkinson
Desiree (Didi) Musson, their unmarried cousin = Mikah Young
Mathilde Musson Bell, their married cousin = Kathryn Pasichnyk
Estelle (Tell) Degas, their cousin, René's wife = Gloria Matthews
Josephine (Jo) Balfour, Tell's daughter = Maddie Kleypas
America Durrive Olivier, Rene's mistress, housekeeper = Rachel Ann Stonestreet

UIL Alternates = Julian Martinez, Ravin Jackson, Emily Roeder and Aaron VanWettering

PRODUCTION STAFF

Directors = Natasha Tolleson, Rachel Aker, Adam Kennard

UIL Five-Person Crew = Anya Godigamuwe, James Roeder, Samantha Sheffer,
     Lexie Tankersley and Joel Williams

Stage Manager = Samantha Sheffer

Set Foreman = James Roeder
Set Crew = Nate Boyd, Max Moser, Ryan Pittman, Aaron VonWettering

Costume Crew Chief = Alison Clifton
Costume Crew = Marjorie Hernandez, Julian Martinez, Valerie Mobley,
     James Roeder, Lexie Tankersley, Joshua Zepeda

Hair & Make-Up Crew Chief = Ravin Jackson
Hair & Make-Up Crew = Monica Griggs

Properties Mistress = Emily Roeder
Properties Crew = Meredith Atkinson, Hannah Perry, Lexie Tankersley

Lighting Crew Chief = Anya Godigamuwe
Lighting Crew = Nate Boyd, Aaron VanWettering
Special Lighting Effects = James Roeder

Sound Crew Chief = Joel Williams
Sound Crew = Nate Boyd, Aaron VanWettering

COMPETITION RESULTS

ZONE CONTEST -- Thursday, March 25, 2010
Critic Judge Dennis Maganza, held at Temple High School
Temple's team advanced to District
Temple won more individual awards than any other school in the contest.
Best Actress: Maddie Kleypas (Jo)
Best Actor: Trenton Schneiders (Edgar Degas)
All-Star Cast: Gloria Matthews (Tell), Rachel Ann Stonestreet (America), Mikah Young (Didi)
Honorable Mention All-Star Cast: Reese Atkinson (Michel), Kathryn Pasichnyk (Mathilde)
Outstanding Technician: Anya Godigamuwe
Best Tech Crew at the Contest

DISTRICT CONTEST -- Thursday, April 1, 2010
Critic Judge Kelly Parker, held at the Cultural Activities Center in Temple
Temple's team advanced to Area
Temple won more individual awards than any other school in the contest.
Best Actor: Trenton Schneiders (Edgar Degas)
All-Star Cast: Maddie Kleypas (Jo), Gloria Matthews (Tell)
Honorable Mention All-Star Cast: Kathryn Pasichnyk (Mathilde), Mikah Young (Didi)
Outstanding Technician: Samantha Sheffer
Best Tech Crew at the Contest

AREA CONTEST -- Friday, April 9, 2010
Critic Judge Terry Lewis, held at Cedar Park High School
Temple's team advanced to Regional
Temple won more individual awards than any other school in the contest.
Best Actress: Gloria Matthews (Tell)
Best Actor: Trenton Schneiders (Edgar Degas)
All-Star Cast: Maddie Kleypas (Jo), Kathryn Pasichnyk (Mathilde)
Honorable Mention All-Star Cast: Reese Atkinson (Michel), Mikah Young (Didi)
Outstanding Technician: Joel Williams

REGIONAL CONTEST -- Friday, April 23, 2010
Critic Judge David Stevens, Baylor University in Waco
Temple's team advanced to the State Finals
Best Actress: Gloria Matthews (Tell) (1 of only 4 such awards in the entire state)
All-Star Cast: Trenton Schneiders (Edgar Degas) (1 of 32 in the state)
Honorable Mention All-Star Cast: Mikah Young (Didi) (1 of 32 in the state)

STATE FINALS CONTEST -- Saturday, May 8, 2010
Critic Judge Perry Crafton, Bass Concert Hall in Austin
All-Star Cast: Gloria Matthews (Tell) (1 of 8 in Texas)
Honorable Mention All-Star Cast: Mikah Young (Didi) (1 of 8 in Texas)

SYNOPSIS

Edgar Degas arrives in New Orleans in 1872 in order to find peace for his soul. He is recovering from the bloodbath of fighting in the Commune -- having thrown himself into the war to escape his feelings for his sister-in-law (Estelle), who chose his brother (René) over him in marriage.

Edgar comes to New Orleans to salvage his brother's cotton business and to reclaim his family life in the maternal city of his mother. What he confronts is the scandal of what has happened to his three cousins (Didi, Mathilde and Estelle), the bankruptcy of his uncle (Michel Musson) and the bigamous affair of his brother with his next-door-neighbor (America) in his own house.

But perhaps the biggest shock to Edgar is seeing his beloved Estelle (also known as Tell) now blind, pregnant and failing. Edgar Degas tries to salvage his family life, to find a new direction for his painting and reclaim some meaning in his life. Edgar painted 22 paintings at the Degas House, most of which he refused to sell and kept with him in his studio in Paris until the day he died. The story exposes the scandalous encounter between Edgar Degas and his brother, a scandal that kept them from speaking for 10 years and led Degas to return to Paris with a new direction in his work, soon after known as Impressionism.

The play is based on a real story, and the author (Rosary Hartel O'Neill) worked out the story in consultation with the Degas House and the Degas Foundation. What makes the play particularly intriguing is that it is a scandalous story -- a secret story told for the first time -- about Edgar Degas.

The play, which was recently published by Samuel French, was invited to the New End Theatre (a heralded theater for contemporary plays) in London and featured in the Best New American Play Oktoberfest of the Ensemble Studio Theatre (a leading theater for new work) in New York City and in the Reading Series of the Abingdon Theatre and the Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, New York.

 
PRODUCTION PHOTOS

Trenton Schneiders (left) and Gloria Matthews

(From left) Mikah Young, Kathryn Pasichnyk and Reese Atkinson

Gloria Matthews (left) and Maddie Kleypas

Rachel Ann Stonestreet (left) and Spencer Tolleson

Top row: Samantha Sheffer, Reese Atkinson, Trenton Schneiders, Gloria Matthews, Lexie Tankersley, Rachel Ann Stonestreet and Spencer Tolleson.
Middle row: James Roeder, Kathryn Pasichnyk and Mikah Young.
Bottom row: Joel Williams, Maddie Kleypas and Anya Godigamuwe.