Cougar Thespians

BA fine arts visit Dallas Theater Center 

 

By: Michael Nunez, 11

 

The Fine Arts Department took 21 students to the Dallas Theater Center on Tuesday for Project Discovery.

 

Each year the Dallas Theater Centers’ Project Discovery selects students from theater and tech departments in several Dallas high schools. The students watch professional shows, work in workshops and get to talk to the actors after the show. This benefits the students by getting to experience the theater world and get more involved.

 

The Bryan Adams Fine Arts Department saw the first release of “Bella” a tall tale that takes place in the 1700s. Where a "big bottomed" slave woman leaves her home because she attacked her owner after he attempted to sexually assault her. On her journey she learns to accept herself and her body and love those around her.

 

Before the show the students were able to attend a workshop and collaborate with the studen from Skyline. They worked together going through the warmups, similar to the ones the actors do, and create small tall tale performances of past funny experiences.    

 

The students who attended the show were scattered throughout the theater sitting with strangers and other visitors of the theater to make it feel like a real experience to them. Throught the show they were able too see their talents and skills used in for both Theater and Tech.

 

At the end the students were able to ask questions of the cast. They learned about what the cast go through in order to prepare for their performances. The main character who played Bella, Ashley D. Kelley, gave the high school students advice.

 

"To be in a musical takes hard work and dedication to be able to sing all your parts, but remember to also have fun," she said.