Thanks to the wonderful generosity of Miki and Tom Melsheimer ’79, whose unsparing support has impacted the Jesuit Dallas community in numerous ways, Stage & Film is on the cusp of turning a once-remote corner of campus into a spirited hub of activity. The Melsheimer family has made a lead gift to ensure a full renovation of the School’s theater and performance space, bringing the cutting edge of technology to the program and marking Jesuit as a champion for the performing arts.
Six months after first opening its doors in 1942, Jesuit Dallas (known then as Jesuit High School) performed its first stage production. The re-telling of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was a spectacle. The show was covered extensively in the student paper while in production, and the cast of 20 Jesuit actors – playing both the male and female roles – shared their talents in front of a reported audience of 800 family and friends. The success of that first show invigorated the fledgling program and was an affirmation that the performing arts were both crucial in the development of a wellrounded education and a vibrant contributor to the life of the Jesuit Dallas community. Cultivated by passionate moderators and fueled by consistent student interest, the program has continued to evolve for over 75 years. Now known as Jesuit Dallas Stage & Film, a full curricular offering with courses in stagecraft, theater arts, directing for theater, and filmmaking support the more-than 170 students who actively participate in the program. Performances are staged in what has been known as the Lecture Hall, a facility that was built in 1986 to house lectures for freshman biology. Over 30 years of use as a gathering
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