RICHARDSON THEATRE COLLECTIVE AT RICHARDSON HIGH SCHOOL

The Theatre Magnet at Richardson High School has existed for decades. About ten years ago, it split into two different magnets—the Theatre Performance Magnet and the Technical Theatre Magnet. In 2019 the program was rebranded into the Theatre Collective at Richardson High School. According to its department chair and director Erik Archilla, its mission is to “foster an inclusive learning community of theatre artists for the purposes of profound student growth and meaningful community engagement.”

The Collective operates like a college department in that each year the students learn new skills and can grow in their chosen paths. In the Technical Theatre Magnet, students focus on design, stage craft, or theatre management. In the Theatre Performance Magnet, students learn acting, then branch out into playwriting and directing. During their senior year, students choose a career path of acting, directing, playwriting, theatre education, or theatre administration.

Archilla loves working with high school aged students, specifically at RHS. He says, “Our students are incredible. They are so eager to learn more, and it is so exciting to see the lightbulbs go off in their brains when they get a concept. The amount of growth we see from freshmen to senior year is incredible. And watching them take ownership of their work is truly inspiring… It gives me goosebumps every time and I am so stinkin’ proud of each of them.”

He is also proud that fourteen Collective students who won superiors at the Texas Thespian Festival and qualified to compete at Thespian Nationals this past summer. All of the Collective’s directors are working professionals in their field and bring real-world experiences to the classroom. They also share their networking connections with their students. Archilla says, “I think one of the things I am most proud of is that we have had many of our students go on to become theatre teachers themselves, some even in RISD. One of our directors, Emily Whitman, graduated from our program.”

Whitman enthusiastically states, “Theatre kids are SO. MUCH. FUN. There is never a dull day at work, that is for sure. I know I’m making an impact on a student when they seek me out for advice…or a student’s behavior gradually improves to meet my expectations…or a student sarcastically jokes around with me. It’s a bunch of little things that add up to let me know I’m doing something right.”

The Theatre Collective’s 2023-24 season theme is “What a Disaster.” They start with The Play That Goes Wrong in October. Their January musical will be The Spongebob Musical! The UIL Competition Play takes a more serious turn with A Piece of My Heart, a play about the Vietnam War. The Collective welcomes their sophomore magnet students to perform Finding Nemo Kids. and their season wraps up with freshmen magnet students joining them for Metamorphoses

Visit http://rhstheatrecollective.org for more information and show schedules.