Highlands Junior Theatre Arts
Director: Kerry Reinhackel

The theatre arts department of Highlands Junior School is a mobile and busy junior school drama department. Every year, students attend several out-of-district speech contests in Alvin, Pearland, Clear Lake and Angleton, bringing home a bus full of trophies and ribbons. Members of the theatre arts department also enter events such as the annual Optimist Club Speech Contest and the Barbara Jordan Speech Contest. Highlands Junior students have won both of these events several times, garnering over $6,000.00 in scholarships and prizes, over the past 5 years. Past winners have included Cassie Griffin, Sierra White, Jana Creel, Delia Roy, Courtney Craig, Daniel Balch and Clifton Antoine.

The theatre arts department also has a touring company called TEENS ON TOUR! This group of talented individuals tours for two days in December, bringing Christmas cheer to eight retirement communities in the Baytown/Highlands area. For those residents who are unable to leave their rooms to view the performance, the students walk up and down the halls, singing Christmas carols and sharing the Christmas spirit with each these residents as well. Santa Claus always has a smile and a hug for everyone. TEENS ON TOUR! is a group welcomed everywhere it goes. After their performances, the students hand out ornaments to all of the residents. For booking information write kareinhackel@gccisd.net or call Highlands Junior at 281-420-4695 ext. 276.

Each year, the theatre arts department performs a major Broadway musical, complete with singing (some lip syncing) and dancing. This major performance is in addition to the other 7 plays students will perform during the school year. When not performing on the HJS stage, theatre arts students perform anywhere they can find an opportunity to do so. The last Saturday in October and the last Saturday in April you will find our talented actors at the Republic of Texas Plaza in Baytown. In April, the Bay Area Heritage Society has the Texas Heritage Festival. In October, they hold a Fall Festival. HJS students are center stage at both events, showing off their many talents.

Every October, the theatre arts d epartment holds a Dinner Theatre/Auction to raise funds for the expenses of traveling and contest entry fees. Students sell tickets to the Dinner Theatre, and parents donate the food. Parents and local businesses also donate items for the auction. There is also a dessert contest, with the desserts all being auctioned off. Students perform skits, during the auction, to the delight of the crowd gathered in the auditorium.

Students recently saw their picture in the paper for their performance in our TAKS kick-off rally. The fine arts teachers also made the paper for their portrayals of "The Incredibles" during that same rally. Our motto is: Let’s act up a little! We love involving as many people as we can in our shows and activities.

The students in theatre arts receive opportunities to gain a glimpse of careers in the theatre through field trips to Sterling High School, Lee High School, the Alley Theatre, The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, Theater Under the Stars (TUTS), and other venues in the Houston area. It is a department on the move and growing fast with over 175 students currently enrolled.