Dublin High School has picked Stacy Smith to head the One Act Play program and head theatre director as former director/ partner Pam Kasinger moves to head the Brownwood theatre program. Smith has been with the district for six years and this is his fourth with the program.
In those four years, he and Kasinger led the DHS OAP team to Regionals two years in a row and saw their performers earn a collective 42 acting awards. Dublin High School and Jr. High were also recognized as outstanding and exemplary campuses respectively by the Texas Educational Theatre Association at the end of the 2023-24 school year.
“I will miss having her around,” Smith said of Kasinger. “She was the yin to my yang. She loved the technical aspects. I love the coaching and the acting.”
Smith is happy for Kasinger in her new placement though and has plans for the program for the new year, which are aided by the district’s support.
In addition to four classes of junior English, Smith will have class periods for theatre arts, technical theatre and One Act Play Rehearsal. The rehearsal will be held in 8th period which will help in his cast and tech students leaving a little earlier than if rehearsals started after school.
The schedule will allow the cast and crew extra time to prepare for the season in the spring.
“We should be off-book by our first rehearsal on stage,” Smith said.
The extra time will be welcome as Smith has selected a version of “The Beggar’s Opera” developed for OAP competition. Smith characterizes the work as a dark comedy with lots of places for the ensemble cast to work in stage business.
Smith will be assisted as he takes the reins by George Ann Landreth, who will lead the Jr. High program.
“I have some great ‘tech‘y people,” Smith said of the crew side. “It’s going to be very student-led. By the time we to get first competition, I want a stage manager running everything.” Smith said he wasn’t initially surprised when administration asked him to lead the program, but the shock set in afterwards.
“Then I was asking, ‘What have I done?’ and then there was a lot of excitement,” he said.
Smith is excited the position is allowing him to use some of his formal education as holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Tarleton and a Master’s of Performing Arts with emphasis on acting and direction from Oklahoma City University. Smith said OCU is known for its theatre program, drawing renowned students like Broadway “Wicked”/ “Glee” actress Kristin Chenoweth (who was studying at the same time as him). Smith said he has plan for the theatre program outside OAP including a Christmas show with vignettes.