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1946 Students & Staff Audience
1946 Flare Drama Page
1946 GROOM SAID NO Photo
1946 GROOM SAID NO Cast
1949 TRAGIC TRAGEDY
MedeaNurseTutor
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MVC-019S
DSC00702
Vanya%206
DSC01452
DSCF0528
Grease02
Oedipus
2005_1010Servant0063
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OKLAHOMA 2001 2
Ring+Round+the+Moon4
Dracula
DSC00858
DSCF1327
Space+Pandas0
DSCN0063+(Medium)
MVC-025S
Oklahoma+2001+Laurey+and+Dancers
Vanya13
EARNEST 2004
Dracula+2
LIW+Pre-Prod+Photos+043
DSCF0249
Midsummer+OAP+2012+017
THE NERD 2002 7
Bette+and+Boo19
OKLAHOMA 2001 3
DSCN0224+(Small)
Red+Red+Shoes1
Oklahoma+2001+Laurey+and+Curley
Imaginary+Invalid+3
0B1DB784-00870B2F6
Vanya20
OKLAHOMA 2001
Servant
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Space+Pandas47
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CHARLIE BROWN
RING ROUND THE MOON 2000 3
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Little+Shop+3
Ring+Round+the+Moon77
Little+Shop+6
Dracula+3
WWP+Production+Shots+151+(Medium)
CHARLIE BROWN 2000 4
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Oedipus+3
DSC01386
Little+Shop
Servant+2
Imaginary+Invalid
MedeaChorus
Vanya%203
GLASS MENAGERIE 2001 2
LSOH+1
Chamber+Music+2
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Bette+and+Boo58
Playboy
Little+Shop+2
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THE NERD 2001 2
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Conroe Pub 1 (Large)
IMG_1399_preview
IMG_1451_preview
Zombie Prom
Waltz of the Toreadors
You Can't Take it With You
Voice of the Prairie
The Lion in Winter
The Trysting Place
Servant of Two Masters
The Shaughraun
The Comedy of Errors
The Learned Ladies
Reckless
Playboy of the Western World
Once Upon a Mattress
Metamorphosis
Medea
House of Blue Leaves
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the
Macbeth
Little Shop of Horrors
Last Night of Ballyhoo
Crimes of the Heart
Awake
Bus Stop
1953 ARSENIC Crew
1953 Flare Drama Page
1953 ARSENIC Photo
THE FANTASTICKS b 1975
MY FAIR LADY 1979
See How They Run 1976
Becky Bell in Rehearsal 1977
Rehearsing in the Drama Room 1979
Jimmy Dorrell & Bell 1972
Harrington and Bell 1971
Ivy Lipscomb Sponsor 1975
Harrington Rehearsal Photo 1970
Drama Club Officers 1970
Directors 1970
DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY 1979
BLITHE SPIRIT 1978
BLITHE SPIRIT 2 1978
DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY  2 1979
Carole Putman 1978
Bell and Walker 1973
1970 MakeUp Shot
1970 Rehearsal photo
Backstage light board 1979
Backstage Light Board 2 1979
1970 A COMPANY OF WAYWARD SAINTS OAP
Becky Bell & John Harrington Directors 1
STARS IN THEIR EYES 1961
LIL ABNER Rehearsal 1968
LIL ABNER 1968
ESCURIAL 1968
ESCURIAL 1968 2
CHS New 2 1963
Lucky Watkins Director 3
Drama Club Officers 1960
Lucky Watkins Director 1965
Lucky Watkins Director 2 1965
Drama Room 1965
Drama Club Pantomime Chipmunks 1960
1965 Audience Shot
1965 AMAHL & THE NIGHT VISITORS
1965 MakeUp Prep
1965 AMAHL & THE NIGHT VISITORS 2
Drama Club Officers 1965
Babbitt's Office 1966
LOOK HOMEWARD ANGEL 1966
Choir on our stairs 1969
BUS STOP Rehearsal 1969
BUS STOP Rehearsal 2 1969
BUS STOP UIL OAP 1969
BOB 1969
Dias 93
BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS
BOYS NEXT DOOR
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE
BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS 2
CRUCIBLE 1998 2
CRUCIBLE 1998
HAMLET 1997
HAMLET 1997 2
YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU 1981
YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU 2 1981
UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE 1983
UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE 2 1983
THE DIVINERS 1987
THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER 1984
THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER 2 1984
THE DIVINERS 2 1987
Peter Dias 1987
BLITHE SPIRIT 2 1985
The Cast of THE DIVINERS Drama Room 1987
BLITHE SPIRIT 1985
BLITHE SPIRIT 3 1985
Drama Students 1982
Perdue 2000
Unknown CHS Play 1938
SOMETHING OLD SOMETHING NEW 1922
The Conroe School 1922 Review
The Conroe School Bldg 1922
The Conroe School Auditorium 1922
Monetta Clements Sponsor 1938
HERE COMES CHARLIE 1939
David Crockett HS NKA Travis INT

Click on the photos for more details!

1920s-1930s

A formal "Drama Club" at Conroe High School was first mentioned in The Bluebell (the CHS yearbook, later renamed The Flare) in the mid-1920's. For the most part, any productions entailed a "senior play" or a "junior play." In 1922, The Conroe School presented a revue called Something Old, Something New. David Crockett High School was built in the late 1920's and was located in the building of the current Travis Intermediate School. The 1939 Flare has a photo of a play called Here Comes Charlie.

1940s-1950s

1940's:

 

The 1946 Flare has photos from a production called The Groom Said No!  A "speech and debate" sponsor is not listed in that yearbook, but at that time, most plays were directed by speech, debate, or English teachers. Theatre had not yet become a standard curriculum offering and it was generally extra-curricular. The 1949 Flare has  photos from three one-act plays...Mushrooms Coming Up, One Wintry Night, and Tragic Tragedy. The director is listed as Mrs. Roy Keyes.

​

1950's:

​

Although the most exciting CHS entertainment news of the 1950's was Elvis performing (and getting injured) on the football field in 1955,  there was a thriving drama program at the school. Under the direction of Lloyd Bond, the school produced the recent (at the time) Broadway hit, Arsenic and Old Lace in 1953. 

1960s-1970s

1960's:

The 1960's were a time of great change in the United States and Conroe was no exception. In 1963, a brand new high school opened (the current building) and the students of Booker T. Washington HS merged with CHS in 1968. Washington then became Washington Junior High. Jimmy Dorrell was listed as the sponsor in 1960, and he would appear in yearbooks in the 70's as a sponsor as well. During most of the 60's, Lucky Watkins headed the Drama program and they produced plays such as Amahl and the Night Visitors, Look Homeward, Angel and Bus Stop.

​

1970's:

The dramatic changes continued into the 70's. Lake Conroe was flooded in 1973 as Conroe's population was booming. In 1976, the southern portion of the attendance zone split from CHS and began attending the new McCullough High School in The Woodlands, which was now a second high schoool for Conroe ISD. At CHS, Becky Bell (who would teach and direct until 1985) and John Harrington were sponsors of the Drama program in 1970. That year, they produced A Company of Wayward Saints for the U.I.L One-Act Play contest. Along with Becky Bell and John Harrington, other sponsors during the 70's included Jimmy Dorrell, Ivy Lipscomb, Jean Roberts, Carole Putman, and Sharon Walker. Other productions included Blithe Spirit and Death Takes a Holiday.

1980s-1990s

1980's & 1990's:

Becky Bell continued to teach and direct at CHS until the mid-80's. In the fall of 1985, Peter Dias joined the faculty of Conroe High and began a prolific and successful 14-year stint as the Director of the Theatre program. Under his direction, CHS advanced to District OAP many times as well as advancing to the Area Contest in 1991 and 1995. In the 80's and 90's, other sponsors/directors included Carole Putman, Dan Perdue and Jack McEwen.

2000s

2000's:

Dave Feranchak joined the faculty in the fall of 2000, and Becca Babbitt arrived in 2002. They remain at CHS today, teaching and directing theatre. (Click the "About CHS Theatre" menu above for more information on the current directors.) When Choir was relocated to a new room in 2002, the "theatre area" grew. The old Choir room was renovated and became CHS's second performance space, The Black Box Theatre. The Black Box productions became an integral part of the students' training at CHS. In 2009, the CHS Auditorium underwent its first major renovation since it was built in the early 60's. New lighting and sound equipment were installed, as well as motorized electric battens, a new stage floor, and new auditorium seating. The 2000's have been a very successful time for CHS Theatre. U.I.L. OAP awards have included Best Actress (for The Glass Menagerie-2001, The Importance of Being Earnest-2004, and The Lion in Winter-2013), Best Crew (for Ring Round the Moon-2007), Advancing to District (The Importance of Being Earnest-2004, Medea-2011, The Lion in Winter-2013). In 2014, CHS Theatre advnaced further than ever in the school's history, advancing to Region and winning Alternate to State with The Servant of Two Master. Other teachers who have assisted in directing U.I.L. OAP's since 2000 include Mary Mathis-Sadler, Bonnie Harwood, and Amanda Carlton (nee Broomas). In 2009, Conroe HS Theatre was selected to perform at The American High School Theatre Festival as part of The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. CHS Theatre students created an orginal, devised piece, Native American Tales, to perform in Scotland.

 

Since 2000, many musicals have been presented in conjunction with other CHS Fine Arts programs with rich histories of their own: Choir, Dance, Band & Orchestra. Music Directors have included Mary Mathis-Sadler, Jeffrey Delman, Paula Kile, Clay West, and Celeste Matthews. Choreographers: Bonnie Harwood, Fayla Chambers Curry, Amanda Bond, and Katie Ogorchock. Band/Orchestra: Bobby Heathcock, Dawn Martinez, Joseph Delosreyes, and Frank Chambers. In 2011, the musical Once Upon a Mattress earned a Tommy Tune Award nomination for Best Orchestra, and junior Cheyenne James received a Best Lead Actress nomination.

​

In 2022, Sydney Boyenga and Amanda Gutierrez joined the CHS Theatre Department as brand  new Directors.

 

The department has also taken many educational theatre trips to New York, London, Paris, Rome,  and Florence as well as The Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon.

thumbnail_IMG-6232.jpg

The History of
CHS Theatre

1920s-1930s

2022

A formal "Drama Club" at Conroe High School was first mentioned in The Bluebell (the CHS yearbook, later renamed The Flare) in the mid-1920's. For the most part, any productions entailed a "senior play" or a "junior play." In 1922, The Conroe School presented a revue called Something Old, Something New. David Crockett High School was built in the late 1920's and was located in the building of the current Travis Intermediate School. The 1939 Flare has a photo of a play called Here Comes Charlie.

1940s-1950s

2022

1940's:

 

The 1946 Flare has photos from a production called The Groom Said No!  A "speech and debate" sponsor is not listed in that yearbook, but at that time, most plays were directed by speech, debate, or English teachers. Theatre had not yet become a standard curriculum offering and it was generally extra-curricular. The 1949 Flare has  photos from three one-act plays...Mushrooms Coming Up, One Wintry Night, and Tragic Tragedy. The director is listed as Mrs. Roy Keyes.

​

1950's:

​

Although the most exciting CHS entertainment news of the 1950's was Elvis performing (and getting injured) on the football field in 1955,  there was a thriving drama program at the school. Under the direction of Lloyd Bond, the school produced the recent (at the time) Broadway hit, Arsenic and Old Lace in 1953. 

1960s-1970s

2022

1960's:

The 1960's were a time of great change in the United States and Conroe was no exception. In 1963, a brand new high school opened (the current building) and the students of Booker T. Washington HS merged with CHS in 1968. Washington then became Washington Junior High. Jimmy Dorrell was listed as the sponsor in 1960, and he would appear in yearbooks in the 70's as a sponsor as well. During most of the 60's, Lucky Watkins headed the Drama program and they produced plays such as Amahl and the Night Visitors, Look Homeward, Angel and Bus Stop.

​

1970's:

The dramatic changes continued into the 70's. Lake Conroe was flooded in 1973 as Conroe's population was booming. In 1976, the southern portion of the attendance zone split from CHS and began attending the new McCullough High School in The Woodlands, which was now a second high schoool for Conroe ISD. At CHS, Becky Bell (who would teach and direct until 1985) and John Harrington were sponsors of the Drama program in 1970. That year, they produced A Company of Wayward Saints for the U.I.L One-Act Play contest. Along with Becky Bell and John Harrington, other sponsors during the 70's included Jimmy Dorrell, Ivy Lipscomb, Jean Roberts, Carole Putman, and Sharon Walker. Other productions included Blithe Spirit and Death Takes a Holiday.

1980s-1990s

2022

1980's & 1990's:

Becky Bell continued to teach and direct at CHS until the mid-80's. In the fall of 1985, Peter Dias joined the faculty of Conroe High and began a prolific and successful 14-year stint as the Director of the Theatre program. Under his direction, CHS advanced to District OAP many times as well as advancing to the Area Contest in 1991 and 1995. In the 80's and 90's, other sponsors/directors included Carole Putman, Dan Perdue and Jack McEwen.

2000s

2022

2000's:

Dave Feranchak joined the faculty in the fall of 2000, and Becca Babbitt arrived in 2002. They remain at CHS today, teaching and directing theatre. (Click the "About CHS Theatre" menu above for more information on the current directors.) When Choir was relocated to a new room in 2002, the "theatre area" grew. The old Choir room was renovated and became CHS's second performance space, The Black Box Theatre. The Black Box productions became an integral part of the students' training at CHS. In 2009, the CHS Auditorium underwent its first major renovation since it was built in the early 60's. New lighting and sound equipment were installed, as well as motorized electric battens, a new stage floor, and new auditorium seating. The 2000's have been a very successful time for CHS Theatre. U.I.L. OAP awards have included Best Actress (for The Glass Menagerie-2001, The Importance of Being Earnest-2004, and The Lion in Winter-2013), Best Crew (for Ring Round the Moon-2007), Advancing to District (The Importance of Being Earnest-2004, Medea-2011, The Lion in Winter-2013). In 2014, CHS Theatre advnaced further than ever in the school's history, advancing to Region and winning Alternate to State with The Servant of Two Master. Other teachers who have assisted in directing U.I.L. OAP's since 2000 include Mary Mathis-Sadler, Bonnie Harwood, and Amanda Carlton (nee Broomas). In 2009, Conroe HS Theatre was selected to perform at The American High School Theatre Festival as part of The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. CHS Theatre students created an orginal, devised piece, Native American Tales, to perform in Scotland.

 

Since 2000, many musicals have been presented in conjunction with other CHS Fine Arts programs with rich histories of their own: Choir, Dance, Band & Orchestra. Music Directors have included Mary Mathis-Sadler, Jeffrey Delman, Paula Kile, Clay West, and Celeste Matthews. Choreographers: Bonnie Harwood, Fayla Chambers Curry, Amanda Bond, and Katie Ogorchock. Band/Orchestra: Bobby Heathcock, Dawn Martinez, Joseph Delosreyes, and Frank Chambers. In 2011, the musical Once Upon a Mattress earned a Tommy Tune Award nomination for Best Orchestra, and junior Cheyenne James received a Best Lead Actress nomination.

​

In 2022, Sydney Boyenga and Amanda Gutierrez joined the CHS Theatre Department as brand  new Directors.

 

The department has also taken many educational theatre trips to New York, London, Paris, Rome,  and Florence as well as The Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada and The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon.

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