The UIL One-Act Play, adopted by the state of Texas in 1927, has been altered to fit three plays for the students at CHS9. The One-Act Play at CHS9 held an air of celebration, as a culmination of all the efforts of the CHS9 theater and advanced tech production students over the 2023-2024 school year. It was also co-established by technical theater director Colin Thomas at CHS9 for the purpose of enabling students to have the ability to compete in higher levels of theater.

“The OAP process is very important for both our students and community to learn the competitiveness of this process with the focus of learning and growing as actors and technicians,” Thomas said. “After this process they should be familiar with the OAP process and should be confident enough to participate in OAP at the high school level.”

The plays cultivate a partnership between the upperclassmen theater students at Coppell High School, while preparing the theater students at CHS9 for the increased complexity of the theater program for their sophomore year. 

“These plays represent a collaboration between the CHS9 and CHS theater programs,” theater director Eugenia Montoya said. “Two of the plays (“The Audition” and “Wiley and the Hairy Man”) are directed by upperclassmen theater students. These plays also included student technical directors, also upperclassmen, working with Mr. Thomas and his Advanced Tech Production class to design all technical aspects of the shows.”

The One-Act Play opened on May 10 with “Badger,” opening the stage curtains with a blast of feminism. The auditorium is taken back to 1944 as a group of young women battle the challenges of entering a male dominated workforce. 

In the second play, the solemn atmosphere is lifted as a lighthearted play depicting the daily affairs of high school students combined with the chaos of the auditioning process. From silly romances to the coercion of parents, “The Audition” takes a humorous spin on teenage life. 

As Montoya said, “My hope is that the cast and audience can see themselves in these stories. Theatre, after all, is a reflection of life.” 

CHS9’s rendition of an OAP closed off with “Wiley and the Hairy Man,” a comedic, imaginative tale. The audience was represented in the form of a young boy learning to conquer his fears. 

The One-Act Play concluded this school year’s theater productions. 

“After ‘Still Life with Iris,’ I wanted one final performance to close out the year. Seventy-five students are involved in this project, and we are looking forward to the final outcome,” Montoya said.