Keller High's One-Act Play, The Life and Death of Richard III, won the UIL Class 5A state competition in Austin on Saturday, May 8.
Keller bested the other seven 5A schools at the competition including Central High's performance of Glory Days which also advanced to state -- only the second time in the competition's 84-year history that two schools from the same school district both advanced to the State Finals in the same year.
KHS will hold a special encore performance of Richard III at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 12 at the Keller High Fine Arts Center. Tickets will be $5 at the door.
In addition to being state champions, Keller actors also collected five of the 19 individual awards including Bret Finholt earning Samuel French Award. Since 1930, the Samuel French Award has been given to the student deemed the Most Outstanding Performer of the entire competition. Finholt played the titular Richard, Duke of Gloucester, in Keller's production.
Additional individual awards for Keller included:
Bret Finholt, Best Actor
Nicole Degenaar, All-Star Cast
Katie Folger, Honorable Mention All-Star Cast
Aaron Latterell, Honorable Mention All-Star Cast
Central High's production of Bill Freeman's Glory Days earned several individual awards as well. Kat Cordes earned All-Star Cast distinction for her performance as Olive, and Carson Cockrell in the role of Billy earned Honorable Mention All-Star Cast recognition.
The Class 5A State One-Act Play Competition was held at the Bass Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin on May 8.
It was Keller's fourth appearance (1986, 1999, 2004) at the state competition and Central's second after it took second place in 2009. Fossil Ridge High School has also performed at state in 2006 and 2008 finishing third and second, respectively.
Congratulations to both Keller High and Central High's actors on a fantastic run during the UIL One-Act play season!
Cast List for Keller High's production of William Shakespeare's The Life and Death of Richard III:
Richard Gloucester - Bret Finholt
Buckingham - Aaron Latterell
Clarence - Kyle Booth
Dorset, 1st Citizen, Messenger, Brekenbury, Stanley - Duke Thomas
Hastings - Victor Holguin
Lady Anne - Savannah Booth
Rivers - Andy Polanco
Queen Elizabeth - Nicole Degenaar
Catesby, Ratcliff, Bishop, Page, Messenger, Grey - Nathan Burke
Queen Margaret - Katie Folger
Tyrell, 1st Murderer, 3rd Citizen, Messenger - Andrew Gallop
Derby, 2nd Citizen, Messenger, Sheriff, 2nd Murderer - Jared Meek
Prince Edward - McKenna Booth
Prince York - Emily Burke
Duchess of York - Hannah Garrison
Technical Crew: Alec Danz, Matt McCallum, Melissa McCallum, Corinne Morrison, Brooke Nelson
Understudies: Molly Franco, Garrett Morgan, Taylor Whitfield
Directors: Helen Lewis, P. Shawn McCrea, and Sara Zinck
Members of the Central High Company include:
Travis Threlkeld
Carson Cockrell
Ben Williams
Katelyn Johnson
Kyle Eudy
Jamie Gaines
Michaela Heidemann
Neal Jordan
Kat Cordes
Garret Gabriel
Ashley Kimbrough
Sarah De Vito
Josh Yarbrough
Kelsey Busboom
Dillon Hess
Morgan Burkey
Ellie Knutson
Tanner Lindberg
Jenni Sibley
Cooper Simon
Vivian Glazier
Joey Gregory
Carlie Threlkeld
Central High theatre teachers Kim Blann, Bobby Malone, and Ann Accas directed the production.