SOAP cleans up at state

Masons cook chili to benefit SHS Drama Department

What does it take to clean up at the UIL state meet?  A little SOAP . . . Salado One-Act Play.

  With four appearances at the state meet, two state championships, and innumerable individual awards, Salado High School’s theatre department continues to put trophies on the shelf.  

  Work begins on the fall comedy in September, work on the One Act Play is year round.

“The first step is finding the just-right script.” according to theater teacher and One Act Play director J.J. Jonas. Jonas and Kyra Mann direct the One Act Play each year.

  As soon as the fall comedy ends in late November, Jonas and Mann are ready to hold auditions for SOAP immediately after Thanksgiving. The Fall Comedy is The Sugar Bean Sisters and will be performed on Nov. 8 and 15 at the Salado High School Auditorium.

Additionally, the Salado Masonic Lodge is holding a fundraiser to benefit the Drama department at Salado High School. “Salado Masons hold the chili supper each year for a different group in the school system,” said Truitt Bradly, Master of Salado Lodge. “Masons have a long history of supporting education, particularly public schools here in Texas. Our chili supper is one way that we continue to show our support of what goes on in Texas, and more importantly, in Salado classrooms.”

  “We are proud to partner with the Drama department in Salado schools for this project,” he added.

The chili supper will be 5-7 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Salado Intermediate School. Tickets are $7 for adults, $3.50 for students ages 6-11 and free for childrenfive and under. Enjoy a great chili dinner before Salado Eagles take the field in the final game of their football season against the McGregor Bulldogers.

Although more than 130 students are enrolled in theatre classes at Salado High School, only a maximum of 24 can make the final UIL Salado One-Act Play (SOAP) team (15 actors, 5 technical crew, and 4 alternates) according to UIL rules.

  Last year, three SOAP graduates were given full 2-year scholarships based on their UIL OAP record and experience.  Others received partial scholarships for a combination of UIL academic and OAP participation. 

  SHS has appeared in the state finals of One Act Play competition four times, taking home championships in 2010 and 2012.