Prestonwood Christian Academy has an award-winning and nationally-recognized theatre program that strives to provide Middle and Upper School students with a creative and multidisciplinary art form.
One of our objectives is to prepare serious theatre students for a future career in the theatre if that is their desire. Beyond that, by participating in theatre, students will gain preparation for whatever path they choose in life by creating good work habits, time management skills, poise and cooperative learning experiences. We believe that the arts are an epicenter of influence in our culture today and Christians need to be leading the way in creativity and excellence.
Theatre for PCA Middle School students starts in Seventh Grade. Both Seventh and Eighth Grade students may participate in Theatre I in the Fall semester. Theatre II is by audition only and available to Eighth Grade students. These students prepare a One-Act Play and compete in the PSIA District Competition during their Spring semester. See the Competition and Awards tab to view the latest results.
Students may join the Jr. ITS group starting in Seventh Grade and at the discretion of the MS Theatre Director, they compete in the ITS State Festival in November.
Theatre Arts I is an introductory course for high school students. It covers the basic foundations of theatre: improvisation, comedy, tragedy, theatre history, musical theatre, classical theatre, monologues and scene work as well as writing and directing.
Theatre Arts II students build upon the basic writing and performing skills developed in Theatre I. In addition, students learn about theatre production. The class performs and produces a children’s theatre production.
Honors Theatre Arts III and Theatre Arts III are designed for the advanced student. Each student develops his/her directing skills through directing labs. Students work with others by directing and acting in scenes. Each student directs a short one-act play at the end of the semester to be premiered at the annual PCA One-Act Festival. Honors students will have additional assignments to complete their honors credit requirements.
Honors Theatre Arts IV students focus the course around the student’s area of interest. This can include but is not limited to: performance, directing, research and theatre design. Additional assignments will be included to fulfill the honors requirements.
Theatre Practicum is designed for the student looking for practical application in the theatre arts. The student is required to work in some capacity on a PCA Theatre production.
PCA’s Technical Theatre classes offer an overview of the technical theatre world by exploring the duties of stage technicians as well as building and designing sets for PCA’s fall plays and spring musicals. Units of study include theatre equipment and operations, scenery and stagecraft, scale drawing and floor plans, painting and construction techniques, the use of special effects, theatre safety, production schedules and timelines, and the function of technical stage personnel in production work.
Pamela Hurtis the Upper School theatre teacher and director and has taught theatre at Prestonwood Christian Academy since 1998. Her classes include Theatre Arts I (Theatre Appreciation), Theatre Arts II (Children’s Theatre), Theatre Arts III and Honors Theatre Arts III (Directing), Theatre Practicum (Applied Theatre Training), Theatre Arts IV and Honors Theatre Arts IV (Advanced Theatre Study).
She has directed many productions in her teaching career, including Annie; Robin Hood; Seussical; Don’t Drink the Water; Crazy for You; The 39 Steps; The Drowsy Chaperone; The Man Who Came to Dinner; Into the Woods; Romeo + Juliet; 42nd Street; Pride and Prejudice; Little Women: the Musical (chosen by USA Today Weekend as the best high school musical in the state of Texas in 2008); The Miracle Worker; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Godspell; Bye Bye Birdie; Lily, the Felon’s Daughter; The Music Man; Fiddler on the Roof; Frankenstein; The Taming of the Shrew; The Importance of Being Earnest and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Pam also enjoys writing and composed an old west adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew in 2003 and a modern adaptation of Romeo + Juliet in 2009. She taught beginning and professional teen actors in camera acting at KD College Conservatory of Film and Dramatic Arts in Dallas for fifteen years. In September 2010, she appeared in Imaginary Ink’s production of Leaving Iowa at The Courtyard Theatre in Plano, TX.
Pam is the director of PCA’s troupe 6605 of the International Thespian Society. In International Thespian Society competition, she has had over 150 students advance from state to nationals in the past eight years at the International Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska. Her students have been named National Individual Event Showcase Champions seven times, including Group Musical (2006), Monologue (2008), Group Musical (2009), Monologue (2009), Group Musical (2010), Group Musical (2011) and Group Musical (2014). At the Texas Thespian State Festival, she has had two state champions in Group Musical (2009 and 2010). Furthermore, two of her theatre students were selected to be a part of the National Cast and Crew of Thoroughly Modern Millie (2007) and Hairspray (2008).
Ms. Hurt holds an undergraduate degree in Theatre from Liberty University and a M.A. in Communications from Regent University with an emphasis in theatre and camera acting.
Amy Meece, Educator, Director, and experienced Theatre Coach, is a graduate of Baylor University with a Communications Degree and English/Teaching minor. She has a deep love and passion for theatre, cultivated by her mother, a high school theatre teacher, and passed down to her daughters, both theatre majors at Baylor University. She has attended Regional and National Workshops with the International Thespian Society for 8 years. She has been an ASCI Speech Meet coach and adjudicator for the past 12 years, with 100% of her students medaling in competition. She joined the Prestonwood Staff family in 2013, teaching Pre-K 5, then took over the head of Extended Day, transforming the program into what it is today. She then joined the Prestonwood Church staff as the Children’s Creative Arts Director, before returning to the school to teach Kindergarten for the past 2 years.
Her daughters, Lauren Meece (PCA ‘20) and Audrey Meece (PCA ‘22), were active participants in the PCA Theatre Department. Amy began working on the Costuming crew for PCA Theatre shows in 2012, before taking over the Head of Hair and Makeup position in 2016.
Amy has directed Children’s Summer Musicals for the past 10 years through Prestonwood Summers, including The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Willy Wonka, and The Aristocats.
Amy has also enjoyed leading a Youth Girls Table Group at Prestonwood Baptist Church for the past 7 years. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, gardening, reading, snow skiing, country dancing, and attending Broadway touring shows at Dallas Summer Musicals.
Graham Carpenter has a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance
from Baylor University. He is beginning his teaching career, but he has been
involved in the arts for over a decade. Mr. Carpenter has worked on a number of productions during his time at Baylor, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Tempest, Sweeny Todd: The Demon
Barber of Fleet Street, The Thanksgiving Play, Describe the Night, and Othello.
Graham is a Texas native and a PCA Alumnus and lifer. He participated in a
number of PCA Theatre productions, including Hello Dolly, Godspell, It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, and Little Women. He was also a member of PCA’s ITS Troupe and competed and attended State and Nationals three years in a row.
Mr. Carpenter is excited to be teaching technical theatre to a new generation of students in an environment where God is first. He is also excited to teach students skills that will help them all throughout their lives in woodworking and constructing.
Fall Play and Spring Musical PCA has a long, proud tradition of excellence in theatrical productions. Plays and musicals are well attended and highly regarded in the PCA community. Students have the opportunity to audition for a play in the fall semester and a musical in the spring semester. PCA Theatre productions take place at the Eisemann Center in Richardson or the MCL Grand Theatre in Lewisville.
International Thespian Society Upper School students have the opportunity to join the theatre honor society as part of the International Thespian Society. Students can earn eligibility for ITS (Troupe 6605) through participation in the PCA extra-curricular theatre program. Students have to work on two PCA productions in performance or tech crew to earn eligibility. A student who is a member of Junior ITS will need to work on at least one production their Eighth Grade year if they want to be inducted into ITS for their freshman year.
ITS provides theatre students with opportunities such as competing at the Texas Thespian State Festival, the International Thespian Festival, attending theatre workshops and performances, auditioning for college theatre programs around the country, and several social gatherings and community service events throughout the year.
Prestonwood Christian Academy students who participate in the International Thespian Society have received college scholarships and recruitment from many colleges, universities, conservatories and art schools across the country such as Southern Methodist University, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Ouachita Baptist University, Savannah College of Art and Design, Boston Conservatory, Baylor University, Hofstra University, Liberty University, Texas Christian University, Oklahoma City University, University of North Texas, and Belmont University.
Middle School students can participate in Junior ITS (Troupe 88975) their seventh and eighth grade years by fulfilling the requirements for induction.
ITS Honors Graduate:
The International Thespian Society (ITS) is the Educational Theatre Association’s national student honor organization. The mission of ITS is to recognize student achievement and excellence in the theatre arts.
To qualify for the ITS Honor cords, the graduate must:
- Be an active member of PCA’s ITS troupe 6605 - Attend the state and/or national convention each year past induction - Participate in two PCA theatre productions, on stage or behind the scenes, prior to induction - Participate in at least one PCA theatre production, on stage or behind the scenes, each year after induction - Graduate at an Honor level (60-119 points), National Honor level (120-179 points) or International Honor level (180+ points). 1 point equals 10 hours of work in theatre. - Attend at least 75% of all required meetings, community outreach and events - Graduate “Cum Laude” (3.0-3.49) or higher and students with a 3.5 GPA will become national Vice President's List Scholars and students with a 4.0 GPA are awarded the national President's List Scholar distinction.
Theatre asks the questions, shows the possibilites and provides hope with redemptive storytelling. At PCA, theatre students are encouraged to look deeper into the heart of the story they are telling.
