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Fun Facts:
Fun Facts:
- Theatre is a project based class where you are most often up on your feet creating something and collaborating with other students.
- We do everything in theatre from writing and performing scenes to designing costumes to watching Broadway musicals!
- McLean Theatre's UIL One Act Play (OAP) is known for advancing to the final round! McLean has even won FIRST PLACE in the entire DISTRICT, as well as winning Best Crew and Best Performer awards.
- McLean Theatre does three after-school productions a year: fall play, One Act Play, and spring musical. Anyone and everyone is allowed to audition!
- We do a field trip during the school day to Paschal High School to see one of their main stage shows.
- We offer a Paschal Pyramid 4 day summer field trip to New York City! Our next trip is summer 2027!
Theatre Class Options:
Theatre Class Options:
Theatre 1 - 7th & 8th graders taking theatre for the first time; learn all of the basics such as stage lighting, shadow puppets, musical theatre history, stage makeup, costume design, and more!
Theatre 1 - 7th & 8th graders taking theatre for the first time; learn all of the basics such as stage lighting, shadow puppets, musical theatre history, stage makeup, costume design, and more!
Theatre 2 - 7th & 8th graders taking theatre for the second year; dig deeper into characterization, stage makeup, set building, sewing, sock puppetry, DesignFest, and more!
Theatre 2 - 7th & 8th graders taking theatre for the second year; dig deeper into characterization, stage makeup, set building, sewing, sock puppetry, DesignFest, and more!
Theatre 3 - Only 8th graders who are taking theatre for the 3rd year; learn the highest level of theatre skills and knowledge, rehearsing/performing an in-class play, creating a technical theatre portfolio, and preparing to audition for Paschal High School's theatre program.
Theatre 3 - Only 8th graders who are taking theatre for the 3rd year; learn the highest level of theatre skills and knowledge, rehearsing/performing an in-class play, creating a technical theatre portfolio, and preparing to audition for Paschal High School's theatre program.
Here are some awesome examples of projects that we have done in class: Project Runway costumes, wig design builds, shadow puppets, and sewing!
Here are some awesome examples of projects that we have done in class: Project Runway costumes, wig design builds, shadow puppets, and sewing!
About the Teachers:
About the Teachers:
Head Theatre Director-
Rachael Blizzard is a theatre teacher at McLean Middle School. Blizzard attended college at McLennan Community College to study theatre and then attended the University of Texas at Arlington where she earned a bachelor's degree of fine arts in theatre. She also earned a master's degree in education with an emphasis in ESL.
Blizzard's certifications include: EC-6 Generalist, EC-12 English as a Second Language, and the EC-12 Theatre. This is her eleventh year in teaching and her third year at McLean Middle School.
"Teaching theatre is so second nature; it comes naturally," Blizzard said.
Blizzard loves working with students, and her main goal is to encourage the art within each student. What she loves most is getting to laugh with students.
"I am inspired when I see the smiles on children's faces as they perform for the first time," Blizzard said.
In her spare time, Blizzard likes to play with her four cats, sing to her 2-year-old son, James, and go out on adventures with her husband, Alex. She also likes to act in musicals. She's performed as: Morticia Addams in "The Addams Family," Fiona in "Shrek," and Ursula in "The Little Mermaid."
Blizzard loves the color turquoise, and she loves Twizzlers. Instead of reading books, she is reading plays. She hates sports, so don't get her a soccer ball. Finding a restaurant in Dallas/Fort Worth is not a problem, because she loves to dine at every single restaurant.
by Olivia Martinez, Iris McCain and Valentina Ramirez
Assistant Theatre Director-
Cristie Geist is a professional actor, singer and voice over actor. She has professional credits in film, commercial, voiceover and theatre. She earned her Master’s Degree, Master of Music in Musical Theatre Performance, from the Boston Conservatory of Music at Berklee. Additonally, Ms. Geist is also working towards her Master’s in Education with a specialization in Special Education.
Ms. Geist's undergraduate degrees are in Theatre and English. With over 20 years of public and private coaching and teaching experience she is thrilled to be joining Head Theatre teacher, Rachel Blizzard, as a second Theatre Arts teacher at McLean Middle School and McLean 6th Grade Center.
If you have any questions about our theatre classes or the theatre program, please feel free to email one of us!
If you have any questions about our theatre classes or the theatre program, please feel free to email one of us!
Techies (Backstage Crew)
Mclean theatre has after-school backstage positions for those who do not want to perform but want to learn more technical theatre career opportunities; stage manager, assistant director, lighting operator, spotlight operator, sound operator, microphone operator, and house crew.
Alumni
McLean Middle School alumni came from Paschal High School to support the cast in "Elf Jr." (2023). McLean and Paschal theatre departments pride themselves in their cross-departmental collaboration to bring unity and support to the students for their love of the arts.
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