Alumni Spotlight: Shane Hill

Name:  Shane Hill

Graduation year:  2001

Degree earned:  Theatre/Communication

Current city:  Abilene

Current job:  Executive Director – Abilene Community Theatre

Coming Soon...

Alumni Spotlight: Brandon Ray

Name: Brandon Ray

Graduation year: 2000

Degree earned: B.A., Theatre (Music minor)

Current city: Normal, IL (Yes, that’s a real place)

Current area of study: 3^rd-Year MFA candidate in Directing at Illinois State University

Check this out!

A very good friend to our department, Mike Stephens, is directing a hilarious show coming up very soon. This plays also features a current McMurry theatre student, and promises to entertain! 


 January 19-21, 26-28, February 3 & 4


Here is a wild farce with twists of fate, sight gags, mistaken identities and hilarious comic lines. Two guys, Jon Trachtman and Leslie Arthur, are out of work musicians who room together in New York City. To save money, Jon has been filing tax returns listing the pair as a married. The day of reckoning comes when the Internal Revenue Service informs the "couple" they're going to be investigated by a Mr. Spinner. Leslie masquerades as a housewife, aided by Jon's fiancee, Kate. Complicating matters further Leslie and Kate are having an affair behind Jon's back, Jon's mother drops in unexpectedly to meet her son's fiancee, and Leslie's ex girlfriend shows up demanding to know why Leslie has changed and won't see her anymore. 

Meet our friend Mike.

While our students and faculty are a vital part of making the shows in our department happen, we also have to thank a friend of our department, one who has put in much time and effort, one who constantly supports us. That being said, we wanted everyone to get to know a little more about...

Name:  mike stephens

Job Title: Database Manager, and adjunct instructor in the School of Business

Student Spotlight: Miranda Priddy

Name: Miranda Priddy
Age: 19
Classification: Sophomore
Hometown: Stephenville, TX
Major/Minor? Theatre Arts Education/ English

website redesign

Check out our recently updated website!

Click here!

A Paramount Production

The Paramount Theatre, which has many ties to McMurry, has a show coming up worth checking out:


 Paramount Productions presents the return of  “A Texas Christmas Carol,” an original adaptation of the classic Dickens story by Paramount Artistic Director Barry Smoot.  This Texas-themed take on the traditional story is billed as “a Christmas tale of greed, ghosts, and really spicy chili.”   It features an ensemble cast of actors each playing multiple roles, assisted by an alt/folk/bluegrass band that adds traditional and original music to the tale.  This is certainly an uplifting and inspirational holiday theatrical event for the entire family.  


December 16-18, 7:30pm
Tickets are general admission at $15 for adults and $10 for students, seniors, military, and children. 
To order tickets by phone call our business office weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm at (325) 676-9620. 
To order tickets online, click here.

merry christmas!

pictures from our second annual theatre christmas party.

Alumni Spotlight: George Levesque

Name: George Levesque
Graduation year: 1996
Degree earned: Theatre/Political Science
Current city: Abilene
Current job: News Director for KTXS Television, the ABC affiliate. I also anchor the 5pm Newscast.

Alumni in the news!

One of our Alumni, Kaitlyn Walker, was recently featured on My Fox Houston in a story about the Candlelight Tour sponsored by The Heritage Society.

Follow this link to watch a video featuring Kaitlyn showing off her acting chops!

Student Spotlight: Jake Wade

Name:  Jake Wade

Age:  22

Classification:  Senior

Hometown:  Vernon, Texas

Major/Minor?  Theatre Major/Musical Theatre Minor

A Winning Tradition

Another McMurry student has won the Texas Educational Theatre Association's Playfest competition!

Kathryn Ballinger wrote her play Things We Can't Untie for this past spring's Playwriting class, and submitted it to TETA, with wonderful results.

Our theatre department will have the chance to stage this short production at TETA's annual Theatrefest gathering in January, in Houston, Texas

Things We Can't Untie will be presented again, with three other plays chosen by Charlie Hukill, from the Playwriting class, in April.

Be on the look out for more information regarding this play.

Read some of the press about her impressive win!

Alumni Spotlight: Sally Steele

Name: Sally Steele

Graduation year: 2011

Degree earned: B.A. in Theatre (Acting & Directing focus)/English

Current city: Fort Worth, TX

Current job: I’m currently a Production Assistant/Assistant Stage Manager and Assistant to the Technical Director at Stage West.

Young Audiences: Great Cross Country Race

First Student Spotlight! Ladies and Gents... Jack Piland!

Name: Jack Earl Piland

Age: 21

Classification: Junior

Hometown: Mesquite, TX

Major/Minor: Theatre: Design and Technology focus. Playwriting minor. (This doesn’t exist yet, but should next year.)

Pictures from U.S.A.

Alumni Spotlight: Kayla Weinkauf

Name: Kayla Weinkauf

Graduation year: 2007

Degree earned (major/minor): Bachelor of Science, Theatre Education

Current city: Abilene, TX

Current job: Haven House Manager at Connecting Caring Communities, Theatre Teacher at Abilene Performing Arts Company

Coming Soon...

Between-show update!

Things are quiet around these arts. We are all trying to catch up on school work that was neglected during the last show. The set for U.S.A. (by John Dos Passos and Paul Shyre, directed by Charlie Hukill) is coming along nicely, as are the costumes.

Another thing many members of the department are working on is our Out of the Trunk Theatre Company's production of The Great Cross Country Race, which they perform at local elementary schools. Look for pictures of this show soon!