The Houston Shakespeare Festival Conservatory has each year introduced and delighted many with the works of a playwright familiar and favorite to all and in Friendswood ISD, it is also those who participate who are also important. The Conservatory ran July 24-August 7 and offered pre-professional state training to Texas high school students.
            FHS theater teacher/director Kathy Powdrell directed this summer’s productions at the festival and through the conservatory provided instruction in language, acting, stage movement, stage combat and the understanding of plot, scenes and character development.
            To her delight, she worked with some of the teen actors from Friendswood High School. She was assisted by the UH theater faculty and HSF’s professional cast and crew. Television actor Seth Gilliam from The Wire played the title role in HSF’s Othello. The other summer production was The Taming of the Shrew.
            FHS students who participated include Mason Patterson, Elizabeth Del Torro, Kenny Boggs, Michael Burke, Tommy Stuart, Brady Wells, Max Bowen, Lindsey Bonnen, Daniel Miniot, Conner Tones, and Tatum Gavin.
            “We approached these students as young pre-professionals, who are going to either seek theater degrees or will eventually become seasoned performers, ” said Powdrell, an alumna of UH’s School of Theatre & Dance as well as theater teacher at Friendswood High School. “They received a firsthand look at a resident Shakespeare company during rehearsals and also learned from these actors, designers and dramaturges.”
            Conservatory students also developed short scenes they performed on the Miller Outdoor Theater lawn prior to each HSF performance.
            “It was almost too good to be true working side by side in an equity house under equity rules with professionals, “ Powdrell said. “It was a wonderful opportunity.”