IN ADDITION TO TRADITIONAL THEATRE CLASSES, PLANO EAST SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL OFFERS THREE DISTINCT ADVANCED THEATER-RELATED PROGRAMS: A TECHNICAL THEATRE PROGRAM, AN ACTING PROGRAM, CONSISTING OF THEATER MAJOR STUDIES (TMS), HONORS THEATRE PRODUCTION (THP), DRAMA INTENSIVE (DI), AND AN INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE THEATRE PROGRAM. AS A SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM COMPRISING MOSTLY ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH GRADERS (THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM BRINGS IN SOME FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES), PESH THEATRE DRAWS MOST OF ITS STUDENTS FROM THE RISING STARS PROGRAMS AT MCMILLEN AND WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOLS. THE DRAMA CLUB AT PESH WORKS IN TANDEM WITH THE DRAMA CLUBS AT MCMILLEN AND WILLIAMS, AS STUDENTS FROM ALL THREE SCHOOLS ATTEND FUNCTIONS TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE THE YEAR'S ACHIEVEMENTS AT THE ANNUAL THEATRE BANQUET. PESH THEATRE EMPHASIZES PRODUCTION, A WELL-ROUNDED APPROACH TO A VARIETY OF THEATRICAL STYLES AND TECHNIQUES, AND PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE STUDIES IN BOTH THE TECHNICAL THEATRE AND ACTING AREAS. ACTING STUDENTS WORK WITH GUEST ARTISTS, PREPARE MONOLOGUES FOR UNIVERSITY AND PROFESSIONAL AUDITIONS, AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AS SENIORS TO DIRECT ONE ACT PLAYS. TECHNICAL THEATRE STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE A SUBMISSION TO THE ANNUAL STATE UIL DESIGN COMPETITION AND TO DEVELOP A PORTFOLIO OF THEIR WORK THAT CAN BE USED TO APPLY TO COLLEGE.

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THE THEATER DEPARTMENT PRESENTS AT LEAST SEVEN MAJOR PRODUCTIONS EACH SCHOOL YEAR: A THEATER MAJOR STUDIES SHOW (LIMITED TO STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM), A THEATRE HONORS PRODUCTION AND INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE SHOW (ALSO LIMITED TO STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM), A DRAMA INTENSIVE SHOW (LIMITED TO STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM), A MUSICAL, THE SENIOR-DIRECTED ONE ACT PLAYS,  TWO  OPEN-AUDITION ONE-ACT PLAYS THAT REPRESENT PESH IN THE ANNUAL UIL AND PISD ONE ACT CONTESTS, AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL ONE-ACT PLAY THAT IS PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL TEXAS THESPIANS CONVENTION.