Department History
A Historical Perspective
Since the opening of James Martin High School in the fall of 1982, the Martin Theatre department has proven to be a strong part of the overall success of the school's 32 year history. Consistently keeping up with Martin's growing and expanding population of almost 3500 students, the theatre program is one of the largest in the State of Texas. We house two full time theatre directors/instructors who teach approximately 300 theatre students in various levels of theatre instruction.
In Martin's first year of existence, only three classes of theatre were offered to a student population consisting mostly of sophomore level students. We only performed two plays that year. We performed Neil Simon's THE GOOD DOCTOR and our UIL One Act Play entry that year was I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY by Celeste Raspanti.
In the years following, the program began to increase in size thus began the need to create addition performance opportunities. The theatre season now includes a Fall Main Stage production, a Fall Little Theatre production, A Black Box Series of original student-written, student-produced plays, an outdoor Dinner Theatre Production performed in the Art Courtyard (done every other year), the UIL One Act Play, and a Spring Musical in May. The musical is done in association with the award-winning MHS Choir, Band, and Orchestra programs. We will celebrate our 30th Broadway musical this year.
Throughout our history, the Martin Theatre program has been very successful in UIL One Act Play competition. We have won the District contest and advanced to the Area contest 28 times in 32 years. We have advanced to Regional competition 19 times and we have advanced to the State UIL One Act Play Contest 15 times. At the State contest we were selected First-Runner Up in 1990, 1999, 2012, and 2013. We won the State Championship in 1996 and 1998.
State Advancing UIL One Act Plays Martin Musicals Through the Years
- 1985 The Shadow Box 1984 Godspell
- 1986 Children of a Lesser God 1985 Carousel
- 1989 The Diary of Anne Frank 1986 Grease
- 1990 After the Fall* 1987 Guys and Dolls
- 1992 The Rimers of Eldritch 1988 Sugar
- 1994 Holy Ghosts 1989 My Fair Lady
- 1996 Our Country's Good** 1990 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- 1998 A View From the Bridge** 1991 Anything Goes
- 1999 The Hands of It's Enemy* 1992 The Music Man
- 2002 The Voice of the Prairie 1993 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
- 2003 The Late Henry Moss 1994 Brigadoon
- 2004 The Cripple of Inishmaan 1995 Annie Get Your Gun
- 2011 Ruby's Story 1997 Fiddler on the Roof
- 2012 August:Osage County* 1998 Once Upon a Mattress
- 2013 Children of a Lesser God* 1999 Hello Dolly
*=Selected First Runner Up at the State Contest 2001 How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
2002 The Sound of Music
**=Won the State Championship 2003 Footloose
2004 The Pajama Game
2005 Guys and Dolls
2006 The Boyfriend
2008 Thoroughly Modern Millie
2009 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
2010 Urinetown
2011 Sweeney Todd
2012 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
2013 Into The Woods
2014 Bye Bye Birdie
2015 The Drowsy Chaperone
2017 Pippin
2018 Godspell