Carver High School’s Theater Director Inducted Into Texas Thespian Hall of Fame

The distinction honors educators who have dedicated years of service to promoting educational theater.

Carver High School theater director Roshunda Jones was inducted into the Texas Thespian Hall of Fame. It is an honor granted to educators who have dedicated years of service to promoting educational theater.

“It’s a prestigious honor, and I’m truly humbled,” Jones said. “I’m grateful to be recognized by my peers, and I don’t take this honor lightly. It’s a testament that hard work and dedication pays off. These are values I try to instill in my students every day.”

Carver HS’ production of “Jelly’s Last Jam.”

Typically, this honor is bestowed to educators who have dedicated 20 years of service. Jones is in her 16th year of teaching. All of those years have been in Aldine ISD. She taught a year at Shotwell Middle School and has been at Carver High School for 15 years. In college, Jones underwent her student teaching at Eisenhower High School. Before that, she worked at an after-school program with Express Children’s Theatre at Bethune Academy.

“My first job was my senior year of high school. I was a teacher’s aide for a then-future educator co-op program at Sivells Elementary in my hometown of Wharton,” Jones said. “The thespian experience has been a major part of my life. With all of that, I have over 20 years in theater education.”

Carver HS’ production of “In The Heights.”

Since taking the helm as the theater director at the magnet high school, she has directed many shows. Her students have won many UIL One-Act Play competitions. Many of her students have also advanced to the International Thespian Society National Festival.

Several of Jones’ students have gone on to pursue careers in theater, such as developing local theater productions. Some have headed to New York City’s theater scene. In 2016, then-sophomore Kirby Jackson landed the role of “Tabitha” in The History Channel’s adaptation of Roots. This past summer, alumnus Stanley Jackson was the lead in the Alley Theatre’s production of The Three Musketeers.

Rehearsal for “Hairspray.”

The induction ceremony took place during the Texas Thespian Educator Conference held in January in Houston. The Texas Thespian Hall of Fame is in its 10th year.

The theater program at Carver High School has grown since Jones arrived in 2005. In particular, the development of musical productions, which the magnet school is well known for. According to Jones, the department’s first venture into musicals began with You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. It was a black box production with about six to seven students.

Carver HS’ production of “The Color Purple.”

The productions have grown to large scale ensembles. Musicals produced by the Carver Theater Department include Cinderella, Dreamgirls, Sweet Charity, The Wiz, Little Shop of Horrors, The Color Purple, In The Heights, Memphis the Musical (a collaboration with Memorial HS, which the troupes performed at the 2014 Texas State Thespian Festival), Ghost, Hairspray (a collaboration with The Kinkaid School), Smokey Joe’s Cafe (performed at the nationals in 2016 and Texas Educational Theatre Association at the 2017 convention), Once on This Island, Jelly’s Last Jam, and Carmen Jones. These productions have garnered the program more than 77 Tommy Tune Award nominations.

Carver’s production of “Sister Act.”

This year is no different. The school’s production of Sister Act recently earned eight Tommy Tune Award nominations, including Best Musical and Leading Actress. Bringing Carver’s total nominations to date to 85. (The winners will be announced on April 28, 2020.)

Since teaching at Carver HS, Jones has received several honors. The Texas Thespians awarded Jones with the Above and Beyond Award in 2016 and 2015. The honor recognizes her service to Texas Thespians.

In 2017, the Texas Educational Theatre Association named Jones the Secondary Theatre Educator of the Year. The award recognizes Jones’ outstanding accomplishments as a theater director and service. In 2019, Jones received the Arts Educator of the Year award from the TUTS Leading Ladies organization.

Carver’s production of “Once on This Island.”

Jones currently serves as the Playworks/Musicalworks Chair and Co-Advisor of the State Thespian Officers for the Festival. For her, the theater teaches students so much more than how to perform. The theater teaches students life skills such as self-confidence, empathy, communication, and problem-solving. It also sparks creativity, which is essential to innovation. Jones stressed that the theater is a great emotional outlet for many students.

“Not all of my students pursue a career in the arts, but many of them have informed me how theatre has benefitted them with their current career path,” Jones said. “Theatre has also proven to improve students’ academic success.”

Carver’s UIL One-Act Play, “Miss Evers’ Boys.”

The theater has been a part of Jones’ life since middle school. She is grateful to her educators for igniting her passion for the arts.

Her greatest joy in teaching is witnessing students reach their fullest potential while watching them gain an appreciation for the arts.

For Jones, the theater is a haven and a powerful medium for expression.

“Theater changes lives. It can change the world because theater is a reflection of life,” Jones said. “It’s a safe place where you can express yourself and not be judged. The theater is a place to bring people together to engage, entertain, and enlighten.”