District Students Flaunt Theatrical Muscles at 2025 Texas State Thespian Festival

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Aldine ISD students from several campuses showcased their talent, dedication, and creativity at the 2025 Texas Thespians State Festival, earning top honors, national qualifications, and schoolwide recognition, demonstrating the strength of AISD’s arts programs.

Aldine High School

Aldine High School theatre students earned top marks in solo acting performance contests, with five students qualifying for the national competition after receiving Superior ratings. National qualifiers include freshman Viviana Chávez, sophomore Patricia Ramírez Reyes, junior Dillon James, and senior Giselle Cavazos.

Senior Jesiel Rivera earned a perfect score in his round and received a callback performance, coming close to securing a coveted spot in the Festival’s Mainstage showcase.

Additional students who earned Excellent ratings include Rivera, Amelio Treviño, Tiffany Rojas, Robert Sosa, and Allyana Sosa.

The troupe is led by Theater Director Walter Lane, who called this year’s festival especially meaningful. Lane was reunited with one of his former students, Rashad Demond Edwards, now a well-known actor with credits in Elementary, Madam Secretary, Person of Interest, FBI: Most Wanted, and The Good Fight. Edwards also portrayed civil rights leader Medgar Evers in the film Rustin. A member of the Aldine High School Class of 1999, Edwards returned to the state festival to lead an acting techniques workshop for AISD theater students.

Carver High School

Carver High School theater, led by three directors — Roshunda Jones-Koumba, Jabari Collins, and Jamar Hawkins — had a standout showing, with 18 students receiving Superior ratings and advancing to nationals. National qualifiers included Tre’Veon Green (contrasting monologues), Ashlyn Jack (costume design), Cedric Miller (duet musical) and Trinity Jones (duet musical and playwriting), Dakarai Smith, Kaylee King, Jeremiah Barber, Na’Leeyah Tatum, Rheagan Thompson (ensemble acting); London Myles (lighting design), Ka’Sean Francis (solo musical; Mainstage performer), David Gipson and Sannia Bell (solo musical), Kenneth Jordon (solo musical theater dance), Allen Hampton and Johnny Kelley (two-person scene) as well as Amare Haywood and Niya Kelly (two-person scene). Green and Francis received Excellent Performer Awards. Emani Caston (stage management), Caleb Harrison (theater marketing), and Hailey Gonzales (solo musical) earned Excellent ratings. Francis earned a perfect score as a solo musical performer and performed at the festival’s closing ceremonies. Carver students also excelled in Texas-Only events, including the MusicalWorks competition, where Gipson and Kelley were finalists at the NextGen Showcase for their original musical, All I See is You. Niya Kelly received a Texas Thespians College Scholarship, one of only 37 awarded statewide, and Miller performed in the All-State Closing Ceremony Cast. Carver High School theater troupe was one of the 111 Gold Honor troupes. Texas Thespians Honor Troupe distinction recognizes troupes for the tremendous work they do, both on and off stage, in their school and communities.

Davis High School

Davis High School saw three ensemble acting groups earn Superior ratings and qualify for nationals, performing scenes from Macbeth, Medea, and Skeleton Crew. Sixteen students will advance to the national competition in June at Indiana University. Additionally, the cast of Skeleton Crew were a finalist for Mainstage Callback Performance. The Davis theater troupe is led by Dr. Cliff D. Alexander, head theater and technical director.

Eisenhower High School

Eisenhower High School’s Theatre Department, led by Theater Director Heidi Aaron Rouse, celebrated its troupe, Troupe 4588, achieving Gold Honor Troupe status. Four students earned National Qualifier recognition: William Sifuentes in monologue performance, Miguel Ramos in musical vocal solo, and Denim Eldridge and Asher Paul in duet performance. Both Sifuentes and Ramos are second-time national qualifiers. Two additional students, Tirek Royston and Jariah Courtney, received Excellent ratings for their monologue performances.

Eisenhower Ninth Grade College Prep

At Eisenhower Ninth Grade College Prep, Mariangel Santodomingo advanced to nationals in costume design, while James Díaz (scenic design), Cristopher Rapalo (contrasting monologues), and Loveah Francois (contrasting monologues) earned Excellent ratings. The troupe is led by Theater Director Kristin Wilson.

Nimitz High School

Nimitz High School theater arts students earned multiple national qualifications and Excellent ratings. Ryleigh Freed and César Carreón earned a national qualification in duo acting with Mariana Cabrera qualifying in stage management. Other students recognized with Excellent ratings included Xennyra Bass, MarKayla Thomas, Mason McDuffey (group acting), Tazarrion Ford and Gabriel Williams (duet musical theater), Malquan Spiller (solo acting), Génesis Velázquez (marketing), and Scarlett Juárez (marketing). Cabrera and Carreón successfully auditioned and were cast in ShowWorks. In this program, select students collaborate to perform a 30-minute new play. Cabrera received the Excellence in Stage Management award for her leadership and professionalism in ShowWorks.

“We are incredibly proud of our theater students across Aldine ISD,” said Kimberly J. Ardison, Nimitz High School head theater director. “Their passion, discipline, and artistry continue to elevate our programs. The recognition they earned at the Texas Thespian Festival is a testament to their hard work and dedication.”

The Texas Thespian Festival brings together over 400 troupes and 12,000 of high school theater students from across the state to compete, learn from professional artists, and showcase their skills in performance, technical theater, and production leadership.

Aldine ISD students’ achievements highlight the district’s ongoing commitment to cultivating creativity, collaboration, and excellence in the arts.