Aldine ISD Theater Students Earn Recognition at 2026 International Thespian Festival

Aldine ISD theater students earned national recognition and gained valuable experience at the 2026 International Thespian Festival, held June 21-27 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Students from Davis, Nimitz, Carver, Eisenhower Ninth College Prep, and Eisenhower High School represented Aldine ISD at the festival, competing in performance and technical theater events alongside thousands of students from across the United States and abroad.

Their accomplishments included Superior and Excellent ratings, Mainstage recognition, Thespy Awards, a scholarship, and opportunities to perform in special festival showcases.

The results reflect the depth and continued growth of Aldine ISD’s theater programs, where students are developing as performers, technicians, designers, stage managers, writers, leaders, and creative artists.

Carver High School for Applied Technology, Engineering, and Fine Arts

Carver High School Theater celebrated a record-setting performance at the festival, with 21 students qualifying for nationals and six students earning Thespy Awards.

Carver students earned eight Superior ratings and seven Excellent ratings at the festival.

Thespy award winners included Ka’Sean Francis and David Gipson in solo musical theater; Allen Hampton and Johnny Kelley in a two-person scene; and Amare Haywood and Niya Kelly in a two-person scene.

Francis and Gipson also performed their solo musical theater piece at the Solo Musical Theatre Showcase. In contrast, Hampton and Kelley performed at the Closing Mainstage Showcase, featuring a select group of Thespy award winners.

Carver students also earned Superior ratings in ensemble acting, solo musical theater, solo musical theater dance, and stage management. They earned Excellent ratings in costume design, duet musical theater, lighting design, playwriting, and solo musical theater.

The festival also provided additional opportunities for Carver students. Francis received the Grace Kelly Scholarship, while Hampton and Niya Kelly participated in the 24-hour play showcase as actor and stage manager, respectively.

Carver’s success at the festival builds on a growing tradition of national recognition. Since the Thespy Awards were established in 2020, 13 Carver students have won Thespy Awards, with four students earning the honor in consecutive years. Between 2021 and 2026, four Carver students also received the Grace Kelly Scholarship.

Davis High School

Davis High School Theater continued its success at the national festival, with 16 students qualifying to compete in group acting.

Under the direction of Dr. Cliff D. Alexander, head theater and technical director, Davis theater has earned Superior rankings for nine consecutive years. For the past three years, Davis students have also earned Mainstage Performance or Mainstage Callback recognition.

At this year’s festival, students performing Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau — Abraham Cortez, Alexandria Linthicum Morris, Maliyah Wallace, and Kristopher Ware — earned a Superior ranking and Mainstage Callback recognition.

Seven Davis students — Jessica Arredondo, Jayden Coleman, Tamia Galveston, Alexander Lozano, Joseph Ricard, Regee’ Shelby, and Tearalynn Wiltz — earned an Excellent ranking, one point shy of Superior, for their performance of Medea.

Students Morghan Ballard, U’kari Boiykin Davis, Aaniyah Brackens, Mellanie Henriquez, and Brandon Whitney earned a Good ranking for Macbeth.

The Davis Theatre Falcons also received the Texas Educational Theatre Association Exemplary Award of Distinction for the second consecutive year. The award is the organization’s highest recognition for comprehensive high school theater programs.

Alexander also recognized Ila Chestnut for coordinating students during the festival and thanked campus and district leadership for continuing to support theater arts opportunities.

Eisenhower High School

Eisenhower High School’s Big Ike Theatre students continued a four-year streak of earning national recognition in performance and technical theater.

Under the direction of HeidiAaron Rouse, head theater and technical director, Big Ike students have qualified nationally every year in both performance and technical theater during her tenure. Competitors have earned Superior and Excellent ratings all four years, with students earning at least one Superior perfect ranking in each of the past three years.

At this year’s festival, William Sifuentes earned a Superior ranking for his contrasting monologues from Bad Seed and Angels in America.

Tirek Royston earned an Excellent ranking for contrasting monologues from Medea and Facing Death, while Miguel Ramos earned an Excellent ranking for his vocal musical solo, “Noel’s Lament,” from Ride the Cyclone.

Denim Eldridge and Nevaeh Asher Paul also earned an Excellent ranking for their duet acting performance of She Kills Monsters.

“I’m incredibly proud of the hard work of not only my Big Ike students, but of our Aldine Fine Arts Family of students as a whole,” Rouse said. “The dedication and determination of both students, faculty, and administration are stellar, and I am increasingly grateful for the continued support our students receive to grow and shine in their talents.”

Eisenhower Ninth College Prep

Eisenhower Ninth College Prep continues to provide first-year students with opportunities to compete and develop their theater skills at the highest levels.

Under the direction of Kristin Wilson, Eisenhower Ninth College Prep freshmen have attended the International Thespian Festival for six years, representing the program at festivals in Nebraska and Indiana.

This year, Mariangel Santodomingo earned an Excellent rating in costume design.

Beyond the competition, the festival gave students opportunities to experience professional theater and learn alongside students from across the country and around the world. During the weeklong festival, students attended eight musicals and participated in numerous educational workshops.

“Opportunities like this are truly unmatched, and I am incredibly grateful to our Performing Arts Department and district leadership for recognizing the value of investing in our students,” Wilson said. “Their support makes it possible for young performers to develop not only as artists but also as confident, collaborative, and well-rounded individuals who will continue to enrich our programs for years to come.”

Nimitz High School

Nimitz High School’s Cougar Rep Theatre students earned national recognition through the International Thespian Excellence Awards, or Thespys.

Students qualify for the national competition by first earning Superior ratings at the Texas Thespian Festival, demonstrating a high level of achievement in performance and technical theater categories.

Nimitz students competed nationally in ensemble acting, duet acting, and stage management.

Mariana Cabrera earned a Superior rating for stage management in The Book of Everything.

Xennyra Bass, Mason McDuffy, and MarKayla Thomas earned Excellent ratings for ensemble acting in American Prom. César Carreón and Ryleigh Freed also earned Excellent ratings for duet acting in Door to Door.

Nimitz theater, led by head theater arts director Kimberly Ardison Alexander and assistant theater arts director Zachary Walker, continues to emphasize developing confident performers, skilled technicians, creative thinkers, and student leaders.

The festival experience allowed Nimitz students to demonstrate their dedication and craft while building skills that extend beyond the classroom.

A Tradition of Excellence

From performance and musical theater to stage management, costume design, lighting, playwriting, and other areas of technical theater, Aldine ISD students demonstrated the breadth of talent found throughout the district’s theater programs.

Their accomplishments at the International Thespian Festival show the value of giving students opportunities to perform, compete, collaborate, and learn from theater professionals and fellow student artists from around the country and the world.

More than a competition, the festival gave students an opportunity to represent their schools and Aldine ISD, strengthen their craft, and return home with experiences that will continue to shape them as artists and leaders.