Rouse Theatre Department

Theatre Website

Cheryl Painter

Rouse HS Head Theatre Director, Fine Arts Department Chair

cheryll.painter@leanderisd.org

(512) 570-2059


Cheryl Painter has been a teacher and director in the Austin Area for over 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre with a Specialization in Directing from Texas State- Eat ‘em Cats, and has her Master of Arts degree in Theatre from Texas A&M Commerce. She works professionally as a Director and Designer in Austin, TX.   She has served on the UIL Theatre Advisory Board and the Texas Educational Theatre Association Board and works at Tal’s Camp, a two-week intensive Summer Theatre Camp at Baylor University, working to make Theatre Education better for students all across the state. She is a product of a Texas high school Theatre program and loves the community and confidence that Theatre builds.  

Her class website can be found here

Charles Mclean

Rouse Technical Theatre

Charles.Mclean@leanderisd.org


Visit the Theatre Departments Webpage for specific information on:

Classes, 

Syllabus'

Handbook

and UIL Information

Frequently Confusing Terms

Glossary

BB- Black Box aka Theatre Classroom

OAP- One Act Play- UIL Competition in the Spring

SOAPs- Senior One Act Play- Seniors Direct their own one act plays

Heller Awards/Haya's- This is an award show for musicals that get chosen to compete in an Austin Area High School Musical Theatre competition. 

The Jimmy's- 2 students are chosen from the Heller Awards to represent the Austin area in a nation wide competition in NYC. Our Langston Lee won the Jimmy's in 2023!!

Narnia- Closet that is supposed to hold snacks for students to eat when they go directly from school to rehearsal. Most of the time, it's empty because they are growing kids and food doesn't stay around long!

Theatre vs Theater- You go to the Theater to see some Theatre. 

Thespian- Actors and Actresses are called thespians in honor of Thespis, a Greek playwright and performer. Around 585 BC, Thespis added a new dimension to drama by leaping out of his traveling wooden cart and away from the chorus line and reciting portions of the text alone. He recited poetry as if he were the characters that were speaking. Thus becoming the first actor. 

Theatre masks- Thespis is credited with creating theatrical masks that he wore on stage, this style was called tragedy.

Thespian with a capital T refers to members of the International Thespian Society, which is the honor society for theatre students.