Theatre Guild of Booker T. Washington HSPVA

THEATRE GUILD AND BTW THEATRE CONSERVATORY 

The Theatre Guild supports the students and faculty in the Theatre Conservatory at the renowned Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts in Dallas, Texas.  As a completely volunteer led organization, all donations go directly toward our mission with no salaries or traditional overhead expenses taken out. The Theatre Guild is one of five parent organizations operating at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, but its role and area of focus are one-of-a-kind.  

The Theatre Conservatory, under the guidance of Director and Booker T. alumna Guinea Bennett Price, has continued its long and rich tradition of theatre study and performance, rooted in the traditions established by playwright, director, and educator Paul Baker when he founded the performing arts high school 50 years ago. Over time, the Conservatory expanded the Musical Theatre, Film, and Technical Theatre & Design programs. Expanding student opportunities can be expensive: licensing, sets, lights and sound, costumes and make-up, enrichment, consultants, competitions, and scholarships all add up. The Theatre Guild is trying bridge the gap to make sure our students' access to arts enrichment continues to expand in the face of shrinking arts budgets. 

ON STAGE AND BACKSTAGE

BTW Theatre faculty and students produce two main stage shows, a mime show, a playwriting festival and two directing festivals every school year. The Guild assists with everything from materials to makeup to meals. The Theatre Conservatory's 2026-27 Season is 50 years in the making in honor of the Arts Magnet's 50th Anniversary including founder Paul Baker's adaptation of Hamlet ESP in October to alumni contributions to the Senior Directing One Act Plays Festival in April.   

During the 2025-26 season, the Theatre Guild's Feed the Kids program provided over 2,300 meals to students in the cast and crew before rehearsals or performances with a scheduled end time after 8:00pm. The Theatre Guild does not charge a meal or show fee so we rely on donations to keep the actors, designers, stage managers, directors, lighting operators, stage crew costume team and house crew fed.  You donation dollars make sure that the spotlight op is focused on their cues rather than wondering when they can eat.  We invite all of donors to come see our students in the Theatre Conservatory's 2026-27 productions and festivals. But these are just the public-facing components of the BTW Theatre Conservatory. There is always something happening offstage and the Guild helps facilitate all of it with your generous support.

   

FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE REHEARSAL STUDIO AND BEYOND

Booker T. Washington's annual College Showcase is held in November. The showcasing seniors are the main attraction during College Showcase Theatre Conservatory events held on the Friday and Saturday. The Theatre Guild maintains a presence in the background starting with the extensive mailing list used to invite prior attendees and first time guests. Before Showcase, the Guild provides logistical support in the form of informational emails and preparing welcoming spaces for visitors and seniors. Once Showcase events are underway, volunteers from the Theatre Guild staff a Hospitality Suite that provides visitors with a place to relax, grab a bite to eat, charge their phones or computers, do some work between scheduled events or talk with other representatives or Theatre Conservatory faculty. For College Showcase, Theatre Conservatory Seniors are provided meals on Showcase Friday and Saturday to allow them to commit fully to their preparation, presentations and performances. More than 500 student meals were served to Theatre students during those two days. 

The Guild aids in student development and training in and out of the classroom by funding programs with high-caliber consulting instructors in Advanced Acting, Learning Lab, Physical Acting, Improv, Comedia, and Shakespeare. In September 2026, the Theatre Guild will bring Prism Movement to the Black Box Theatre to perform They Fight!  for students and parents . There will also be a fight choreography workshop for the students cast in Paul Baker's adaptation Hamlet ESP.

At the end of their senior year, the Theatre Faculty honors the graduating students and their families, at the Theatre Conservatory Awards Dinner which is completely underwritten by the Theatre Guild. During the dinner, Theatre Guild awards scholarships in honor of former Directors Louise Smith and Karon Cogdill. As today, the Theatre Guild has awarded $69,500 in scholarships to seniors graduating from Booker T. Washington's Theatre Conservatory. In May 2026, a total of $15,000 in Theatre Guild Scholarships was awarded to members of the Class of 2026, each of the twelve students was recognized for their contributions to and impact on the Theatre Conservatory.