TTAO Summer Newsletter

As summer begins to wind down (ALREADY???), I hope you've found time to rest, recharge, and prepare for the fall—and eventually another exciting One-Act Play season. Whether you've spent the past few weeks enjoying a well-deserved vacation or simply trying to stay cool, I hope your summer has been a good one.

While many of you are enjoying a slower pace, your TTAO Board has been busy preparing for the upcoming year. We are currently scheduling Adjudicator and Contest Manager Certification Trainings for the 2026–2027 season. Our goal is to offer at least one training in each of TTAO's four regions. The first training is already scheduled for November 19 at Ackerly Sands ISD (Region 1). As additional trainings are confirmed, registration information will be posted on the TTAO website, the TTAO Facebook page, and the Texas Middle School and High School Theatre Directors Facebook pages.

We're also excited about the sessions we've submitted for this fall's TxETA TheatreFest. We believe they will be timely, practical, and beneficial for our membership. Once those sessions are confirmed, we'll share all the details.

Finally, I hope you'll plan to join us for the TTAO Business Meeting during TheatreFest in Galveston. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for the morning of Thursday, October 1, and we'd love to see you there.

Now, here's something I'd like us to think about together...

Each summer, I hear a familiar comment from adjudicators across Texas: "I wish more directors would complete the post-contest evaluations."

Those evaluations are incredibly valuable. They help us reflect, improve, and ultimately provide better service to students and directors throughout the UIL One-Act Play process.

But what if we turned the tables?

While director evaluations are often in short supply, the number of contest evaluations submitted by adjudicators and contest managers is even lower.

Those evaluations matter just as much.

Our feedback helps UIL identify what's working well, where procedures can be strengthened, and how contest administration can continue to improve from year to year. As theatre educators, we believe in reflection, growth, and continuous improvement. The same principles should apply to the contests we help conduct.

Having served as both a director and an adjudicator, I know how exhausting contest season can be. By the time the awards are announced and you're headed home, completing one more evaluation can feel like one more task on an already full plate.

Still, I'd encourage you to make it part of your routine next spring. Taking just a few minutes to complete your contest evaluation is one of the simplest ways we can help strengthen the UIL One-Act Play experience for everyone involved.

The Contest Manager and Adjudicator Evaluation forms can be found on the UIL Theatre Resources & Forms webpage.

Let's lead by example. If we encourage directors to provide thoughtful feedback, we should be just as committed to sharing our own. Together, we can continue building a stronger, more consistent contest experience for students, directors, adjudicators, and contest managers across Texas.

For now, enjoy these final days of summer. Thank you for your professionalism, your service, and your unwavering commitment to educational theatre. It is truly an honor to serve alongside you.

Artfully yours,

Scott

R. Scott Allen, Ed.D.

President

Texas Theatre Adjudicators and Officials

If you missed past Fireside Chats, you can find them on our website, Adjudicator Resources page.

As you begin planning for the 2026–2027 UIL One-Act Play season, please keep the following

dates in mind. Maintaining an active TTAO membership is essential. Adjudicators whose

memberships are not current will not appear on the UIL adjudicator lists and cannot be

invited to judge contests.

May 1

• Membership renewal for 2026-2027 OAP season opens

June 1

• Renewals must be complete to be considered for Area, Region, and State Adjudicator assignments (if eligible)

July 31

• Earliest date Bi-District agreements may be sent (but not before Area and Region assignments are announced).

August 1

• Contest Managers only- first day to request Zone/District authorization from UIL

August 10

• First day to contact a single adjudicator or the first member of a panel for District or Zone contests.

• First day to draw performance order.

August 31

• Deadline to report Bi-District information and adjudicators to the UIL State Office.

November 1

• Deadline to hold the Directors' Planning Meeting.
• First day to contact and contract the second and third members of District and Zone adjudication panels.
• Contest Managers only-Deadline for to request Zone/District authorization from UIL

December 31

TTAO Membership Renewal Deadline

All memberships must be renewed by December 31 for the 2026-2027 season.

Failure to renew by this deadline will:

• Remove you from all certified adjudicator and contest manager lists.
• Make you ineligible to accept contest invitations.
• Require you to complete official TTAO certification training again before your certifications can be reinstated.

Please don't let your membership lapse! Renewing on time ensures you're ready for the

upcoming contest season and available to serve schools and students across Texas.

Renew early. Stay certified. Be ready when contest invitations begin on August 15.

UIL STUDENT ACTIVITY CONFERENCES

Interested in presenting an acting/tech/design or film workshop in the fall? About Student Activities Conferences-

• Sessions are designed for students, OAP directors, Theatre/Film coaches.

• Please consider presenting at one of the Student Activity Conference in the fall.

Tyler Junior College- September 12

UT Austin- September 26

Midland College-October 17

Conroe- Caney Creek High School- October 24

Submit a PRESENTER PROPOSAL HERE

UIL One- Act Play is having a birthday!

Join us in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the UIL One-Act Play Contest by sharing your unique perspective and experience with the contest. Throughout the 2026-2027, we invite proposals from those who can offer historical insights, memorable stories or reflections on the contest's lasting impact on Texas theatre education.

Help us commemorate a century of excellence by contributing your voice to this milestone celebration.

Submit the 100th Celebration form HERE if you are interested in presenting.

Area and Region Assignments

We are still finalizing Area and Region assignments, including host sites. We know many of you are eager to begin planning, and we appreciate your patience as we work through the details.

Our goal is to have all Area, Region, and host site assignments completed by July 31. Thank you for your continued support and flexibility. We couldn't do this without you.

-Paula Rodriguez

In the coming year, the targeted value for the Core Values

Committee will be education. The PWP (Parterning with

Purpose) will offer opportunities specifically focused on the

professional development needs of new or experienced adjudicators

and contest managers. Possible topics include best practices for

critique, growing professional relationships, updates on

changes/new rules to which directors must adhere, best practices for

running a smooth contest, and understanding overall contest

culture. Each Region’s host site and November date will be

finalized soon. The committee is chaired by Cindy Couch.

Committee members are Jessica Bentley (Region 2), Frank Chuter

(Region 3), Jacki Maenius (Region 4), Cade Butler (At Large), Rod

Sheffield (At Large) and Rodrigo Sanchez (Region 1).