2020 has been a year of many changes for everyone, including the St. Pius X Fine Arts Department. After the retirement of longtime Theatre Director Ms. Bonnie Spark, the drama program welcomed Mrs. Tracey Buot in August. She’s already introduced many new activities to the department and hopes to expand even more.

For example, Mrs. Buot, who most recently taught at Cambridge High School, brought the International Thespian Society to St. Pius.

Celebrating all aspects of theatre, the group meets virtually once and month and features “workshops, performances, competitions, [and] scholarship opportunities.”

The Pius Players also competed for the first time this year in the Georgia Theatre Conference.

Despite having never competed before, they won several awards, including freshman Logan Yates who earned Best Supporting Actor for the entire competition, freshman Molly Pitra and senior William Stovall who were part of the All Star Cast winners, and junior Gracie Rosenberg who earned seven call backs for college auditions. 

Their performance of “Elephant’s Graveyard” won Best Technical for the entire competition, and Mrs. Buot said she plans on submitting the same show to the GHSA One Act Play State Championship in February 2021.

In addition to racking up accolades, Mrs. Buot has also introduced three new courses to the theatre department: Theatre of Arts (semester-long), Acting I (year-long) and Advanced Company (audition only). 

Next year she plans on continuing to build the program by adding Acting II, III, and IV. 

The Pius Players will next take the stage January 21-24 for their winter show, “Our Town.” Written by Thornton Wilder in 1938, the three-act play gives a detailed look at a fictional small town through the everyday lives of its citizens. Tickets are $10, and online sales begin January 15. 

Their next two performances will be the spring musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” in March followed by a drama showcase in April.