Senior Yessmeen Moharram, who became president of the International Thespian Society (ITS) after only two years experience, is devoted to the arts and strives to help her technical team succeed.

    Moharram has only been involved with technical theatre for two and a half years, beginning in her sophomore year at Clark High School. Through inspiring words from friends, she decided to join.

    “I had actually always been interested in art as well as all the elements of technical theatre. I had wanted to be a part of it for a while, but I did not know that we had a program at school,” Moharram said. “I made a new friend in ninth grade who was a technician, Kolten Yeck, and he suggested that I join the technical theatre class.”

    Though many technicians have been involved with theatre since middle school or freshman year, Moharram has quickly been able to gain leadership roles in the theatre community.  

    “The Plano Senior ITS troupe is focused on making strong connections between all people in theatre, as well as offering educational and supportive opportunities, like audition workshops,” Moharram said. “The main mission of ITS is to honor student achievement in the theatrical arts.”

    ITS is an organization established in 1929. It is an honorary organization for middle school and high school students who become part of local troupes through points received through participating in a show. Plano’s troupe is number 844, and presidential elections for this troupe happen at the end of the school year.

    “I ran for president because I have been in ITS since the tenth grade, and I wanted to continue to uphold the standards I have seen throughout my years as a member as well as make the organization even more active and strong,” Moharram said.

   Moharram is currently the stage manager for the musical Nice Work If You Can Get It. This is not her first stage managing position, though. She has stage managed for four shows that include Clark’s UIL one act competition The Balkan Women, Plano Senior’s 2015 fall show Triangle Factory Fire Project, Plano Senior’s UIL one act competition The Last Days of Judas Iscariot and,of course, the current musical.

    “I love stage management because you are basically the conductor of the whole show. You call all the lighting cues, sound cues, set transitions, etc. During the rehearsal process, you are the mediator and communicator for all departments,” Moharram said. “It is really awesome to interact with both actors and technicians and to be a part of making the big picture of the show come together!”

    According to Moharram, it is her goal to become well rounded in all the aspects of technical theatre. Currently, on top of stage managing, she also enjoys costuming for a show.

    “I love costuming because I like to make things with my hands, and sewing is super therapeutic. I love all the art and design elements in costuming and it is definitely a way to get my creativity out,” Moharram said.

    Moharram’s love for theatre has inspired her to pursue technical theatre as a career. For theatre students, auditioning for a college’s theatre program is different than an average essay.

    “So for tech specifically, you either go to audition events like North Texas Auditions, Texas Thespian Auditions and TETA Auditions, or you can go to audition days at a specific university. You have to show the colleges your portfolio, and,usually, you have a table or some kind of space where you can showcase all your work,” Moharram said. “There’s also an interview.”

    As of now, Moharram is attending theatre conventions and working towards a successful musical. Her future hopes are to get into a good technical theatre program and to be involved with the one act in the spring semester.