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A Brief History of the Genesian
Players
The Archbishop
Rummel Genesian Players,
named for St. Genesius, the Comedian,
a Roman actor who was martyred for his faith, was founded in 1963 by
Charles (Chuck) Guajardo, who is in his
FORTY-FOURTH
year as Executive Director.
The Genesian Players had their birth in 1963 after they
presented a one act play, Minor Miracle, in the gym for the
student body. That assembly sparked such interest among the student
body, that it was decided to start the Genesians. The name was
later changed to Genesian Players because another school had taken
the name Genesians and at that time the Players were deeply involved
in speech and drama contests, so to avoid confusion, Players was
added to the name. The first public performance, The Littlest Angel, took place
in the cafeteria. It was very well received, prompting the group to
create a drama program for the club. Since we have no auditorium,
the student body, as a whole, has never witnessed the work of the
Players in the forty one years of the club's existence. Still, the
popularity of the group grew and the Players have been well
supported by administration, faculty, students, and community ever
since. In the beginning, Mr. Guajardo ran the club solo, preparing
five shows a year.
As
Executive Director, Mr. G. directed, choreographed, designed,
constructed scenery and costumes all with the help of students.
As the school got older, more and more students took jobs,
diminishing student participation. Parents started contributing
time, and the club continued. The Administration hired a technical
director for the Players. Serving for many years was first Mr.
Bob Roso, a '72 grad, and presently the T.D. is Michael Camnetar.
Known for excellence in drama, the Players won its first state
title with Edward Albee's absurdist drama The Sandbox (the
Players own thirteen state trophies). Today the Players present
three plays a year that usually consist of a drama, a comedy, and a
musical and a Christmas Variety Show and Geni Nite (for Geni
history, see side menu).
Tickets for the productions are available
for students and general public at the reception desk of the high
school campus. The Genesian Players' continued success has happened
because of the fine Administration and Faculty support as well as a
strong community support.
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