A Brief History of S-Troupe

“Yoo-Hoo, I’ll make you famous…”

A seed was planted when, in August of 2004, it was suggested that Creative Writing teacher and Literature Magazine sponsor, Travis Lytle, start a Poetry Slam club at Albuquerque’s Cibola High School. He briefly entertained the idea but felt poetry, by itself, might be too limiting. Lytle began to develop a much more appealing idea he had of a living literature magazine: an organization where students could write and then perform their own material. They would be able to write and read their poetry; but they could also write and perform dramatic and comedic scenes, and they could do this on stage or on film and video. This organization could also perhaps work in improvisational theatre and produce and sponsor other events like student-written plays and film and video festivals. Scenes, sketches, slams, short films, Lytle was fixed on the idea of giving his students another arena for their creativity. His classroom and those of others at Cibola were bubbling with expressive energy. Lytle was now set on tapping that energy and unleashing it on the public.

The Year of the Founders

In spring, 2005, Lytle floated the idea of his club to his phenomenally talented students in the class of 2006. He was met with enough potential interest; the club could be a viable thing. By September, caught between students wanting him to direct a school play and wanting him to, again, sponsor a Slam club, the time for S-Troupe was right.
S-Troupe was officially founded on September 28, 2005 when Lytle held an informal meeting in C-8 to see who might be interested in joining the Troupe and in what direction they would want to drive S-Troupe with their creative machinery. More people came to the meeting than Lytle expected: mostly a mix of current and former students, people with and without theatrical experience, writers, performers, and artists. The group that attended that meeting dubbed themselves “The Founders,” and the Troupe began down its unique path.The Founders were Catherine Ames, Sage Butts, Adam Clark, Alan Dahl, Amanda Gozur, Louis Gurule, Amanda Huffman, Steven Kean, Austin Silva, Josh Spurgeon, Tori Sullivan, Aly Valdez, and Dominic Williams.
On October 3, at 6:45 in the morning, S-Troupe conducted its first official meeting. In attendance were The Founders and a handful of others who would make up S-Troupe’s inaugural membership. S-Troupe was born.

So, I’ve Got This Idea, Right…

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The identity of what S-Troupe would become was yet to be seen in the early days, but the creative force of the members of S-Troupe was churning. While the Troupe planned and pitched pieces for its first show, Lytle offered his wife, an elementary school teacher, a way to assist with her upcoming fourth grade, poetry unit: let S-Troupe make a an instructional video. Produced by Catherine Ames and Austin Silva, directed and edited by Ames, and featuring the poetry and performances of Silva, Sage Butts, Aly Valdez, Dominic Williams, and Alan Dahl, the video, based on a script by Lytle, would be S-Troupe’s first venture and set the stage for its elementary school, outreach projects.
After the video was completed, production of the first, full-length show continued. Pitching, writing, and rehearsing were the main concerns of the Troupe as they geared up for the December third show. Monologues, comedy sketches, and a poem or two made up the material of what would be called…

A Show Without a Name…

…A 90 minute production that would set the standard for how S-Troupe would define itself: a Troupe of writers and performers who, after spending weeks writing and rehearsing, and after spending the performance day in technical and dress rehearsals, would perform a one-night-only event of sketch comedy, slightly experimental and interactive theatre, and the odd sing-along.

A Show Without a Name proved that S-Troupe worked and worked well. The show made an impact on the school community and put the Troupe on the map. It proved that with limited sets and costumes, and with the lines between performer, writer, technician, director and producer blurred, an audience could and would be entertained. And the entertainer, the artist, would have a new arena in which to create. The rest, as they say, is history.

S-Troupe Year One

Catherine Ames   Noel Blair   Sage Butts   Steven Carey   Adam Clark   Alan Dahl   Diana Delgado   Michelle Dyer    Amanda Gozur    Louis Gurule   Sam Hobbs   Amanda Huffman   Steven Kean   Dani Lewis   Matt Livingston   Nathan Moore   Toby Phillips       Zack Plohr (Technical Director)   Quinn Rol   Julie Shimanek   Austin Silva   Josh Spurgeon   Jackie Stanford    Tori Sullivan    Aly Valdez    Dominic Williams   Natalie Woodard   Rachel Zakrzewski  

A Show Without a Name - December 3, 2005

A Show Without a Name, Encore Presentation - January 28, 2006

S-Troupe Strikes Back - March 18, 2006  

S-Troupe Year Two

Amy Bourque   Rustyn Brandt   Julia Carrion   Ethan Davis   Diana Delgado    Michelle Dyer    Nick Fleming (Technical Director)   Tieshia Francis   Chad George   Carla Griego   Riana Halstead   Megan Holiday   Dani Lewis   Matt Livingston   Sara Maguire   Chloe Mizusawa   Quinn Rol   Ryan Sciarrotta   Julie Shimanek  Joe Souza   Shelby Steffensen   Collin Stradling   Hannah Taylor   Tess Taylor                        

S-Troupe: Second Draft - September 30, 2006

Something Sketchy - December 2, 2006

S-Troupe’s Season Finale - March 17, 2007

The First Annual, S-Troupe 24-Hour Short Film Contest (AKA S-Troupe’s Short Shoot and Screening) - June 1 and 2, 2007. Teams: Amy Bourque, Julia Carrion, Sam Hobbs, Steven Kean, Dani Lewis, and Collin Stradling (Super Hero Talent Agent - SHTA); Catherine Ames, Alan Dahl, Amanda Huffman, Austin Silva, Joe Souza, and Tess Taylor (Malfunctioning Time Machine - Rook: Key of the Years); Shelton Caldwell, Michelle Dyer, Quinn Rol, Shelby Steffensen, Tori Sullivan, and HannahTaylor (Zombie Road Trip - The Divine Quest for Salvation with Many a Trial and Tribulation). 

S-Troupe Year Three

Soraya Baraque   Noel Blair   Amy Bourque   Rustyn Brandt   Shelton Caldwell   Julia Carrion   Ethan Davis   Layla Finch   Jordan Geisling   Patrick Gozur   Carla Griego   Bonnie Hager   Meagan Halstead   Megan Holiday   Justine Kelly   Derek Knehans   Sean Larragoite (Technical Director)   Chloe Mizusawa   Michael Niemczak   Olivia Ott (Stage Manager)   Jessica Reuscher   Quinn Rol   Nate Schaff   Courtney Schmidt   Shelby Steffensen   Collin Stradling   Hannah Taylor   David Zachek        

S-Troupe: The Saga Continues - September 29, 2007

S-Troupe Sells Out: S-Troupe’s Greatest Hits, Volume I - December 8, 2007

S-Troupe Saves The Day - January 26, 2008

S-Troupe Signs Off - March 15, 2008 

The Second Annual, S-Troupe Short Shoot and Screening - June 13 through 17, 2008. Teams: Jessica Barajas, Amy Bourque, Rustyn Brandt, Chelsea Davis, Layla Finch, Sean Larragoite, Nate Schaff, and Bryan Valencia (Lost Knights). Shelton Caldwell, Julia Carrion, Patrick Gozur, Bonnie Hager, Sean Mulle, and Emily Stringer (Pirates of the 1980s). Soraya Baraque, Ethan Davis, Jordan Geisling, Michael Niemczak, David Zachek, and Cory Zarick (Slightly Confused Vampire). 

S-Troupe Year Four

Jessica Barajas   Soraya Baraque   Rustyn Brandt   Shelton Caldwell   Chelsea Davis   Logan Disch   Jordan Geisling   Patrick Gozur   Carla Griego   Bonnie Hager   Luke Hanks   Stefan Isenberger   Sean Larragoite (Technical Director)   Chloe Mizusawa   Sean Mulle   Rachelle Ray   Logan Romero   Courtney Schmidt   Courtney Schwartz   Sarah Silva   Emily Stringer   Hannah Taylor   Bryan Valencia   David Zachek   Cory Zarick     

S-Troupe: Self-Titled - October 4, 2008

Shut Up and Laugh - January 24, 2009

S-Troupe Stops the Presses - March 14, 2009

S-Troupe Year Five

Austen Allen-Griego   Jessica Barajas   Joey Barajas   Thomas Dameron   Logan Disch   Jordan Geisling   Patrick Gozur   Bonnie Hager   Rylie Hightower   Stefan Isenberger   Bailey Lindsey   McKay Lindsey   Adam Parker   Kassy Robles  Evan Rochford    Antonio Sanchez   Rebecca Sego   Kristen Shimanek  Sarah Silva   Emily Stringer   Andy Sutliff   Paul Thompson   Bryan Valencia   Cory Zarick

S-Troupe Storms the Stage - October 3, 2009

S-Troupe Slaps You Silly - January 23, 2010

S-Troupe Seals the Deal - March 13, 2010

S-Troupe’s Third (Sort of) Annual Short Shoot and Screening - May 28 and 29, 2010. Teams: Aaron Bullock, Lauren Carrica, Thomas Dameron, Patrick Gozur, and Cory Zarick (Man Behind the Curtain); Joey Barajas, Arianne Gomez, Evan Rochford, Sarah Silva, and Bryan Valencia (Tricia Tanaka is Dead); Holly Hansen, Stefan Isenberger, Emily Stringer, Andy Sutliff, and Paul Thompson (Through the Looking Glass); Jessica Barajas, Christian Bourque, Adam Parker, Kassy Robles,Logan Romero, and Antonio Sanchez (Stranger in a Strange Land). 

S-Troupe Year Six

Christian Bourque   Lauren Breden   Aaron Bullock   Lauren Carrica   Von Craver   Thomas Dameron   Arianne Gomez   Holly Hansen   Marie Isenberger   Katie Kilbane   Ryan Legits   Bailey Lindsey   McKay Lindsey   Austin Lundgren    Adam Parker   Zachary Pfeiff   Kassy Robles   Evan Rochford   Rebecca Sego   Zalman Stern-Sapad   Andy Sutliff   Paul Thompson   Natalie Uttaro   Bryan Valencia   Ruy Vasquez