During the “Newsies” performance, Skyler Kemp taps to the song “King of New York” with Winter Crouch, Sara Jayne Burroughs, Daphne Sexson, Olivia Edwards, and Zoe Sturgeon looking on. (Photo by Kevin Cook)

*Donald Whaley, Jr. as the “Genie” and members of Curtain Call Productions celebrate after Jafar is vanquished in the musical, “Aladdin.” (Photo by Kevin Cook)*

When Debby Sutton began teaching in 1988 she didn’t know it would be as a theatre instructor. Even though she had a background in music and an undergraduate degree in Education, she anticipated teaching senior English at Winnsboro High School but the principal added a class to her schedule. That class was Theatre Arts which she knew nothing about. What made it especially daunting was when the principal simply handed her the UIL Constitution and Contest rule book. Now over 30 years later, Debby has built a prosperous and solid Theatre Department at Pleasant Grove High School. Aptly named Curtain Call Productions, Debby, her staff, and students work tirelessly each school year putting on performances that are top-notch productions.

Amidst pandemic changes, they successfully presented the musical “Newsies” last fall, and currently, her advanced students are preparing their One Act Play for competition this spring. Countless area students are part of Curtain Call Productions with younger Pleasant Grove grades taking part in the musicals each year. Debby says the primary goal for her students is to learn valuable life skills through their various experiences in the program.

A native of Harmony Grove, Arkansas, Debby grew up enjoying music. She began her love of music in the fourth grade and played both the saxophone and clarinet in school bands and received a music scholarship to Henderson State University after graduating high school. She intended to become a band director, and it was there that she met her husband, Neal. They married in 1983, and Debby completed her undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Tyler. Both educators, Debby and Neal lived and taught in Winnsboro, Texas, for three years.

Debby’s first year of teaching was full of surprises as not only was she introduced to learning all about Theatre Arts but she found out she was pregnant with her first child on the first day of the school year. Her son, Jay, was born in May of 1989, and Debby and Neal had moved to Bridgeport, Texas, to teach for three years. Their son, Kevin, was born there in 1991. The family landed in Atlanta, Texas, where Neal was the band director at the high school, and Debby taught middle school English, Texas History, and Speech for three years. Debby started at Pleasant Grove High School in 1997 and moved her sons into the district. Neal retired in 2003 and began work in the travel industry.

When Debby arrived at PGHS there was not an organized theatre program. One teacher split her time teaching theatre and speech, and debate, so Debby jumped right in. She recalls being in a science classroom and having to perform in the high school’s cafeteria. Their daily routines included breaking down lunch tables, setting up the stage, and reassembling the lunch tables afterward. She taught six different subjects, and their competitive ensemble met after school. “It was a dizzying year that culminated with our winning the district title and began a quest to build a program of which the school and community could be proud,” she explains.

By her fourth year at PG, the program had grown to four theatre classes and plans for building a space in which to perform. In fall of 2003, the Performing Arts Center was added to the high school. This space has been invaluable for various performing arts, and the PAC is a state-of-the-art facility which holds over 6,000 in yearly audience attendance and is utilized for a variety of performances for PGISD and the community. Debby and her students keep busy as the facility is frequently rented out. As Debby says, “I knew that if we built it, they would come. And they did. We exploded in enrollment and added an assistant theatre director to our team. Over the years, we have methodically grown to four directors and a premier theatre program.” At the program’s largest in 2010, it included 188 high school students.

In addition, the program has garnered many accolades and achievements including 21 district championships, five bi-district championships, four state appearances, as well as a competitive speech team, technical theatre program, and state award-winning design and film programs. There is no rest for the weary in Curtain Call Productions as they work year-round on one performance or another. There are currently four companies which encompasses a variety of students in grades 6-12. The varsity One Act Play company, Encore, is preparing “The Voice of the Prairie” by John Olive for UIL competition. The junior varsity acting company, Bravo, is in production for “Rumors” by Neil Simon, and the Theatre I Honors acting company, Finale, is working on “Front” by Robert Caisley. A recent new addition to the program includes a middle school company named Ovation. Debby’s primary mission is to instill qualities such as respect, courage, poise, confidence, and reliability. “I am most proud of how my students transfer their theatre skills to life skills that will take them to great heights no matter their chosen field. I want our kids to be global contributors, thinkers, and creative problem solvers never shying away from something just because it is difficult, but rolling up their sleeves and saying, ‘How can I help?’” Such traits, Debby says, help the students in every walk of life and a common daily saying they use is, “We are only as strong as our weakest link.”

Looking back on her career, Debby is most happy right where she is. She has been working on earning her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, and her office is full of pictures and framed playbills from years of rich experiences. She gives much credit to that first high school administrator who threw her a curve ball. “Thirty-four years later, I am grateful to that desperate principal. Without the opportunity to pursue music, I not only found my voice, but also found a passion that could fill a void I didn’t even realize I had!”

When not busy at school both in front of and behind the curtain, Debby enjoys every minute she can spend with her family, especially her two grandsons. Son, Jay, and his wife, Kim, are parents to Reid and Ben, ages 2 years and 2 months, respectively. Her sons also entered careers of performing arts as Jay is the head band director at Redwater High School. Kevin is the head band director at Texas Middle School, and his wife, Anna, is the head band director at Redwater Junior High School. Debby enjoys making wreaths, garlands, and various floral arrangements. She and Neal are avid travelers but also enjoy family time at home, especially their Sunday lunches. Current and former students alike look to Debby for advice or simply to reminisce. She’s proven to be a valuable asset beyond Pleasant Grove ISD as her happy disposition, energy, and talents enrich the Texarkana community as a whole.

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