Johnny Joe Trillayes has been a theatre educator since 2012, and is currently teaching at PSJA Southwest Early College High School located in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. As a high school director, he has made multiple UIL State Championship appearances, including being awarded the 2021 5A State Championship. In addition, he, along with his co-directors, has led PSJA Southwest ECHS to two consecutive UIL 5A Theatre Team State Championships. Johnny has a BFA from St. Edward’s University in Theatre Performance with an emphasis in Directing.
Shari Bellizzi-Davis has been a UIL OAP judge for the last several years, has judged Regional Contests for OSSAA, and will serve as a judge for the State TAPPS contest this year. She has been a high school UIL One Act Play director, a musical director, and a choreographer for many productions in her teaching career. She has worked teaching movement, musical direction, and assistant directing at Texas Tech’s theatre “Camp Under the Stars” and TAMUCC’s Camp on the Coast. Mrs Bellizzi-Davis came out of retirement to return to the classroom teaching American History and Texas History at Wellington Junior High. Davis is a former member of the state UIL Advisory Board for Theatre, a current member of TETA, a lifetime member of TTAO, and has served as a member of the UIL OAP State Honor Crew. Mrs. Bellizzi-Davis is a member of the Costume Society of America, has been on the play selection for Theater Tulsa, and worked as a developer of Amarillo’s Windows on a Wider World. Davis believes in the One Act Play process, and loves every moment she spends in the theatre!
Jim Rambo is co-owner of Studio Rambo, an acting class studio with live and virtual modes of instruction. He was a professor of theatre for 39 years. He is a long time UIL adjudicator having judged over 243 contests, including state one act play 8 times. He is also an adjudicator for Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival and is the adjudicator coordinator for Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools one act play contest. He has served as President of Texas Educational Theatre Association and was the second Chairperson for the previous Texas Educational Theatre Association Adjudicators Organization now called Texas Theatre Adjudicators Organization. Jim has received six directing awards from American College Theater Festival and was named the 1985 Educator of the Year for Community/Junior colleges with Texas Educational Theatre Association. He is also a Founder’s Award recipient with Texas Educational Theatre Association and was also honored in 2018 with the coveted Emeritus Award. He has been nominated two times for the MInnie Stevens Piper Professor Award and was also a nominee for The Carnegie Foundation for Teaching Excellence. He is devotedly called “Rambo” by his former students.