Jim Parsons to Reunite With Klein Oak High School for Arts Education Benefit

In December 2026, actor Jim Parsons will reunite with his former high school theatre director, Tony-nominated theatre educator Rick Garcia, and former classmates for a special fundraising event at Klein Oak High School in Spring, Texas. The cast includes Charlie Pollock, Klein Oak Class of 1991, currently appearing on Broadway in The Great Gatsby; Robyn Weiss, Klein Oak Class of 1990, a Brooklyn-based producer with more than 20 years of experience in commercial production; and Becky Dodds, Klein Oak Class of 1990, a Houston-area psychotherapist and owner of Houston Area Therapy.

Professional colleagues will also support the event backstage, including Sean Ryan Jennings, Klein Oak Class of 2004, an Art Directors Guild member and production designer whose credits include Ozark, 1923, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Jennings has received two Art Directors Guild Awards for Excellence in Production Design and three Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Production Design. Garcia's alumni community extends beyond Klein Oak, with Liv Bast, St. Andrews Class of 2017, an interdisciplinary theatre artist and Props Artisan at Houston's Alley Theatre, and Isidro Rodriguez Jr., Stephen F. Austin High School Class of 1989, a retired educator and longtime Houston costume professional, also joining the team. In addition to established professionals, the event includes upcoming Texas artists. Owen Runk, a Senior at Hallsville High School will serve as sound designer, bringing extensive theatre sound experience to the production. Young filmmaker Kevin Keelan, a 2023 DePaul University graduate with a BFA in Film Editing will lead the documentary component of this event.

The December 11 and 12 performances will celebrate the lasting impact of arts education while raising support for the Maestro Arts Project (MAP).

Founded by Rick Garcia, the Maestro Arts Project is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the educators and students who make arts education possible. MAP's mission is to empower the next generation of Texas artists by providing fine arts educators and students with resources, training, scholarships, and transformative artistic opportunities.

For Parsons, returning to Klein Oak represents a rare opportunity to revisit the place where his journey as an actor began and reunite with his many lifelong classmates. Together they will give back to the next generation of artists.

'This is quite a unique and even profound event to be a part of; the chance to revisit the very stage where I first began to figure out who I was and could be as an actor, alongside some of the very same people I worked with back then, all of us now adults with so much more life lived, is a rare gift to be given. The fact that this extremely personal experience for all of us involved, will benefit the education of other artists and students - like we were - really moves me. Arts education itself should never be a 'rare gift,' but too often it is. Everyone deserves an early introduction to what the arts can offer them, whether or not they want to act or direct, and I am thrilled we can be a part of making that happen.'

Funds raised through the event will support MAP's mission. 'This is a beautiful reunion and so much more,' said Garcia, Parsons' former high school theatre director. 'This special event is a testament to the power of educators and the life-long relationships they create. It is a celebration of how the arts give many a voice and platform.'

The title of the production will be announced in the coming weeks, along with additional event, ticket, and fundraising information. We invite you to visit maestroartsproject.com for more information.