Laguna Playhouse is proud to announce the continuation of its workforce development program that provides Anaheim High School students with the workforce skills and knowledge that helps them enter the growing performing arts industry in Anaheim and Orange County. In a pilot program that begin in fall of 2018, Laguna Playhouse brought theatre professionals to Anaheim High School over a period of thirteen weeks and provided hands-on training, teaching them how to produce play from start to finish. Students were instructed in the technical aspects of producing a play, such as sound, lighting, costume and set-design, and character building through research. In addition, students learned the professional aspects of theatre, including how to act on and off stage, how to audition for a role, and how to interview for professional cast and crew positions. “In our work with Anaheim High School, Laguna Playhouse Education’s TheatreReach Program trains students to collaborate, to communicate, to lead, to create, to question, to engage in critical thinking and product iteration. Theatre is the original maker-space where we explore the world in 3-D and we are teaching them personal exploration, empathy, fabrication, and storytelling so these students can voice the next big idea to our world,” said Dylan Russell, Director of Education & Outreach.
Because of funding partners such as Bank of America, Laguna Playhouse will be able to continue its work in Anaheim, expanding this workforce development program in readiness of the growing performing arts and entertainment industries in the City of Anaheim and throughout Orange County. “These skills that the students are learning are very marketable for positions at performing arts venues, theme parks, sports arenas, resorts, and hotels,” said Doug Vogel, Laguna Playhouse Director of Development. “Some of the interpersonal communicational skills learned from the experience can also be applied to business opportunities in general.”
“The arts matter in Orange County as both an important cultural driver and a local economic engine and exposing students to the creative arts industry is a terrific way to prepare them for many careers in business. Organizations today operate in a highly competitive, global environment, making creativity crucial,” said Allen Staff, Bank of America Orange County Market President. “We love Laguna Playhouse’s TheaterReach program that introduces students to the arts and to professional pathways because it reflects our own focus on the arts and on workforce development for teens and young adults.”
Last Spring, the students at Anaheim High School worked with Laguna Playhouse to produce The Giverfor two nights on the stage at the Cook Auditorium. The play was performed in the round, a format where the audience sits on the stage surrounding the set and the actors as they perform. The production was attending by students, parents, elected officials and other members of the community who came to support the students’ efforts.
ABOUT LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE
Founded in 1920, the historic Laguna Playhouse is one of the oldest continuously-operating not-for-profit theatres on the West Coast and is proud to be an active participant in the celebrated Laguna Beach arts community. From classic plays and musical comedies to the current off-Broadway smash, Laguna Playhouse brings the magical experience of the performing arts direct to over 100,000 patrons each season.
Laguna Playhouse educational programming includes year-round classes, productions by and for children and teens (Youth Theatre) and is one of the few companies in the region that offer a curriculum-based professional theatre-touring program, TheatreReach, which aligns with the California State Standards for literature, history and performing arts curriculum.
Laguna Playhouse has been recognized in the past five years as one of Orange County Register’s“Best of OC” in the category of Live Theatre. The Laguna Playhouse has featured many talented performers on stage, including Ed Asner, Leslie Caron, Hershey Felder, Melanie Griffith, Val Kilmer, Gregory Harrison, Dan Lauria, Hal Linden, Wendie Malick, Rita Rudner, Charles Shaughnessy, French Stewart, Loretta Swit, and Bette Davis.
Learn What’s Going On at www.lagunaplayhouse.com.
