Five L.A. Teachers Selected for Chase Theatre Educators Fellowships

Believing strongly in the powerful and positive effects of arts programming, and that an investment in teachers is key to ensuring quality arts education for all students in the Los Angeles County schools, Center Theatre Group is launching a new theatre educator professional development program.

Designed by CTG's Education and Engagement department, P.L.A.Y., and supported by a grant from JP Morgan Chase Foundation, the Chase Theatre Educators Fellowship Program will award on an annual basis five fellowships to outstanding educators. The program is intended to help the educators build their capacity to teach and integrate theatre in their classrooms. The fellows will receive up to $5000 each, plus a $100 Chase gift card for post-fellowship class materials.

The Chase Theatre Educators Fellowship Program will address the critical professional development needs of teachers and support their artistic revitalization by providing opportunities to gain knowledge and skills, to take risks, to connect deeply with both the art of theatre and personal creativity, and to build a professional learning community with their peers.

Five teachers have been selected for the inaugural year of the Chase Theatre Educators Fellowship Program: Brian Patrick Byrne of Milken Community High School, Los Angeles; Joanne F. Karr of Walnut High School, Walnut; Jane McEneaney of Turning Point School, Culver City; Brandon Rainey of Fernando Pullum Performing Arts High School and Lou Dantzler Prep Charter Schools, both in Los Angeles; and Patricia Sciortino, Bridges Academy, Studio City.

The fellows submitted individual courses of study that will provide a three-month immersion in their own creative work. The goal of the study is to increase their effectiveness, which will directly benefit the young people they teach. In addition, at the end of the study, a report will be written by the teachers and shared with the broader community to educate and foster professional dialogue about innovative approaches to professional development.

"Center Theatre Group is honored to have this unique opportunity to invest in theatre educators, particularly at such a tumultuous and challenging time for teachers in general, and for arts teachers specifically," said Leslie Johnson, P.L.A.Y.'s Director of Education and Outreach. "We all need to support teachers. It is key to providing students with a quality education. The CTG Chase Fellowship program allows teachers time to investigate new approaches, and gives them the resources to access innovative teaching practices and the ability to regularly communicate and collaborate with fellow educators. Through these awards, CTG hopes to empower theatre educators as instructional leaders, change agents and artists."

"Our partnership with Center Theatre Group enables Chase to help a broader range of educators with the support and resources to enhance the learning that is happening in their classrooms," said Antonio Manning, Region Executive, West/Southwest Global Philanthropy, JP Morgan Chase & Co. "In these tough times, it's nice to know that we can play a part in helping educators achieve their professional goals."

Center Theatre Group, a non-profit organization, is one of the largest and most active theatre companies in the nation, programming seasons at the Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center of Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to providing Theatre Of the highest caliber to the rich, diverse communities of Southern California, CTG supports a significant number of arts education and play development initiatives.

CTG has designed its education and engagement program, P.L.A.Y., to help improve the quality and scope of arts education in Los Angeles, to invest in the training, support and development of emerging young artists and young arts professionals, and to inspire current and future audiences to discover theatre and its connection to their lives. P.L.A.Y. supports a CTG core belief that stimulating awareness, creativity, dialogue and an inquisitive mind is integral to the growth and well-being of the individual and the community; and that nurturing a life-long appreciation of the arts leads inextricably to an engaged and enlightened society.

Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

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