A Pathway to the Profession of Theatre for Students
Chula Vista, CA, Monday, February 19, 2024 – We are excited to announce a new Arts partnership in the South Bay!
Sharon Maley, a professional in the theater industry and the Career and Technical Education Theatre teacher at Chula Vista High in the School for the Creative and Performing Arts, recognized the need for a way to empower her students to launch into their futures through apprenticeship opportunities.
According to Sharon, “San Diego has a vibrant, exciting theater community; however, accessibility for students in the South Bay is an obstacle we need to address. The solution is to bring those opportunities to them!”
To address this need, Sharon Maley created a Pre-Professional Program proposal that brings together the Sweetwater Union High School Career and Technical Education and Visual and Performing Arts Departments, the students of Chula Vista High SCPA, and the professional staff of the renowned Cygnet Theatre. This program will be a professional process and establish apprenticeships for producing their spring show, The Matchmaker to be produced in early March 2024.
This incredible collaboration will give students the industry-specific, unprecedented work-based experience they need to further their Theatre education in a college or career and fulfill the Career Preparation and Career Training portions of the 2023-2024 CTE Certification, Industry, “Work Based Learning Opportunities” matrix.
Our partnership is truly a win-win for everyone involved!
The Chula Vista High School for the Creative and Performing Arts is a “school with-in a school” located on the Chula Vista Middle and Chula Vista High School campuses for grades 7-12 designed to graduate professionally trained, well-rounded performers and artists who have developed a strong work ethic and character through being artistically perceptive, expressively creative, aesthetically astute, and possessive of a cultural and historical understanding of their chosen art form. www.cvscpa.org
Cygnet Theatre Company produces a year-round season of professional Off-Broadway-style theatre as well as thought-provoking and engaging educational programming. Cygnet is committed to maintaining high standards of artistic and fiscal integrity and serves more than 40,000 patrons annually from San Diego and beyond. Cygnet performs its mainstage productions at the state-of-the-art theatre in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. An active member of the San Diego community, Cygnet has outreach programs serving tens of thousands of students and community members annually. For more information, visit www.cygnettheatre.com.
The Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department’s main focus is to prepare students for academic achievement, career exploration, career preparation, and leadership development. The successful transition to post-secondary education and the workplace will be accomplished through the principles of college and career readiness: communication, collaboration, problem-solving, professionalism, job shadowing, internships, and business partnerships.
The Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Department empowers each student to think creatively, work creatively, and live creatively.
VAPA recognizes that by studying visual and performing arts, students learn to develop initiative, discipline, perceptual abilities, and critical, creative thinking skills that extend to all areas of life. https://vapa.sweetwaterschools.org/