News And Blogs

Eleven Participants Are Part of the Inaugural Group That Recognizes and Supports Excellence in Emerging Leaders As we continue to look at our organization and see how to grow and improve, and in response to Center Theatre Group’s “Commitments to Change,” the organization launched the CTG Leadership Circle, a program intended to uplift, celebr...

Center Theatre Group Launches CTG Leadership Circle

“If you don’t see yourself represented outside of yourself, you just feel f*cking invisible,” explains John Leguizamo in Latin History for Morons (onstage at the Ahmanson September 5 – October 20, 2019). Though we’ve never said it in quite this way ourselves, that’s one of the central values of Center Theatre Group’s Student Matinee P...

2019/20 Student Matinees Showcase the Power of Representation

On April 29, 2019, 250 local elementary school students sang and danced their hearts out on the Ahmanson Theatre stage for their friends and families, performing some of the tunes most beloved by children around the globe: songs from Disney musicals. Their journey to the Ahmanson for our 2019 Student Share Celebration began months ago, when their s...

Disney Musicals in Schools Spreads Magic across L.A.

Theatre makers around the country are grappling with cultural appropriation and nontraditional casting right now. But the Asian American speakers at a recent Community Conversation are also coming to terms with their own “internal crisis” about beloved (but problematic) classics like Miss Saigon and The King and I....

Orientalism and the Portrayal of Asian Americans in Musicals

Why don’t we see more Asian Americans onscreen and onstage with accents that aren’t played for laughs? Is it OK for a Japanese actress to play Korean or Taiwanese? And why, if they live in New York City, don’t the characters on Friends have any friends who aren’t white?

The Politics of Casting

Oh, what a night! Please excuse the cliché—I imagine every writer on the planet who has ever penned anything about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons begins with that lyric. But in this case, it would be true, so please allow me to indulge. Three crackerjack teachers from Hawthorne High School joined us for opening night of the Broadway smash hi...

Connecting Students with History through 'Jersey Boys'

In Classroom Connections, Center Theatre Group invites groups of educators to enjoy a night out at the theatre—followed by a discussion of the show and where they found inspiration over food and drinks. The goal is to talk about the bridges we can build between the craft of theatre and the craft of classroom teaching.

Educators Go 'Into The Woods' to Be Reminded That 'Children Will Listen'

‘Fun Home’ Teaches the Power of Adaptation

Introducing theatre to a young audience member can be a magical experience, but it can also be a daunting one. For example: How can you be sure to pick a show with appropriate subject matter? How do you explain different theatrical terms and concepts to someone who has never seen a play before? What is the best way to talk to a young person ab...

A Gentleman's Guide—to Love of Theatre