News And Blogs

“Where do cultural leaders come from?” asked Center Theatre Group Director of Social Strategy, Innovation and Impact Leslie K. Johnson. “They’re not just born; they’re made.” Yet training for young people in the arts—especially at the high school and college undergraduate level—typically focuses on transforming them into artists, no...

A Pipeline For Young L.A. Arts Leaders

Center Theatre Group Carpenter Kate Harrow builds, loads in, repairs, and strikes scenery for shows at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Downtown Culver City. Watch her review plans, work with wood, and handle a pretty big saw in our latest Working in Theatre video. She also talks about her education at USC, her big break in summer stock, and what it’s...

The Carpenters who Set the Scene

Disgraced is a play that everyone seems to be talking about across the country, from my family in Chicago to many friends here in L.A. I had heard about how the play dealt with contemporary faith and religion head-on. So when I received an email about Center Theatre Group’s Youth Theatre Forum for Disgraced on June 17, 2016, I got excited. Who do...

Students Discuss Faith, Identity, and ‘Art Activism’

On a Thursday afternoon in early June, an anonymous Downtown L.A. conference room was transformed into a 1920s recording studio on Chicago's South Side filled with music executives, musicians, a legendary blueswoman, and her entourage. The room’s walls had been covered in lists of images and ideas about theatre, music, and American history, and i...

L.A. Educators Immerse Themselves in August Wilson

“Finished, it’s finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished.” The opening line of Samuel Beckett’s Endgame (at the Kirk Douglas Theatre through May 22) signals the play’s exploration of the cyclical nature of existence, with beginnings and endings intertwined. It also could be something of an anthem for students and teacher...

The Art of Teaching Theatre: Summer Theatre Warrior

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