Live Events: Santa Susana High School
Model AED Pathway: Live Event Production
Located just outside of Los Angeles, Santa Susana High School is a vibrant community of learners focused on demonstrating outstanding scholarship, skill, service and honor in the areas of Accelerated Academics, Technical Arts, and Visual Performing Arts. As a magnet school, Santa Susana High School attracts students who expect to share the benefits of a smaller school campus, while being challenged by a rigorous and relevant academic curriculum and top-notch elective program, while preparing for both college and career.
Santa Susana High School staff are innovative, creative, and forward-thinking. Santa Susana High School’s mission is to build scholarly, skilled, honorable and service-minded students. Guided by the research on small school environments, SSHS students engage themselves and their talents in a setting of cooperation, respect, and compassion for one another. Students earn Certificates of Achievement, college credit, and engage in internship opportunities based on their coursework, performance level, and senior project. The certification process has been recognized by the California School Board Association and through the California Department of Education Gold Ribbon Awards.
Pathway Courses:
Technical Theatre
Technical Theatre Honors
Industry Partners
Technical Theatre students work with a variety of different industry partners. Instructors, Alex Choate and Julia Pinhey, are both actively working in the entertainment industry on projects for Marvel, DC, Disney, Star Wars, the Hollywood Bowl, and much more. With a combined 36 years of experience, they bring a broad spectrum of disciplines, and a time tested professionalism to their students. Paige Loter works with students as a costume designer. She has held artistic positions for the Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers, Musical Theatre Guild, and many others. Paige guides students in creating their own designs, how to construct or alter costumes, and managing costumes during a production. Paige and costume-focused students have their hands full with 6 theatrical shows per year. Alex Johnston works with students to bring our set designs to life. Johnston works with our 30+ students to build all of our theatrical sets on campus. Santa Susana High School’s set designs are constantly getting bigger and better, and Johnston’s work with students is critical to growing our program.
Industry Partner Engagement
Santa Susana works with industry partners to create field trip, internship, volunteering, and work opportunities for students. 5 Star Theatricals has consistently employed students and alumni for over 15 years. Students who work with 5 Star have a unique opportunity to work in 1,800 seat theatre alongside industry professionals. Kinetic Lighting, the City of Thousand Oaks, and L’Acoustics have provided free field trips for students to learn about industry work opportunities and technology. High Street Performing Arts has allowed students to volunteer and shadow professional lighting designers. Jabworks has hired many students to work with professional sound designers on a wide variety of events.
Work Based Learning
Technical Theatre students are constantly engaging in work based learning activities. Santa Susana High School produces over 35 unique events per year which are all staffed solely by students. Students work on plays, musicals, vocal and instrumental music shows, dance concerts, and a variety of special events. Nearly all learning is done while preparing for our productions. Technical Theatre students learn how to create and implement lighting, sound, projection, costume, and prop designs. They learn to construct and dress sets, how to load and operate a counterweight rigging system, and how to operate a show.
Student Success
Many graduates of the Technical Theatre program continue on to work professionally in the entertainment industry. Some students have even founded their own companies! Check out their alumni page found on their website for more details. http://www.santasusanastagecraft.org/alumni.html
