For the second straight year, Culver City High School’s AVPA Theatre has been awarded first place for the Los Angeles County region in the CETA (California Educational Theatre Assn.) competition.
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From left, actors Kevin Mitchell, Louis Chavez, Marino Lapidus
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From left, Summer Conception, Nathan Palman, Sierra Parsons, Olivia Finnegan
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Under the direction of Creative Director Sheila Silver, the Academy of Visual and Performing Arts’ production of The Laramie Project was awarded top honors in the County region. Along with regional winners from Orange County, the Inland Empire, and San Diego County, CCHS students will present The Laramie Project on the main stage of the annual CETA Festival during Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, where 2,000 drama students are expected to attend.
The award is an honor for everyone who worked hours to make the show a success.
Screams of excitement, followed by phone calls, text messages, and Facebook posts flooded communication channels of the cast and crew when the news was announced of their win.
The Laramie Project was sold out for all nine performances in the intimate Sony Pictures Black Box Theatre in November. Ms. Silver and the cast and crew will restage the production to a proscenium stage for the festival and will perform it once more in the Robert Frost Auditorium (tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 7 o’clock).
“We simply want to share the story of this powerful play, and we are thrilled that we will touch the lives of so many students at CETA,” Ms. Silver said. “We are so proud to represent the Academy, the School District and all of the community partners who support AVPA in so many ways.” The AVPA is grateful for the support of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Playa Vista, Culver City Education Foundation, Center Theatre Group, The Actor’s Gang, the County Museum of Art, West L.A. College, Museum of Contemporary Art and Ryman Arts.
Ms. Kinnon may be contacted at avpa.pr@gmail.com
