Youth Outreach Production (2024-2025, 2023-2024)
The annual Youth Outreach Productions at CVRep are original theatrical experiences specifically developed for Coachella Valley students that are culturally and socially relevant in today's complicated world. During the twelve years prior to the COVID pandemic, CVRep bussed in more than 14,000 students, free of charge, to experience live theater, some for the very first time. The casts for the productions are comprised of local students as well, and that offers the student actors the opportunity to work in a professional setting, giving many of them their first professional acting experience.
CVRep not only provides the performances to the children for free, but also covers the cost of buses to bring the school students to the theatre. At the end of each performance, a Q & A session is conducted by the Conservatory Artistic Director with the members of the cast and the audience to initiate a dialogue about their experiences and to help the conversations continue long after leaving the theater. Each student is also given a program that includes important information regarding school safety services like SPRIGEO (https://sprigeo.com) and PSSTWorld (https://www.psstworld.com) where they can anonymously report bullying, as well as information about SafeHouse of the Desert (https://safehouseofthedesert.com). CVRep provides productions and outreach programs that positively enrich, enhance and impact the quality of life for residents and visitors in the Coachella Valley." The grant from the Anderson Children’s Foundation will allow CVRep to continue with the Youth Outreach Productions.
BEFORE THE BELL will be the next YOP show and is a riveting drama about bullying in schools. Following the success of OPHELIA LIVES!, where student actors representing four area High Schools took the region by storm with performances that splashed across local TV news with rave reviews, CVRep continues its outreach program with Before the Bell. where the audience becomes spectators to all the factors that can lead to violence in school, and the role that the student eyewitnesses play in these situations. There are great roles for middle and high school-aged performers. We will be auditioning and casting in August of 2024 so stay tuned for future updates!
Contact: Howard Shangraw, Conservatory Artistic Director
Email: hshangraw@cvrep.org
Contact: Jeniffer Hankinson, Managing Director
Email: jhankinson@cvrep.org
