Introduction: Arts Integration and Academic Enhancement

Traditionally the arts have been ancillary to standard academic curriculum; At LAHSA, academic core courses are driven by the theatre arts. This model serves to enhance students’ self-concept, communication skills, and academic achievement; to improve students’ attitudes and perceptions of other cultures; and to raise students’ scores on Standard Assessment Tests.

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LAHSA's Acting Program: Core Principles and Curriculum

Los Angeles High School of the Arts’ Acting program is designed to introduce the skills needed for a young actor to succeed in various aspects of “performance”, with the basic caveat that acting is “living truthfully within imaginary circumstances.”

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Performance Opportunities and Extracurricular Activities
Some of the projects that our actors participate in include:

Greek Theatre

Children’s Theatre

Modern Theatre

Devised Theatre

Film and Television 

Student-produced performances 

Shakespeare

Voice

Drama Teachers’ Association of Southern California Festivals

California Educational Teachers’ Association High School Festival

August Wilson Monologue Competition

A Noise Within Monologue Competition

English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare Competition

DIAVOLO Dance and Movement residency

Field trips to professional shows.

Meet with guest speakers and professional artists mentors.

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Professional Development and 21st Century Skills

Our students, through the acting program, get real-life professional guidance and learn very important 21st century work skills such as: Collaboration Problem solving Script/story analysis Ensemble building Honoring diverse voices Listening and empathy

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Sequential Skill Development and Program Goals

Each year is a sequential approach of laying down the groundwork for students to understand vocal skills, physical skills, tableau to script scoring and operative words (the technical aspect of acting) to interpretation, personalization, moment-to-moment reality, objective, action-playing and active listening and reacting (the emotional aspect of acting). The ultimate goal is to produce a well-rounded student of acting, able to enter any training program and succeed and a well-rounded citizen, able to use acting skills for any vocation that requires a voice and an ear.