Coronado School of the Arts Theatre Production, Design and Management is a bustling hub of stagecraft students. The conservatory is commonly referred to as “CoSA Technical Theater.” The class takes place during either students’ third or fourth period both semesters of the school year, along with their fifth period. Technical students will stay on campus until 4:30 pm. MaeAnn Ross-Garcia teaches CoSA Technical, and students simply call her Mae. Students meet every day of the school week for this conservatory. As a whole, the CoSA Technical conservatory boasts over 18 members.
The theater students learn in the Coronado High School Preforming Arts Center, which includes the Main Stage Theater and the Black Box Theater. Opened in 2007, it received a two million dollar enhancement in 2010.
Curriculum for the conservatory includes studying the art of set design and building numerous sets for CoSA productions. Students get access to a state-of-the-art workshop to build sets. The workshop holds all the tools students could need for building these impressive sets. During CoSA Technical students’ time in high school they will get to learn the different factors of sound design, lighting design, and how to operate the complicated computerized lighting system in the Black Box theater. Students have the opportunity to study costume and make up as well. A big factor of this conservatory is learning how to manage a stage, box office, and house.
Why should students join CoSA Technical Theater?
Students will learn all aspects of how a show is put on. They will be a part of a large production and will have to ability to control sound, sets, and lighting. CoSA sophomore Maya Bell says her favorite part of CoSA Tech is lighting. Truly without technical theater there isn’t a show! This is a great starting place to learn many different important skills from being creative to working in a quick environment to growing sharp problem solving abilities. Maya also says students should join CoSA Tech because “you get to meet cool people and learn important skills.”
The Coronado Performing Arts Center at the high schools hosts over seventy events each year for both the school district and the Coronado community. This gives CoSA Technical students plenty of real-world opportunities for career experience. Ella Smith, CoSA Technical sophomore, says her favorite part of the conservatory “would have to be working shows.”
Students are currently working on the upcoming CoSA Musical Theatre and Drama department’s new show, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead!” Maya will be the stage manager for this performance. Technical Theater students get to build all of the sets that will be seen in the show and work the show when it debuts on Friday, February 10th at the Coronado Performing Arts Center at 7 pm.
Find CoSA info, upcoming shows, tickets and more here.
