School Administrator

Beth Sussman is a Juilliard trained pianist and a Master Teaching Artist with a number of arts organizations including The Los Angeles Music Center. In addition to performing throughout Europe and North America, Beth has devoted much of her time of sharing her love of classical music with young people through both school performances and workshops/residencies.

teachers throughout Los Angeles and surrounding communities since 1995 and has had non-profit status since 2003. Research shows that children who experience quality language oriented activities demonstrate early development of literacy, fluency, and mathematical skills regardless of ethnic or socio-economic background (The Chicago Longitudinal Study, 2011). Studies also show that children who have a rich and varied language arts experience have an easier time

Johanna Smith is a Professor of Theatre Education, Improvisation, and Puppetry at CSU-San Bernardino. Her research and practice focuses on integrating puppets into classrooms as well as professional Theatre for Young Audiences. She has served as a puppetry artist for Broadway-bound extravaganzas to museums to colleges to preschools and often directs tours for CSUSB. Her production of The Odyssey (director, puppet design) toured to the PuppetFair puppet festival in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2008, followed by a tour of 4 major Chinese cities for the Chonqing Children's Theatre season in 2009.

In just less than three decades of existence, LA Opera has become, under the leadership of Eli and Edythe Broad General Director Plácido Domingo, the United States' fourth largest opera company and "...stands out as a newly important force in American Opera." (Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times).

YMF’s mission is founded on the belief that every student, every person, should have access to the well- documented lifelong benefits that music and media arts education provide. As communities grapple with the profound social-emotional stress of the pandemic, students need the healing, connection, and stronger sense of self so unique to learning and making music more than ever.

At Center Theatre Group and under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Ritchie, we believe theatre creates an extraordinary connection between artists and audiences that only starts on the stage. Theatre creates the energy that feeds a city, a culture, and a society. Theatre reflects the community it serves. As one of the nation’s most influential nonprofit theatre companies, we proudly continue our 50-year tradition of using the art of theatre to broaden horizons and illuminate new perspectives.