CTE

conservatory theatre ensemble

our partnership with cte

Conservatory Theater Ensemble is an award-winning theater education program at Tam that spans a four-year sequence of training in all aspects of theater.

Since 2021, Tam High Foundation has coordinated fundraising efforts on behalf of CTE. Your donation to Tam High Foundation pays for guest artists, sets, costumes, theater upgrades, and operating costs.

This page contains limited information about Tam High's drama program. See CTE's official website for more details and information.

CTE WEBSITE

about the program

With roughly 250 students in 10 different drama classes, CTE is Marin County’s most extensive performing arts program for teens. It’s also one of the busiest in the nation, with eight mainstage productions over 45 evenings.

CTE strives to provide students with a complete education in all aspects of theater. This includes acting, directing, designing, producing, and running productions. We also foster new works by performing student-written plays.

It takes an ensemble to make plays come alive onstage. CTE is a student-run company that emphasizes teamwork. Students fill the roles of actors, directors, designers, technicians, backstage crew, and playwrights.

CTE could not be the program it is without its guests artists. From carpentry and painting to directing and Shakespeare, these spectacular instructors teach our students not only how to grow as artists, but as people, too.

In the spring, Advanced Drama students have the opportunity to participate in a global studies trip to London. This annual CTE tradition allows students to see multiple plays, engage in acting and design workshops, and enjoy London.

how to support CTE

Our drama students need your support. Here's how you can participate.

Donate to the
Tam High Foundation

Your donation supports theater, art, and music classes at Tam, along with academic enrichment programs, technology, guest teachers, and wellness programs for every student.

DONATE

Attend a Student
Performance

Performances are generally held in Tam High's Caldwell Theater. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for seniors, students are FREE. Tickets can be purchased through our Events page.

EVENTS

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Sneak a peek behind the scenes as students rehearse, perfect, and perform a range of plays and performances, many written and directed by Tam High drama students.

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Class Curriculum

While students might take a drama class to fulfill graduation requirements, many continue with four full years of education. Classes emphasize collaboration and leadership.

Drama 1-2

Designed for first-year students, this class introduces all forms of theater, including the structure of drama, history, pantomime, voice and diction, scene reading, improvisation, acting techniques, exercises in projection and movement, memorized scenes, and analysis of dramatic literature from the standpoint of production.

Students perform in One Act Festivals twice a year to showcase their work. These plays are directed by Honors Directing students and are a cornerstone of the collaborative aspect of the program.

Drama 5-6
Stagecraft

In this advanced course, students learn technical stagecraft techniques and the basics of theater management. They are exposed to all five design disciplines: lights, sounds, set, costumes and props.

In Stagecraft, students will create a production from conception to performance. Students perform in one of six mainstage shows and fulfill a production position on a second show. This after-school class meets in the evenings. Concurrent enrollment in Drama 5-6 or 7-8 is required.

Drama 3-4

This course stresses voice, stage, movement, dance, technical theater, improvisation, stage terminology, and further preparation for advanced work. Students work with guest artists in specific areas of theater.

Drama 3-4 students have an opportunity to partake in The Lovejoy Project, a collaboration with Mr. Lovejoy’s special day class. This play is based off of personal experiences and is written, designed, and acted by students during the spring One Act Festival. We encourage you to come and watch this heartwarming piece.

drama 7-8
Honors directing

Students lead projects with peers and younger students, participate in guest artist workshops, and produce two One-Act Festival plays over the year.

Students run rehearsals and public performances, direct peers, analyze scripts, and do a good amount of writing.

This course builds on skills learned in Drama 1-6. Students maintain journal portfolios to track their projects and growth as artists.

Theater Directors

Ben Cleaveland

Ben has been teaching drama since 1999. Professional acting work includes leading roles at the American Conservatory Theater, Shakespeare Festival LA, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Word for Word, TheatreWorks, Bay Area Playwright’s Festival, Theatre First, and the Kern Shakespeare Festival. Ben is a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild and Actor’s Equity Association. While working in Los Angeles, Ben appeared on HBO and major television networks. Awards include the Theatre Bay Area’s 2012 North Bay Theatre Teacher of the Year, the 2008 Milley Award for Contributions to the Performing Arts, the 2008 Redwoods’ Terwilliger Award for Excellence in Teaching, and a 2002 Marin County Golden Bell Award for Innovative Curriculum. Ben graduated with a BFA in acting from Cal Arts. While there, he was a recipient of the Wasserman and Ahmanson Scholarships. He is a fourth-generation Mill Valley resident and attended Park School, MVMS, and Tam High Drama.

Peter Q. Parish

Peter is a scenic and lighting designer and director and a long-time teacher in the Tamalpais Union High School District. He is VERY excited to join forces with Ben Cleaveland to shepherd CTE to new heights in design, stagecraft, acting, and all things stage-magic! Peter received his BA in theater arts with an emphasis in mask-making from Humboldt State University. In 2016, Peter packed up his family and moved to Ireland for a year while attaining his masters degree in stage design and lighting from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland at The Lir, National Academy of Dramatic Art. Peter has been designing sets and lights around the Bay Area since 2000, working with Cinnabar Theater, Bay Area Children’s Theater, Sonoma State University, RIPE Theatre and several other companies. His designs can be seen this year at College of Marin’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher (lighting design) as well as their production of The Late Wedding (set and lighting design) in spring 2024.

Guest Artists

Not pictured (but highly appreciated):

Hannah Jane Dakin, Jon Demigillo, and Charlotte Wheeler

Susan Brashear

Susan attended high school at Interlochen Arts Academy, holds a BFA in acting from The Goodman Theatre, and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London for further classical training. Susan began her acting career in the Bay Area, where she worked at Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, California Actors Theatre, Eureka Theatre, Marin Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Artists of Marin, Unconditional Theatre. Her extensive work at Marin Theatre Company during its formative years when she and her husband, Will Marchetti, were instrumental in developing the professional theatre company we have today in Mill Valley.

Iu-Hui Chua

Iu-Hui choreographs, performs, directs, and devises physical theater, dance, and video performance. She has presented her work at the SF International Arts Festival, Apature, Asian American Dance Performances, San Francisco Art Institute, ODC, Yugen Presents, Somafest, Highways Performance Space, Sea Ranch, and site-specific locations in North America, Asia and Europe. She’s been a company member with Anna Halprin, Ledoh and Salt Farm, Dandelion Dancetheater, Headmistress, Plaza, and Labayen Dance, and has created several award-winning dance films including “All flesh is grass” and “Nexus.”

Robert Ernst

Robert is co-founder of the Berkeley-based Blake Street Hawkeyes and the Iowa Theater Lab. He teaches creative writing of all kinds with a focus on play- writing. He earned his BA from the University of Iowa. His original work Catherine’s Care was nominated for a Critic’s Circle award for Best Play. His own pocket opera The John was picked for Best of the Year Series by the Bay Guardian. He received Dramalogue awards for best director and best production for Tokens. Robert once performed non-stop, according to The Guiness Book of World Records rules, for over 24 hours. He is a member of the band Smooth Toad.

Julia McNeal

Julia is an award-winning actress who appeared in numerous theater and film productions in New York and Los Angeles before making the Bay Area her home. Local credits include: SF Playhouse, Marin Theatre Company, Porchlight, TheatreFirst, Center Reperatory Company, Pacific Alliance Theatre, First Person Singular, PlayGround (company member), and others. She is trained in Linklater Voice Technique, Meisner Technique and various other modalities. She also teaches a distinct technique for playing multiple characters at The Marsh Theatre and privately. Julia is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

Regina Saisi

Regina Saisi is a San Francisco-based actor and improviser. She has taught at ACT, CTE, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, UC Santa Cruz and KAUST in Saudi Arabia and has performed internationally in Belgium, Holland, Italy, Finland, France, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. A pioneer in the development of long-form improv, she is a founding member of the improvisational theatre companies Improv Playhouse of San Francisco, True Fiction Magazine, Pulp Playhouse, and is a Company member of BATS Improv where she is currently the Dean.

CTE

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