Facing enrollment drop, Burbank Catholic school gets creative in staffing theater program - latimes.com

Facing enrollment drop, Burbank Catholic school gets creative in staffing theater program - latimes.com

When Providence High School had openings for a drama and choir teacher this fall, administrators got creative: They outsourced.

Due to declining enrollment, the Burbank Catholic high school couldn't afford to hire two instructors at its usual teaching salary, so they hired two actors to teach a full theater arts curriculum at a fraction of the cost.

The professional actors have revitalized the school's drama program, and school leaders say the idea could be a viable option for other financially strapped schools looking to maintain programs that are in financial jeopardy.

"It's a bargain," said Michele Schulte, the school's principal, adding that the actors have been a hit. "This is their passion, teaching children to perform."

The actors, Jeremy Kent Jackson and Dominic Catrambone, co-own DiscoveryOnstage, a company that provides youth theater education programs.

This is their first foray into running a school's drama department and simultaneously producing a play.

"It feels like I'm doing something important every day," Jackson said.

About 22 students meet Monday through Thursday at 7 a.m. for an extra-period drama class. Two to three times a week, students rehearse after school for their upcoming production of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town."