Welcome to La Canada Junior Theater Point Loma!

Thursday

POINT LOMA SCHOOL

Newsies

Dates/Times:
Thursdays, Dates: January 13-June 2, 2022

4:00-6:00 PM PST

*(additional mandatory rehearsals May 31, June 1,2,3,4. Other rehearsals may be added at director's discretion). 

Ages:
5-8
9-11
12 and up

No Rehearsal:
March 31

Performances:
June 4 (Times TBA)

Instructor:
LCJT Staff

Location:
All Souls Episcopal Church
1475 Catalina Blvd
San Diego, CA 92107

Fees:
$795 + $25 materials fee

*Materials fee is waived if paid in full

*Fee includes tuition, all materials, script, and costumes (does not include tickets to the show)

*Can do 3 payments of $273.33 due on  January 1, February 1, and March 1.

Susan Spann

Artistic Director, Producer

Susan, a veteran teacher and actress has produced local children’s theater for over 20 years. Credits include, "Mary Poppins Jr.", "Oklahoma", "Into the Woods Jr.", "Shrek Jr.", "Legally Blonde - the Musical", "Little Shop of Horrors", "Peter Pan Jr.", "Les Miserables School Edition", "Hairspray", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "Oliver", "Grease", “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”, “Annie”, Bugsy Malone”, “High School Musical”, "High School Musical 2", “Willy Wonka”, “Fiddler on the Roof”, "Guys & Dolls", "Bye Bye, Birdie", "Sound Of Music", "West Side Story", "The Rockin' Retro Musical", "Beauty and the Beast Jr", "Newsies", "Moana Junior" and "Frozen Junior".

She co-founded Upstage La Canada in 2001 and the critically acclaimed Upstage Summer Camp in 2003.

Susan also taught in the Performing Arts Academy of John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, and has over twenty years of teaching experience.

Before moving to Los Angeles, Susan was a member of the nationally ranked Indiana State University gymnastics team and a gymnastics coach for children.

Colleen Espenschied

Producer / Production Manager

Colleen Espenschied is a mom of 3 children who fell in love with LCJT when living in La Canada for 2 years. After moving back to San Diego, she searched high and low for a junior musical theater group with a similar format and was unsuccessful. So, she persistently asked Susan, the owner of LCJT, to consider opening up a group in her home area of Point Loma. Professionally, Colleen is a Physician Assistant who has 18 yrs of clinical experience. Currently, she has changed her focus from patients to education and works as a clinical specialist for CooperSurgical. Colleen’s passion for drama and musical theater comes from her childhood. She was a part of every school play available, including some lead parts, from elementary to high school and took voice lessons in high school. In another universe she would have pursued a career on Broadway.

Robert Nickel

Director

“Mr. Robert” is a well-known figure on the Point Loma junior theater scene, having served from 2016–2019 with Christian Youth Theater in the roles of acting teacher, sound designer, and production team member. He is thrilled to return to teaching here, having discovered his own lifelong passion for theater in productions at Sunset View Elementary, Correia Jr. High, and Point Loma High School, where he appeared in numerous shows and was a member of the PLHS Thespian Society. He earned his B.A. in Theater from Stanford University, where favorite roles included “Sidney” in California Suite and “Garbonzo” in West Campus Story. He also directed Little Shop of Horrors and cofounded the improv troupe Spontaneous Generation. Following graduation, he was creative director for youth theater at First Congregational Church Palo Alto and at Menlo Park Presbyterian’s “Junior Winter Camp”. Since returning to Point Loma, he has appeared in The Dining Room with the Red Brick Players, and, most recently, at Point Loma Playhouse in Glorious!, playing the role of Cosme McMoon. He is grateful to his daughter Emma for her own infectious enthusiasm for live theater, and to his wife Michelle for her ever-present encouragement and support.

Jo Jo Ito

Musical Director

Originally from San Francisco, Jo Jo has sung all her life and started playing the violin at age 3. She sang with the acclaimed San Francisco Girls Chorus for 12 years and participated in over 10 productions of the San Francisco Opera. She has a BA in Voice Performance/Music Literature from UCSD, and has performed locally with Pacific Camerata, Cappella Gloriana, Bach Collegium, sacra/profana, among others. She has performed in local productions of The Wizard of Oz (Vanguard Theater), and The Adventures of Patty Cat and Kittle (Coronado Playhouse). Jo Jo is currently a cantor at the Immaculata Church at USD, and a bilingual national anthem singer for various local events. Jo Jo is also an IT project manager, sushi chef, triathlete, Thai boxer, and a busy mom of 2 little ones.

Jupityr Shaw

Choreographer

Jupityr Shaw has been creating works of choreography for over 10 years and is very excited to get to work on this production of Newsies and share his passion for dance with these young artists. His works have been performed by numerous Musical Theater, Ballet and Modern Dance companies as well as multiple educational institutions. Jupityr has had the honor of having his choreography honored in the ACDFA Northwest Conference, having been placed on the gala performance of it’s 2011 conference and has had his choreograph toured around the US and abroad. Jupityr’s work as an artist also encompasses performing and writing. A few of Jupityr’s past choreographic credits include: TVPs Annie The Musical (2019), Almost Human (2016), The Game: Part 3 (2014), Food for Thought (2013), Edificium (2012) and All in a Day (2011).