Faculty

CHRIS MANNAL
Elementary Theatre
cmannal@spusd.net
​
Chris Mannal (SAG-AFTRA) has been a professional actor and voice over artist for over 20 years. After teaching Theatre Arts for the Arts Education branch of the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2008-2012, he was hired by the South Pasadena Unified School District in the summer of 2012. His focus for students and Theatre Arts centers around the "4 C's"; creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.
MYRA MARACINE
SPMS Theatre
mmaracine@spusd.net
Ms. Maracine has been the Drama Teacher at South Pasadena Middle School since 2017. She is a Career Technical Education teacher in Theatre Arts with over 20 years of professional experience in the acting industry. She trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts acting conservatory, where she also became a member and performer of the school’s repertory theater company. As a long time member of the two professional actors unions, the Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association, she has performed in theater, film and television as an actor and voiceover artist. She has studied acting with various industry professionals, renowned teachers and theatre companies such as South Coast Repertory Theatre Company, East West Players and Improv Theatre.

​For 6 years she was the Production Director at Upstage Theatre Schools, managing the day to day operations of the South Pasadena location for classes, rehearsals, teaching staff as well as overseeing all production elements for the SPEF 5th grade musical, summer theatre camps and year round after school theatre programs. She has privately taught and coached students ages 10 and up on acting, musical theatre, audition and on-camera technique. She also has 10 years of experience working for the Educational Theatre department at Kaiser Permanente as an educator/performer, where she toured and performed for middle school students throughout Southern California and led in-class workshops and later, as an educational facilitator, school and community liaison for the department. 
NICK HOFFA
SPHS THEATRE
nhoffa@spusd.net
www.southpasdrama.com/
Nick Hoffa graduated with honors from Wesleyan University and is a CTE-credentialed teacher. He is a professional actor with 15 years of credits, including roles on Justified, Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, and more than twenty national commercials. He been teaching at SPHS since 2016 and was named the Rookie of the Year teacher in 2017-18. ​
Mr. Jontz has worked at SPHS for more than 25 years. He is currently serving as the performing arts instructional assistant, career technical Education (CTE) stagecraft instructor and Associated Student Body (ASB) financial clerk on campus.
JAMES JONTZ
SPHS STAGECRAFT
jjontz@spusd.net
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT COMING SOON!
If you are an alumni of SPUSD that has gone into a career in the visual or performing arts, we want to hear from you! Please consider clicking the link below to update us on your accomplishments and join our thriving SPUSD Arts alumni community. ​

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES
Baylor University
CalState Fullerton,
Chapman University
Cornish College of the Arts,
Emerson College
Ithaca College
Loyola Marymount University
Michigan State University
New York Film Academy
New York University
Northwestern University
The Julliard School
UC Irvine
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Oklahoma Norman
University of Saint Mary 
University of Southern California
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Wellesley College
Yale University

COURSES OFFERED
ELEMENTARY
Introductory Theatre TK-5

MIDDLE
Drama 1 
This course will introduce the basics of stage acting, theatrical concepts, theatre history and vocabulary. The class will provide a foundation for students to effectively begin the art of character development while engaging in physical, mental, and vocal acting techniques including improvisation, movement, and storytelling. Through games and exercises and small group performance projects, students will learn to build confidence and trust, stimulate imagination and creativity, with an emphasis on believability in a supportive class environment.
Advanced Drama (Year)

HIGH
Drama I (CTE)
This two-semester/one-year course introduces students to the art and profession of drama and the theater. In the first semester, emphasis is given to necessary discipline and teamwork, basic acting skills, and production of drama. Varied performance, projects and writings are assigned. There is time out of class required for this course. The second semester emphasizes the skills necessary to form a true performance technique through projects in script analysis, scene study and characterization (dramatic and comedic). This semester stresses research into the historical context of scripts, writing to achieve and in-depth grasp of character and the diversity of drama through the study of multicultural dramatic literature. Students must demonstrate minimum proficiency to continue enrollment in the second semester. UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA)

​Drama II (CTE)
This course is designed for students who demonstrate a high commitment to drama and a strong desire to sharpen and refine their dramatic skills. Advanced acting, directing, writing, and production projects are assigned. Prerequisite: Instructor approval and a grade of “B” in Drama I. On a rare occasion a student may enter directly into Advanced Drama by proving his/her qualifications through a rigorous test and audition/interview process. (1 semester that may be repeated for continuous credit). UC/CSU Approved for “F” Visual & Performing Arts (VPA).