Professional Learning Series

Theatre Teacher Professional Learning: Intimacy Direction, Costuming with Body Positivity, and Stage Combat

 
Thursday, October 16th, 8:30 am-2:00 pm at La Jolla Playhouse
Cost: $75

Calling all middle and high school theatre teachers! Please join us for an invigorating and hands-on professional learning experience around three topics which allow you to guide your students into safe, supported, and healthy creative practices. We will provide lunch to all participants. Please wear clothing comfortable for movement and plenty of water to drink.

Intimacy Direction for School Theatre Programs with Kandace Crystal
This hands-on workshop equips middle and high school theatre teachers with foundational tools in intimacy direction to help create safe, sustainable, and consent-forward rehearsal environments. Learn best practices for staging moments of closeness, setting boundaries, and fostering student trust—essential skills for today’s classroom and stage.

Costuming Basics for All Bodies with Jennifer Ables, La Jolla Playhouse Costume Supervisor
This inclusive workshop offers theatre teachers practical tools for costuming students of all body types and abilities with care and confidence. Explore foundational design strategies, body-positive language, and supportive practices that honor students’ comfort, identity, and self-expression on stage.

Stage Combat Safety for Student Performers with Jordan Miller
Learn the essentials of safe, age-appropriate stage combat for the classroom! This workshop equips theatre teachers with best practices for choreographing and rehearsing combat scenes, emphasizing safety, consent, and storytelling to ensure a supportive environment for all students.

*Please note this workshop is not a la carte and your registration covers all three workshops

Registration opens on Wednesday, July 23. Questions? Email: [email protected]
 

About the Instructors

Kandace Crystal (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate theatre maker with a BFA in Acting from Florida State University and a Teaching Artist at Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, Inc. Select intimacy credits include: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Old Globe), Ripped (Loud Fridge Theatre Group), The Addams Family (San Diego Junior Theatre). She hopes to continue advocating for safe spaces and reducing harm in our industry. Feel free to keep up with her journey on social media, @KandaceCrystal on all platforms.

Jordan Miller is a local actor, director, fight choreographer and teacher, co-founding and being President of Theater For Young Professionals, a private acting school and youth theatre in La Mesa, CA (www.typsandiego.org). Since moving to San Diego in 2009, he has appeared in numerous productions at Cygnet Theater, The Old Globe and is a Company Member and Resident Fight Director with Lamb’s Players Theater. Outside of San Diego, he worked as an actor and stunt performer on several feature films in Los Angeles, spent a year in the medieval jousting show The Tournament of Kings at Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas and travelled internationally as a Principle Singer with Holland America Line.

Jennifer Ables is the Costume Supervisor at La Jolla Playhouse, where she has been leading the costume department since 2018. Prior to joining the staff at LJP she spent 10 years as the Costume Director at Dallas Theater Center. In addition to managing costume teams, Jennifer has worked as a costume designer, cutter/draper, painter/dyer, and wig and makeup artist at various theaters nationwide and holds a MFA in costume design from Florida State University.