School For Creative And Performing Arts
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The School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) is a
magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...
arts school in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
in the US state of
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, and part of the
Cincinnati Public Schools Cincinnati Public Schools (often abbreviated CPS) is the U.S. state of Ohio's third-largest public school district, by enrollment, after Columbus City Schools and Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Cincinnati Public Schools is the largest ...
(CPS). SCPA was founded in 1973 as one of the first magnet schools in Cincinnati and became the first school in the country to combine a full range of arts studies with a complete
college-preparatory A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to state school, public, Independent school, private independent or parochial school, parochial schools primaril ...
academic program for elementary through high school students. Of the approximately 350 arts schools in the United States, SCPA is one of the oldest and has been cited as a model for both
racial integration Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation). In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity ...
and for arts programs in over 100 cities. SCPA had three different homes in its first four years, including a makeshift campus in the Mount Adams neighborhood and another in Roselawn. In 1976, it occupied the Old Woodward High School building, on the site of one of the oldest public schools in the country. The school rose to national prominence in the 1980s, but was nearly closed in the 1990s following a series of scandals, leadership struggles, and an arson fire which destroyed the auditorium. Its reputation recovered in the years that followed and in 2009–10, the school was featured in the
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
reality series ''
Taking the Stage ''Taking the Stage'' is a musical reality show set at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is produced by Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American singer, actor, television per ...
'', filmed at the school and featuring SCPA students. In 2010 SCPA combined with the Schiel Primary School for Arts Enrichment to create the first
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
through
twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...
(about ages five to seventeen) arts school and first private sector/public arts school in the US. A new facility in
Over-the-Rhine Over-the-Rhine (often abbreviated as OTR) is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Historically, Over-the-Rhine has been a working-class neighborhood. It is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United State ...
was championed by the late Cincinnati Pops
Maestro Maestro (; from the Italian '' maestro'' , meaning "master" or "teacher") is an honorific title of respect (plural: maestros or maestri). The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera, in line with the ubiqu ...
Erich Kunzel Erich Kunzel, Jr. (March 21, 1935 – September 1, 2009) was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the ''Chicago Tribune'', he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnati ...
and funded through a unique public-private partnership that raised over $31 million in private contributions to match public funding. The building features specialized facilities for the arts and three separate theaters and is the key to redevelopment plans for the area. Students must audition for admission; fewer than 20 percent of those who apply each year are accepted. SCPA is free to CPS students but also attracts tuition-paying students from outside the district and the state. The newly combined school will serve approximately 1,300 students in 2010, offering a curriculum designed to prepare students for professional careers in
creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary ...
,
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
,
music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...
,
technical theater Stagecraft is a technical aspect of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes constructing and rigging scenery; hanging and focusing of lighting; design and procurement of costumes; make-up; stage management; audio engineering; and p ...
, and
visual art The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts ...
. The emphasis is on performance, and students in every field are required to perform or present their work in public regularly. Students compete successfully in arts competitions locally and internationally. On
standardized test A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a predete ...
s, SCPA ranks second among Cincinnati public schools. Ninety percent of graduating seniors continue on to college, and those students receive one of the highest levels of scholarship funding in the city. A limited number of extracurricular activities are offered, as students are expected to commit significant after-school time to training and performance. SCPA has produced notable graduates in a wide range of artistic fields, including award-winning actors, singers, directors and technicians.


History


Background

The School for Creative and Performing Arts arose, in part, as a response to the recurring
desegregation Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...
battles in the
Cincinnati Public Schools Cincinnati Public Schools (often abbreviated CPS) is the U.S. state of Ohio's third-largest public school district, by enrollment, after Columbus City Schools and Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Cincinnati Public Schools is the largest ...
(CPS) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In a 1965 civil rights suit, the city prevailed when a federal judge found that the schools were not intentionally segregated, but that "the racial composition of each school is simply a result of the racial composition of the neighborhoods which they serve". By 1971, Cincinnati's neighborhoods and schools had grown more segregated and the
Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
upheld
forced busing Race-integration busing in the United States (also known simply as busing, Integrated busing or by its critics as forced busing) was the practice of assigning and transporting students to schools within or outside their local school districts in ...
as a remedy for school segregation in other cities. Desiring to avoid such drastic remedies for Cincinnati, newly appointed Superintendent Dr. Donald Waldrip pushed forward a program of
alternative schools An alternative school is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional. Such schools offer a wide range of philosophies and teaching methods; some have strong political, scholarly, or philosophical orientati ...
(later called magnet schools), designed "to calm the desires of parents for academic choice and to stem the demands of federal judges for court-ordered desegregation." The theory behind alternative schools was open enrollment: students could attend any alternative school they chose at no cost, so long as an even racial balance at the new school was maintained. So far as possible, students were admitted to these programs on a one white for one black basis. The School for Creative and Performing Arts was the first alternative school in what would become one of the largest and most robust magnet programs in the country. In 1965, Robert McSpadden and Bill Dickinson, both music teachers in the Cincinnati Public Schools, founded the Cincinnati All-City Boy Choir, where they were struck by how the discipline they established for the boys in the choir carried over into their academic studies. They conceived the idea of a school where basic education was combined with intensive attention to children with artistic talents. With the support of Waldrip and Tom Murray, director for the west-central division of Cincinnati elementary schools, they pushed for $119,000 as part of a tax levy referendum in May 1973; the measure was defeated. The school was approved with a drastically reduced budget of $27,000 plus $9,850 from the Board of Education's general fund. They turned to private funding and won a $292,000 grant from J. Ralph Corbett, one of the city's foremost philanthropists for the arts, and $24,500 for a piano lab from the
Baldwin Piano Company The Baldwin Piano Company is an American piano brand. It was once the largest US-based manufacturer of keyboard instruments and known by the slogan, "America's Favorite Piano". Since 2001, it has been a subsidiary of Gibson Brands, Inc. It cease ...
, which had manufactured pianos in Cincinnati since 1891. The School for Creative and Performing Arts opened in August 1973, as the only grade four through
six 6 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 6 or six may also refer to: * AD 6, the sixth year of the AD era * 6 BC, the sixth year before the AD era * The month of June Science * Carbon, the element with atomic number 6 * 6 Hebe, an asteroid People ...
school for the performing arts in the country and the first public school that combined all of the arts in a single program. The curriculum included art,
instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
music,
choral music A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
, dance and drama, and was not organized strictly by grade, but permitted students to advance as soon as their abilities allowed. Murray explained:
Fourth through sixth grades will be together in classes. Teaching will often be done in teams. Art students will design scenery for plays, written by drama students. Music pupils will supply the music. They work together regardless of age. In reading classes they will read according to their own individual levels. A brilliant music student, capable of interpreting Beethoven's wildest dreams, might stumble on fifth level reading. This does not make him a dunce simply a slow reader.


Founding in Mount Adams (1973–1975)

Dickinson was named coordinator and six weeks later he, McSpadden, Murray and others had selected a staff, developed a program, recruited students, and moved into the Mount Adams Public School building at 1125 St. Gregory Street. Described by '' Cincinnati Magazine'' as "a quaint village of imaginative, arty residents, unusual shops and restaurants, and historic buildings" and overlooking downtown Cincinnati and the
Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
, Mount Adams had been home to the
Art Academy of Cincinnati The Art Academy of Cincinnati is a private college of art and design in Cincinnati, Ohio, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. It was founded as the McMicken School of Design in 1869, and was a department of the U ...
(the museum school of the
Cincinnati Art Museum The Cincinnati Art Museum is an art museum in the Eden Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1881, it was the first purpose-built art museum west of the Alleghenies, and is one of the oldest in the United States. Its collection of ov ...
) since 1887, and was a "mecca for students and teachers of art". The Mount Adams School was nearly defunct, with fewer than 80 students remaining. Fifty of those children, ranging from
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...
(around age five) to
third grade Third grade (also called grade three, equivalent to Year 4 in England) is a year of primary education in many countries. It is the third school year of primary school. Students are usually 8–9 years old. Examples of the American syllabus *I ...
(around age eight) remained alongside the new SCPA. A dozen of the Mount Adams
middle school A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
students were accepted into the new program, along with the 140 other fourth through sixth grade pupils selected from schools around the city by audition. By 1974, SCPA had 332 students, with 500 on the waiting list, and had overflowed into rented space in the surrounding neighborhood, including three rooms at the nearby Holy Cross School, two rooms at the community center two blocks away, and large room for drama above Mike's Meat Market across the street. Students practiced instruments in hallways and restrooms, and the library was in the middle of the second floor hall. Student productions were held in other schools around the city, and the first major musical, ''Babes in Toyland'', was performed at Education Center downtown. With plans to expand to
ninth grade Ninth grade, freshman year, or grade 9 is the ninth year of school education in some school systems. Ninth grade is often the first school year of secondary school, high school in the United States, or the last year of middle school#United States ...
(around age 14) and 540 students in 1975, and to
twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...
(around age 17) and 1,400 students in 1977, a new facility had to be found. Waldrip proposed the school move to the Old Woodward school building, then home of Abigail Cutter Junior High School, in
Over-the-Rhine Over-the-Rhine (often abbreviated as OTR) is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Historically, Over-the-Rhine has been a working-class neighborhood. It is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United State ...
, a predominantly African-American area near downtown. Neighborhood resistance was strong and opponents, arguing that "the school administration was trying to avoid problems of integration by moving an alternative school to Cutter and transferring Cutter students elsewhere", blocked the plan. Councilwoman Bobbie Stern proposed the school move to
Cincinnati Union Terminal Cincinnati Union Terminal is an intercity train station and museum center in the Queensgate, Cincinnati, Queensgate neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Commonly abbreviated as CUT, or by its Amtrak station code, CIN, the Railroad terminal, termina ...
, a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
which the
Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
called "a unique and monumental manifestation of
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
architecture and interior decoration", noted for its mosaic murals depicting the history of Cincinnati and its rotunda, high and long, the largest
semi-dome In architecture, a semi-dome (or half-dome) is a half dome that covers a semi-circular area in a building. Architecture Semi-domes are a common feature of apses in Ancient Roman and traditional church architecture, and in mosques and iwans in Isla ...
in the western hemisphere. The facility, vacant since it was abandoned by
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
in 1972, was to house the school, a maintenance facility for the
Queen City Metro The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) is the public transport agency serving Cincinnati and its Ohio suburbs. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, SORTA operates fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtransit, and paratransit ...
transit service, and a new rail terminal for Amtrak. The plan was approved in April 1975 and was due for completion for the 1976 school year.


Transition in Roselawn (1975–1976)

Temporary space was needed in the interim, and the school relocated its 550 fourth through ninth grade students to rented space in Roselawn, the epicenter of Cincinnati's Jewish Community. The school was divided between two buildings, the Yavneh Day School building at 1636 Summit Road and the nearby Jewish Community Center. The Yavneh Day school, founded in 1952 by parents who wanted to combine secular and Jewish education for their children, moved to Roselawn in 1958 but had outgrown that facility. The school had no lockers; students carried their belongings between buildings. Lunches were delivered from another school and served at a nearby church. Dickinson became principal in 1975, and worked to fully integrate the arts into the academic program. "Academics don't end when art, drama or music classes begin," he said, "but blend, in an interdisciplinary approach to education." Music study included acoustics and the history and architecture of important musical periods; art history was part of the art curriculum and anatomy and physiology were studied in the dance program. The school was recognized with ''
The Cincinnati Post ''The Cincinnati Post'' was an afternoon daily newspaper published in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. In Northern Kentucky, it was bundled inside a local edition called ''The Kentucky Post''. The ''Post'' was a founding publication and onetime ...
's'' Corbett Award in 1976 as "the arts organization making an outstanding contribution to the community". The Union Terminal project was derailed when the three prospective tenants failed to agree on how to share the space. Having outgrown its temporary facilities, SCPA was again forced to find a new home for the following year. After examining options including the historic
Rockdale Temple The Rockdale Temple, Kahal Kadosh Bene Israel (19th-century spelling K. K. Benai Israel), is the oldest Jewish congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains, the oldest congregation in Ohio, the second oldest Ashkenazi congregation in the United St ...
and two schools slated to be closed in the city's West End, the school board once again settled on the Old Woodward building, over the objections of the community.


Old Woodward and national attention (1976–1990)

SCPA's new home was in the heart of Pendleton district in Over-the-Rhine. One of the largest German-American neighborhoods in the United States in the 19th century and a famed entertainment district at that time, Over-the-Rhine had declined into an impoverished and crime-ridden enclave for migrant
Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...
ns in the 20th century. By 1970, a combination of
white flight White flight or white exodus is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the United States. They refer ...
and the destruction of surrounding slums had transformed the area into Cincinnati's most infamous ghetto. It is one of the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United States and the most dangerous neighborhood in Cincinnati. The school, with its 650 students, moved into this historic but blighted neighborhood, and its Old Woodward School building at 1310 Sycamore Street. Woodward was one of the oldest public schools in the country, founded as the Woodward Free Grammar School in 1831; it was named for William Woodward, a local tanner who donated the land to provide, in his words, "facilities to educate the children of persons who could not afford the expense of private schooling". The building was replaced once in 1855, and again in 1907 when President
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
, who graduated from Woodward in 1874, laid the cornerstone of the current building; it opened in 1910. The site is linked to the
Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
, an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States;
Levi Coffin Levi Coffin (October 28, 1798 – September 16, 1877) was an American Quaker, Republican, abolitionist, farmer, businessman and humanitarian. An active leader of the Underground Railroad in Indiana and Ohio, some unofficially called Coffin the " ...
(known as "The President of the Underground Railroad") had a home there from 1856 to 1863. The five-story brick, stone, and
terra cotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
building is approximately . Designed by Gustav Brach, it was considered "an architectural gem" in its time, with some of the most modern facilities of its day, including flush toilets, central heating, and two swimming pools. It is graced with 12 rare Rookwood Pottery drinking fountains from the early 1900s, gifts of the Art League, founded in 1895, which raised dues from students who would then vote on works of art to buy for the school. The building is part of the Over-the-Rhine National Register Historic District, which encompasses of the original German community and adjoins the Sycamore – 13th Street Historic District, which reflects the significant architecture associated with middle and late 19th century
Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...
, Queen Anne, and
Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian R ...
styles. Woodward High School moved to a new facility in Bond Hill in 1953, and the building became Abigail Cutter Junior High School (also known as Cutter), named for William Woodward's wife. SCPA occupied the fourth floor in 1976, and the entire building in 1977, displacing the Cutter students to other public schools. It graduated its first class in 1979, becoming the first elementary through grade twelve arts program in the country. The first so-called "survivors", who began in fourth grade, graduated in 1982. SCPA continued to attract national attention, and as a local TV special reported, "educators from all over the country flock dto Cincinnati to see how, and why, it works." In 1981, SCPA was invited to perform ''
The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...
'' at the National Theatre in
Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
, the "Theatre of the Presidents" and oldest major touring house in the country, becoming the first non-professional group to perform there since it opened in 1835. SCPA student Roscoe (Rocky) Carroll won the 1981
National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
Talent Search in drama and became a
Presidential Scholar The United States Presidential Scholars Program is a program of the United States Department of Education. It is described as "one of the Nation's highest honors for students" in the United States of America and the globe. The program was estab ...
in the Arts. The school received the Blue Ribbon School of the
United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...
in 1984 and the National Secondary School Merit Award in 1985. By 1985, it had been credited as the model for arts schools in 100 cities in the US, Europe, and Asia, and had been cited in textbooks as a model of excellence in school integration. The school relied heavily on donations, which made up over ten percent of the total budget. The Friends of SCPA (commonly known as The Friends), a nonprofit organization led by parents and members of the business and arts communities, had been a vital source of funding since the school's inception. In 1984, The Friends raised over $400,000 to pay the salaries of the artistic director, technical director, costume designer, and dance, strings, and production teachers. In later years, The Friends raised up to $1 million each year through special events, corporate gifts and sponsorships, advertising sales, and other programs to support the artistic needs of the school including staff salaries, production expenses, scholarships for private lessons, and artists in residence.


Controversy and comeback (1991–2009)

Scandal erupted when principal Dickinson resigned in 1991, citing health reasons, while under investigation for alleged improper contact with students off school grounds; no charges were ever filed. He was succeeded by Dr. Rosalyn England, former principal of Central VPA High School in St. Louis. Controversy continued and between 1992 and 1995, two teachers confessed to having or attempting to have sex with students and two more were investigated for allegations of sexual misconduct. In 1992, open conflict with England led to the departure of original Artistic Director Jack Louiso, whom Dickinson had called "the 'life-blood' of the school's artistic endeavors". The artistic program would remain in upheaval; four more artistic directors would come and go under England. The controversies took a toll; applications suffered, teachers departed, financial support dwindled and the quality of the productions declined. By 1996, enrollment had fallen from nearly 1,200 to 956. In April 1996, an arson fire destroyed the school's auditorium, causing over $1 million of damage; it was a turning point for a school then dangerously close to closure. The culprit was never identified.
Erich Kunzel Erich Kunzel, Jr. (March 21, 1935 – September 1, 2009) was an American orchestra conductor. Called the "Prince of Pops" by the ''Chicago Tribune'', he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnati ...
, long time
Maestro Maestro (; from the Italian '' maestro'' , meaning "master" or "teacher") is an honorific title of respect (plural: maestros or maestri). The term is most commonly used in the context of Western classical music and opera, in line with the ubiqu ...
of the
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same ...
and nationally renowned as "the Prince of
Pops Pops may refer to: Name or nickname * Pops, an informal term of address for a father or elder * Pops (nickname), a list of people * Pops (Muppet), a Muppets character * Pops (Johnny Bravo), a character from the Cartoon Network animated television ...
", announced his vision for a new SCPA campus near
Cincinnati Music Hall Music Hall, commonly known as Cincinnati Music Hall, is a classical music performance hall in Cincinnati, Ohio, completed in 1878. It serves as the home for the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, May Festival Ch ...
, which would be part of an arts and education complex that would help revitalize Over-the-Rhine. A campaign was launched that, over the following 13 years, raised funds and made plans for the new facility. England abruptly retired in 1997 and was replaced by Jeff Brokamp, who had been principal of the Crest Hills Year-Round School, which had won awards for its all-year curriculum. Brokamp, with no previous arts experience, began to turn the school around. A new emphasis on academics, more
Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
courses and more stringent audition standards that admitted only the most dedicated students led to better test scores and a higher level of artistic talent; Brokamp pushed to expand the school's vocational training programs in photography, stage management, and costume design by 50 percent. Applications to audition more than tripled by 2001 and fund-raising rebounded. Brokamp resigned and was replaced by Clarence Crum in 2004, who was followed by John Carlisle in 2006. Carlisle went on extended leave in October 2007, pending an investigation into the alleged rape of a former student off school grounds. Carlisle denied the accusation and no criminal charges were filed. He resigned in March 2008. According to ''Cincinnati Magazine'', the "scandal launched rumors and confusion" and "the revolving door of school administrators" took a toll on faculty and student morale. Carlisle was replaced by Dr. Jonathan Futch, formerly Assistant Principal at
Withrow High School Withrow High School (originally East Side High School) is a public high school located on the east side of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is part of the Cincinnati Public Schools. History The school opened in 1919 and was listed on the National Register of ...
.


Taking the Stage (2009–2010)

''
Taking the Stage ''Taking the Stage'' is a musical reality show set at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is produced by Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American singer, actor, television per ...
'', a "musical reality" TV series set at SCPA, premiered on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
in March 2009. The series, co-created and co-produced by SCPA graduate
Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American singer, actor, television personality, and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees, and later starred in the reality series '' Newl ...
, was a dramatized depiction of life at the school. The show chronicled the lives of five real SCPA high school students and their friends in their careers at SCPA. Each episode featured original music and choreography by the students themselves, performed at the school and other locations in Over-the-Rhine. The first season, which premiered on March 19, 2009, was the number one primetime cable telecast among females 12–24 years old and one of the top four among all viewers 12–34 years old. The second season began filming at the school in 2009, and first aired on January 16, 2010. The show was cut from one hour to 30 minutes and focused on new transfer students instead of current SCPA students, leading some students and parents to complain that the admission process had been compromised. The school denied the claim. It ran for 16 episodes, through April 15, 2010. In May 2010, MTV announced there would be no third season. The school was paid $10,000 for each of the nine episodes in season one and twelve in season two. The show attracted international attention for the school and interest from prospective students around the world; applications for admission increased by 60 percent in 2009.


Washington Park (2010– )

In the aftermath of the 1996 fire, a group of local benefactors led by Kunzel formed the
Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality * ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record * "Greater" (song), by MercyMe, 2014 *Greater Bank, an Australian ...
(GCAEC) to, in Kunzel's words, "transform the area around Washington Park into a unique arts community that would include a new School for the Creative and Performing Arts." The GCAEC committed $31 million, the Cincinnati Public Schools $34 million, and the State of Ohio $7 million, to combine SCPA with the Schiel Primary School for Arts Enrichment in one building to create the first public kindergarten through twelfth grade arts school in what the GCAEC called the "nationally unprecedented public school system – private sector partnership". Schiel, built in 1911 as an elementary school for the
Corryville Corryville is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, east of the University of Cincinnati, southeast of Clifton, south and west of Avondale, northwest of Walnut Hills, and north of Mount Auburn. The population was 4,373 at the 2020 census. Demogr ...
neighborhood, was converted to a Spanish-language magnet school in 1974 and again to an arts enrichment school in 1985. Schiel students have been admitted by open enrollment on a first-come-first-served basis. With 420 kindergarten through third grade students in 2008 (around ages five through nine), 83 percent of them black, 72 percent economically disadvantaged, it has been the primary feeder school for SCPA, for which Schiel students have been required to audition. Schiel was one of two CPS schools recognized as a Blue Ribbon School in 2010. The construction plans faced opposition from those in the community who feared the project would displace the Drop Inn Center, the region's largest homeless shelter, and the design was revised to build around it. By 2007, after more than a decade of fund-raising and negotiations, 90 percent of the final $72 million budget had been secured and ground was broken for a new building across from Washington Park in September of that year. The park, reclaimed from old burial grounds between 1858 and 1863, is lined with trees and benches and features statues of
Friedrich Hecker Friedrich Franz Karl Hecker (September 28, 1811 – March 24, 1881) was a German lawyer, politician and revolutionary. He was one of the most popular speakers and agitators of the 1848 Revolution. After moving to the United States, he served as ...
and
Robert Latimer McCook Robert Latimer McCook (December 28, 1827 – August 6, 1862) was a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War who was killed by Confederate partisans in Alabama. Birth and early years McCook was born in New Lisbon, Ohio, one of ...
, German-American heroes of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
. As Over-the-Rhine has declined, a significant homeless population has overtaken the area. The park faces Cincinnati Music Hall, home to the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its primary concert venue is Music Hall. In addition to its symphony concerts, the orchestra gives pops concerts as the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. The Cinc ...
,
Cincinnati Opera Cincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second oldest opera company in the United States (after the New York Metropolitan Opera). Beginning with its first season in 1920, Cincinnati Opera has produced operas ...
,
Cincinnati May Festival The Cincinnati May Festival is a two-week annual choral festival, held in May in Cincinnati, Ohio, US. History The festival's roots go back to the 1840s, when '' Saengerfests'' were held in that city, bringing singers from all over the United St ...
, and the
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same ...
. Designed by
Samuel Hannaford Samuel Hannaford (10 April 1835 – 7 January 1911) was an American architect based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Some of the best known landmarks in the city, such as Music Hall and City Hall, were of his design. The bulk of Hannaford's work was do ...
, one of Cincinnati's most important architects, and built with private funds in 1878, it was added to the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1971, noting its "stunning composition in the
High Victorian Gothic High Victorian Gothic was an eclectic architectural style and movement during the mid-late 19th century. It is seen by architectural historians as either a sub-style of the broader Gothic Revival style, or a separate style in its own right. Promo ...
mode". It was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
Memorial Hall A memorial hall is a hall built to commemorate an individual or group; most commonly those who have died in war. Most are intended for public use and are sometimes described as ''utilitarian memorials''. History of the Memorial Hall In the aft ...
, a Beaux Arts theater built by Hannaford in 1908, is immediately south of Music Hall, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Since 2005 the area has also been home to the Art Academy of Cincinnati, founded in 1869. Formerly aligned with the
Cincinnati Art Museum The Cincinnati Art Museum is an art museum in the Eden Park neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1881, it was the first purpose-built art museum west of the Alleghenies, and is one of the oldest in the United States. Its collection of ov ...
, it became an independent college of design in 1998.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional equity theatre located at 1127 Vine Street in Cincinnati, Ohio that was founded in 1986. It is Greater Cincinnati’s second largest professional theatre, and until April 2012 was known as "Ensemble Thea ...
and Know Theater are also part of the rich cultural community that has developed around the park and Music Hall. The combined school retains the name School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Private donors will have a significant and ongoing voice in how the school is operated. According to the ''Cincinnati Enquirer'', the school board approved a plan in 2003 to allow the GCAEC to choose five of the twelve members of the Local School Decision-Making Committee (LSDMC), an independent body that provides oversight for the school, as a condition for continued fund-raising. This private sector oversight has been criticized by union leaders as excluding faculty and staff. The GCAEC began fundraising for an endowment in 2010, and as of 2010, had pledged to contribute at least $150,000 per year to the school. No plans were announced for the Old Woodward building, but it was expected to remain vacant for years. An Ohio School Facilities Assessment in 2002 reported that it was "very attractive architecturally and merits any means required to preserve it", and that residential units would be the best use, but that a major redevelopment project, while attractive to private developers, would be prohibitively expensive. The area surrounding the old building has seen a resurgence in recent years including a public green space named Cutter Playground directly north of the building, currently home to the OTR Urban Kickball League. In November, 2012, the building was sold at auction to Core Redevelopment of
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
for $1.3 million. It had been appraised at $8.5 million. The developer's plans for the building were not made clear at the time.


Admission

The school has been criticized as "elitist" for its selective admission policies. Prospective students are evaluated on their artistic sensitivity and potential. Students entering grades four through six are required to audition in every arts major; older students may audition in only the areas they choose. Each applicant performs in front of up to seven teachers in different areas in the day-long process, which is designed to ensure that no student is admitted to a program in which they do not belong. Admission is granted to students scoring 8 out of 10 points in at least one area. On average, 1,700 students apply each year, 1,000 are invited to audition, and 250 are accepted. Attendance is free for Cincinnati Public School students. Ten percent of students come from outside the district—some from outside the state—and pay tuition to attend. Tuition for the 2006–2007 year was $6,309 for out-of-district students and $9,654 for out-of-state students. As a magnet school founded to promote school integration, racial and economic diversity have been important factors in admissions decisions. The student body was 52.1 percent black, 41.7 percent low income, and 7.7 percent disabled in 2009–10. In 2007, in response to a US Supreme Court decision prohibiting racial criteria for assigning students to public schools, CPS eliminated race and gender as determining factors in magnet school admissions. School officials insist this will have little impact, despite parent concerns that the decision will erode diversity.


Curriculum


Arts

The curriculum is designed to prepare students for professional careers in the arts. Each student concentrates in at least one major area: creative writing, dance, drama, music,
stagecraft Stagecraft is a technical aspect of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes constructing and rigging scenery; hanging and focusing of lighting; design and procurement of costumes; make-up; stage management; audio engineering; and p ...
, and visual art. Younger students often concentrate in two or more. High school students are required to specialize and major only in the areas in which they have potential to do professional work. Advanced students study up to two hours each day in their major. Forty percent of the students stay at least two hours after school for rehearsals, private lessons, and productions. The program stresses discipline and performance. There are no appreciation courses; the curriculum emphasizes that arts appreciation grows from practicing an art. The interrelation of the arts is also stressed. All students take at least one course in each major area. A dancer, for example, will be required to study visual art, drama, and music. The visual arts program includes drawing, painting, photography, sculpting, digital art, and art history. The program is highly structured, emphasizing technique and control over free expression, which has attracted criticism from the local art community. Art students receive individualized instruction, participate in art exhibits and competitions, undertake commissioned work, and work at in-house galleries and off-site exhibits. Most art majors take Advanced Placement art courses by the end of their sophomore year, and many attend pre-college programs at major universities between their high school years. The drama program stresses technique and performance; students must perform in public at least twice a year. There are three major dramatic productions each season, and high school students are required to compete in the
English Speaking Union The English-Speaking Union (ESU) is an international educational membership organistation. Founded by the journalist Sir Evelyn Wrench in 1918, it aims to bring together and empower people of different languages and cultures, by building skill ...
Shakespeare Contest. Advanced students audition for the Acting Ensemble Company, which provides a full season of performances in venues outside the school. The creative writing program focuses on writing as an art in journalism, script writing, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Students participate in writing competitions, internships, and develop portfolios to showcase their work. The dance program was founded on the training principles of the "most famous dance schools of Europe", which emphasize body training. All dancers are required to study ballet, but may also learn modern dance, jazz, tap, and other forms of dance. There are nine levels of ballet, and students begin intensive training in fourth grade. Dance classes meet for at least two 45-minute periods every day; advanced students may train for three or more. Dance Ensemble, selected by audition, stages public performances throughout the year. The instrumental music program offers specializations in orchestra, band, piano, jazz, percussion, and harp. Students major in an instrument and specialized training begins in grade four. Advanced students take private lessons, arranged by the school, and have master classes with guest instructors from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Vocal music students audition to perform in one of 13 vocal performance groups. High school students may audition for the most selective of these, "13th & Broadway", which performs throughout the region. The technical theater program offers college-level training in
stage management Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...
,
lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylig ...
,
sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
, and
set Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to: Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics *Set (mathematics), a collection of elements *Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively Electro ...
and
costume design Costume design is the creation of clothing for the overall appearance of a character or performer. Costume may refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a class, or a period. In many cases, it may contribute to the fullness of the arti ...
. Each specialty has a lab for students to develop concepts and practice technique, and students work side by side with professional trades people in their chosen field. Student present to the faculty of their major department twice a year in a "proficiency review" to assess their progress. It is a learning experience for younger students, but students in grades 7–12 who fail to attain a passing rating are placed on probation and must pass their subsequent review to be allowed to continue in that major. Students must audition if they wish to change majors for the following year. The highlight of the performance season is a major musical production which is an important source of revenue for the school. There are two ballets each year: ''
The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaiko ...
'' in the winter and a piece from repertoire in the spring. The technical and production aspects of performances are handled entirely by students, a level of responsibility the school claims is unusual even among arts schools. Strict racial balance is maintained in all school performances through "non-traditional casting", in which the race of each lead role alternates in each production. SCPA students and faculty have performed with professional companies and in major venues including
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
and the
Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
. Students are selected to perform with every major local arts company, including the Cincinnati Opera,
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is a regional theatre in the United States. It was founded in 1959 by college student Gerald Covell and was one of the first regional theatres in the United States. Located in Eden Park, the first play that pr ...
, and the
Cincinnati Ballet The Cincinnati Ballet is a professional ballet company founded in 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States and had its first performance in 1964. The current artistic director is Victoria Morgan. Founding Organizing founders Nancy Bauer, Virgini ...
, and appear in local television programs and commercials. SCPA students have performed on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
with the Cincinnati Pops and toured with Broadway productions including '' 42nd Street'' and ''
The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...
''. Students on tour continue their studies at "set school" and rejoin their classmates when they return. SCPA students are encouraged to compete in arts competitions at all levels, including international contests like the World Piano Competition and the
American High School Theater Festival American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. Honors since 2008 have included first place in the Ohioana Robert Fox Award for Young Writers, a bronze medal at the Cincinnati World Piano Competition, top honors at the Days of International Choir Music Competition, and the 2008 Cincinnati Arts Association Overture Award in Visual Art.


Academics

Students are required to complete a standard CPS academic curriculum alongside their arts studies and the school day is 45 minutes longer than other Cincinnati public schools. SCPA ranks first in the district on standardized test scores at the elementary school level. At the high school level, only
Walnut Hills High School , streetaddress = 3250 Victory Parkway , city = Cincinnati , state = Ohio , zipcode = 45207 , country = United States , coordinates = , type ...
, Cincinnati's selective public college preparatory magnet, ranks higher. In 2009, the graduation rate was 95.5 percent and the mean score on the ACT, a standardized college admissions test, was 23 (at the 69th
percentile In statistics, a ''k''-th percentile (percentile score or centile) is a score ''below which'' a given percentage ''k'' of scores in its frequency distribution falls (exclusive definition) or a score ''at or below which'' a given percentage falls ...
). On the Ohio Department of Education 2009–2010 School Year Report card, SCPA was designated "Effective" and Schiel was designated "Excellent." Ninety percent of graduating seniors continue on to college, and those students receive one of the highest levels of scholarship funding in the city. In 2007, the 98 graduating seniors received a combined $7.1 million in scholarships and SCPA averaged $72,449 per student, the third most of any public or private school in Cincinnati.


Extracurricular activities

SCPA offers a limited range of sports and other activities compared to other CPS schools, as students are expected to commit significant after-school time to practice and performance. Volunteer community service opportunities are organized by the Positive School Culture committee and made available to students in every grade. Student Council is elected from each grade and raises funds for student activities.
National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...
(for grades ten to twelve) and
National Junior Honor Society The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is an international student organization that consists of chapters in middle schools (in the range of grades 6-9 depending on the school). The NJHS was founded by the National Association of Secondary Sc ...
(for grades seven through nine) are by invitation only to students who demonstrate outstanding achievement, service, leadership, and citizenship. German, French, and Spanish clubs are open to all students and plan language-related activities. The Astronomy Club for Girls for fourth through sixth graders takes advantage of the nearby
Cincinnati Observatory The Cincinnati Observatory is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio (United States) on top of Mount Lookout, Ohio, Mount Lookout. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11-inch (28 cm) and 16 inch (41 cm) apertu ...
to explore astronomy. The Brain Bowl team, also for fourth through sixth graders, participates in academic competitions. Students Involved in Fostering Tolerance (SIFT) works to promote tolerance and diversity through awareness field trips and fundraisers. Student publications include the
yearbook A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...
, ''1310 Address of the Arts,'' a monthly newspaper published by the Creative Writing department, but open to contributions by all students, and ''Pandora's Backpages,'' a full-color magazine featuring creative writing, visual art and musical compositions by students, faculty, and alumni. The school competes athletically in Cincinnati's Independent conference in boys' and girls' basketball, boys' baseball, and girls' softball. Intramural sports are open to all high school students.


Campus

The new building, called the Erich Kunzel Center for Arts and Education, opened for 1,350 students in August, 2010. The $72 million facility, bordered by Elm, Race, and 12th streets and facing Central Parkway, was designed by
Moody Nolan Moody Nolan is based in Columbus, Ohio and is the largest African-American owned and operated architecture firm in the United States. In 2021, it was the recipient of The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Architecture Firm Award. The firm pr ...
, a large minority-owned architectural firm known for its numerous design awards, and is the largest development project in Over-the-Rhine since Music Hall. Civic leaders have called construction of the school "key to renovation of Over-the-Rhine" and development plans for the area include the renovation of Music Hall, a new parking garage and public plaza nearby, and a major expansion of Washington Park. A reflective stainless steel panel with a
diapering Diaper is any of a wide range of decorative patterns used in a variety of works of art, such as stained glass, heraldic shields, architecture, and silverwork. Its chief use is in the enlivening of plain surfaces. Etymology For the full etymolo ...
pattern curves around the L-shaped building and an "urban curve" of zinc wraps the main theater at the front of the building, contrasting with the brick walls of the school, the design and materials of which reflect those used in the building's neighborhood. The box office is a red,
smokestack A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typ ...
-shaped structure that projects a beam of light up into the sky. The four-story, disabled accessible building of combines arts and academic spaces on each floor, arranged by grade, with the youngest students on the lowest floor. The main entrance features student sculptures selected by contest. An "Avenue of the Arts", with gallery space for more student artwork, links the 750-seat main Corbett Theater, the 350-seat Mayerson Theater, and a 120-seat black box theater. The Corbett Theater has an stage, a hydraulically operated
orchestra pit An orchestra pit is the area in a theater (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music (such as opera and ballet) or in cases when incide ...
, and is acoustically isolated from the rest of the building. An outdoor amphitheater is also planned. The music facilities include rooms for band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, and vocal music, along with a music library, a grand piano studio, and twelve soundproof practice rooms. Other arts-specific spaces include specialized drama rooms, four rooms for painting and sculpture, and a photography studio with adjoining darkroom. The
technical theater Stagecraft is a technical aspect of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes constructing and rigging scenery; hanging and focusing of lighting; design and procurement of costumes; make-up; stage management; audio engineering; and p ...
facilities include labs for lighting and sound engineering, as well as costume, scenery, and stage prop shops. The main gymnasium is augmented by a fitness center and six multipurpose spaces for gym and dance. Academic facilities include four project labs, two chemistry rooms, two biology rooms, and a library, with 45 academic classrooms designed around flexible "extended learning areas" where students from different classes can study in groups.


People

SCPA has produced notable graduates in a wide range of artistic fields. Alumni include Cyrus Voris, producer of ''
Bulletproof Monk ''Bulletproof Monk'' is a 2003 American superhero comedy film directed by Paul Hunter in his feature film directorial debut, and starring Chow Yun-fat, Seann William Scott, and Jaime King. The film is loosely based on the comic book written by B ...
,
Kung Fu Panda ''Kung Fu Panda'' is an American media franchise that originally started in 2008 with the release of the animated feature film of the same name, produced by DreamWorks Animation. Following the adventures of the titular Po Ping (primarily voic ...
,
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
'' and the
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-nominated miniseries ''
Sleeper Cell A clandestine cell system is a method for organizing a group of people (such as resistance fighters, sleeper agents, mobsters, or terrorists) such that such people can more effectively resist penetration by an opposing organization (such as ...
'' and
Todd Louiso Todd Louiso (born January 27, 1970) is an American film actor and film director best known for his role as timid record store clerk Dick in '' High Fidelity'', opposite Jack Black and John Cusack. Career Louiso directed his first film in 2002 ...
, director of ''
Love Liza ''Love Liza'' is a 2002 American tragicomedic drama directed by Todd Louiso and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Jack Kehler, Wayne Duvall, Sarah Koskoff and Stephen Tobolowsky. The film is written by Gordy Hoffman, a playwright and t ...
'' and actor in ''
Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted aft ...
,'' '' High Fidelity'' and other films.
Andy Biersack Andrew Dennis Biersack (born December 26, 1990), formerly known as Andy Six, is an American singer. He is the founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Black Veil Brides and is its only remaining original member. In 2014, he started a solo mus ...
, lead vocalist of Black Veil Brides also attended this school. Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning ''
Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (newspaper column), newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the ...
'' star
Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 1 ...
attended SCPA in 4th and 5th grades before leaving to return to her former school, Clifton School. Four-time Emmy nominee
Rebecca Budig Rebecca Jo Budig (; born June 26, 1973) is an American actress and television presenter. Her career began in 1993, and in 1995, she was cast in the role of Michelle Bauer on the CBS soap opera ''Guiding Light''. In 1999, she was cast as Greenle ...
of soap opera ''
Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
'' also attended SCPA, as did Emmy-nominated '' Chicago Hope'' and '' NCIS'' star
Rocky Carroll Roscoe "Rocky" Carroll (born July 8, 1963) is an American actor and director. He is known for his roles as Joey Emerson on the Fox comedy-drama '' Roc'' (1991–94), as Dr. Keith Wilkes on the CBS medical drama ''Chicago Hope'', and as NCIS Dir ...
, film and TV actor Jeff Sams, and ''
Baywatch ''Baywatch'' is an American action drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bo ...
'' actress
Carmen Electra Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), known professionally as Carmen Electra, is an American actress, model, singer, and media personality. She began her career as a singer after moving to Minneapolis, where she met Prince, who produced h ...
.
Nick Lachey Nicholas Scott Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American singer, actor, television personality, and host. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling boyband 98 Degrees, and later starred in the reality series '' Newl ...
,
Drew Lachey Andrew John Lachey (born August 8, 1976) is an American singer and actor. He is known as a member of 98 Degrees, the winner of the second season of ''Dancing with the Stars'', and the younger brother of Nick Lachey. Early years Drew Lachey was ...
, and
Justin Jeffre Justin Paul Jeffre (born February 25, 1973) is an American pop singer and politician. A long-time resident and vocal supporter of Cincinnati, Jeffre is probably best known as a member and bass singer of the multi-platinum-selling boy band 98 Deg ...
of the multi-
platinum album Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
group
98 Degrees 98 Degrees (stylized as 98°) is an American pop and R&B vocal group consisting of four vocalists: the group's founding member Jeff Timmons, brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, and Justin Jeffre. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, C ...
graduated from SCPA, as did Canadian Jazz Vocalist of the Year nominee George Evans, Broadway star
Ron Bohmer Ron Bohmer is an American actor and singer best known for his musical theatre roles on Broadway and as a recording artist and singer-songwriter. He has starred in numerous Broadway productions, including ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'',Ben Brantley"T ...
, and actor/
Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
impressionist
Iman Crosson Iman Crosson (born March 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Alphacat, is an American actor, impressionist, and YouTube personality known for his impersonations of former U.S. President Barack Obama and his starring role in independent fil ...
.References in order of mention: * Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre: * George Evans: * Ron Bohmer: * Iman Crosson: .


Notes


References


Works cited

* * * * In . * In . * * * * * * * *


External links

*
360˚ interactive panoramas of the Corbett Theater inside the Erich Kunzel Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:School For Creative And Performing Arts Art schools in Ohio Arts in Cincinnati Cincinnati Public Schools Educational institutions established in 1973 Elementary schools in Hamilton County, Ohio High schools in Hamilton County, Ohio Schools of the performing arts in the United States Populated places on the Underground Railroad Public high schools in Ohio Public middle schools in Ohio Public elementary schools in Ohio Magnet schools in Ohio Over-the-Rhine 1973 establishments in Ohio