TOMS RIVER, NJ: In the Fall, OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts Academy Theatre Instructor Anthony Ciccotelli began working with LEGAL ONE NJ on writing a script for a PSA that would include GPAA acting majors. LEGAL ONE NJ is “the leading provider of education law workshops, online courses, and webinars for school leaders and teachers on critical legal issues. The PSA’s theme centers around the rights of transgendered students and how educators and staff members can support these students. The script itself was created with the intention to send out to teachers all over the country. After the script was completed, many hours were spent with the production team on creating the best plan for the PSA and the GPAA students. The production team included LEGAL ONE NJ’s Director of Legal Education and National Research David Nash, LEGAL ONE NJ’s Video Editor John Lynn, and GPAA’s Theatre Instructors Anthony Ciccotelli and Carolyn Little. Once the schedule was made, Ciccotelli and Little held auditions for the GPAA acting majors, GPAA alumni, and theatre professionals. A total of 22 GPAA students were selected to be a participant in the cast or crew for the production. After casting, filming began on the GPAA Campus during the month of December. GPAA students who chose not to act in the film, were able to work crew. They learned how to manage portable lights, a boom mic, and much, much more. Filming locations included classrooms, the Gia Prima Blackbox, and even the parking lots. Despite some bad weather and a campus-wide blackout, filming managed to persevere. For one particular scene, the school board meeting, we even had current GPAA families join us for the recording. After two weeks of filming a variety of shots, backed up by B roll, the film was complete. LEGAL ONE NJ is hoping to release the PSA in the upcoming months.


GPAA (OCVTS Grunin Performing Arts Academy)
DANCE / VOCAL MUSIC / THEATRE / AUDIO ENGINEERING
Find out more: www.ocvts.org/gpaa

GPAA offers an artistically distinctive and academically sound learning setting for students gifted in the performing arts and the technical aspects of art production. The academy offers its students curriculum that is specially designed with a concentration in dance, vocal music, theatre and audio engineering, while providing a rigorous academic program of study. Students enrolled at GPAA have the opportunity to register in Ocean County College embedded classes for dual credit, opening up the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree in addition to their high school diploma. Grunin Performing Arts Academy graduates pursue higher education, continuing their studies at colleges and universities around the country. In addition to the arts, some graduates study science, law, medicine, education, business, and physical/occupational therapies.