Area Actors Perform Well at Festival

Local drama students had the chance to camp it up at the 57th annual Fall High School Drama Festival held recently at Valley College. About 1,400 students from 63 high schools presented dramatic and comedic scenes, monologues, children’s theater pieces and short musicals in front of their peers and judges at the event, which was sponsored by the Drama Teachers Assn. of Southern California.

Thespians from Monroe High School in North Hills took first place in the group-comedy competition, while students from Louisville High School in Woodland Hills took first place in the group-serious division. Birmingham High School in Van Nuys came in fourth place overall. Twelve Valley schools participated in the daylong program.

“The festival is a celebration of art and creativity, and the kids really support each other,” said Birmingham High School drama teacher Amanda Swann, who also is president of the drama association.

Peter Parkin, a Valley College theater instructor and festival judge, agreed: “There is a tremendous sense of camaraderie between the participants, a mixing of kids from all walks of life and different racial backgrounds. They all get along well.”

PROGRAM NOTES

Green Power: The Department of Water and Power is about to launch this year’s “Green Power for a Green Los Angeles” school arts contest. Ninth- through 12th-graders are invited to submit logo designs, videos, songs and Web sites that promote renewable energy sources, while kindergarten- through eighth-grade students are invited to submit posters promoting the same. U.S. Savings Bonds will be awarded to the winners, whose works will be displayed on DWP calendars next year. Last year, 14 Valley students received the top honors in the contest that attracted 425 participants. Teachers interested in a Nov. 10 DWP contest workshop and other DWP-sponsored school programs should call (310) 836-3515 for information.

9 EVENTS

Valley Business: The Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. invites local college students to attend the Friday morning session of its annual Business Forecast Conference, where the business advocacy organization will present the 1999-2000 “Report of Findings on the San Fernando Valley.”

The seminar will offer panel discussions, including “The Latino Community: The New Force in Business and Politics” and “Educating the Work Force in the Coming Century.” Mayor Richard Riordan will present his annual State of the Valley message. Businesswoman Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, Los Angeles Times columnist Frank del Olmo and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) are among the dozen or so panelists who will discuss the Valley’s business forecast for 2000.

Admission is $10 for students and $110 for the general public. The conference will be held at the Warner Center Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For reservations, call the VICA office at (818) 226-6466.

APPOINTMENTS

John Reece has been named assistant principal of Agoura High School by the Las Virgenes Unified School District. He most recently was assistant principal at a Northern California school. Before that, he served as a dean of students and taught high school English . . . Peter Green has joined the Glendale Community College music department, where he will teach piano and a music fundamentals class. He recently held a full-time post at Los Angeles City College.

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Class Notes appears every Wednesday. Send news about schools to the Valley Edition, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax it to (818) 772-3338. Or e-mail them to diane.wedner@latimes.com.