Fine arts program finds its footing at Faith Lutheran

The Strip has plenty of showrooms, offering a variety of entertainment. Out in Summerlin, there's a relatively new theater that offers more than shows — it gives young people the chance to explore what the industry entails.

The theater is part of Faith Lutheran's Conservatory of the Fine Arts program. The conservatory's $12 million building includes classrooms, dressing rooms, prop rooms, a costuming shop and a 772-seat theater and backstage, all with the latest technology, located on the Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School campus at 2015 S. Hualapai Way.

Why was it important to the school to offer such high-caliber amenities to students?

"There are a ton of reasons," said Dr. Steve Buuck, CEO of Faith Lutheran. "We have a lot of students in this school who are gifted with all sorts of artistic talents, and we wanted to create an outlet for them to be able to share God's gifts with others. In a perfect world, some of them may discover in high school that, 'Yeah, this is what I want to do as a career.' But if the opposite happens, they can say, 'I dabbled in the arts, and that's not what I want to do.' So, it saves them two years in college and not having to change their major.

"The arts play a proud and critical part in the history of this country. We want to be a leader in that. We have the facilities to do it and the kids to do it. It was up to us, as adults, to pull it off."

The idea for the conservatory was first proposed around 2011. Emily Ball, dean of fine arts, researched other high school performing arts programs to understand how they started building their conservatories. She and other school administrators took a trip to Valley Christian High School in San Jose, Calif., and toured its facility.

It took about a year to develop Faith Lutheran's curriculum for each of the disciplines, she said. The conservatory offers distinct disciplines: theater; technical theater (audio, sound effects and lighting); vocal; instrumental; and dance. There is also a visual arts component that incorporates sculpture, painting, glass art and similar disciplines. Ball said the programs were tweaked the first year as students gave their input and needs were reassessed.

The most fun, she said, was "working with the seniors and watching them decide what they wanted to do with the rest of their lives. ... Some of these kids I've known since they were in the ninth grade. Actually watching them grow and (prepare) for college in the field they want — that's really special to me."

The Summerlin private school could have merely built a theater and let students use it to put on occasional plays, but instead, it decided to integrate all the factors that make up a true theater experience for the students. Ball said it was important to organizers to have an all-encompassing program.

"I just feel like God has given us so many talents — and given each of these students a unique talent — (that) not to zero in and develop those talents is doing a disservice to God," she said.

When View visited, everyone was preparing for the conservatory's next production, "Big Fish," which ran at the end of January. In a corridor behind the auditorium, props were lined up on work tables, and a pair of gorilla suits hung nearby. A female student sat on the floor, meticulously using a glue gun to attach leaves to a piece of fabric. Down the hall, behind a closed door, another student practiced singing one of the songs from the show.

Students had their own reasons for being involved. Molly Shaw, 18, is a senior studying dance and theater. She said she was torn between pursuing a career in medicine or theater, but, either way, she saw herself being involved with theater to some degree throughout her life.

"The best part is because I've been immersed in dance and musical theater ... is to really take it seriously as my future," she said. "It allows me to dig into the different aspects and better my skills."

Taylor See, 17, a senior who had transferred to Faith from Rogich Middle School, is studying instrumentals, vocal and theater. She said she would give the conservatory a top rating for its immersive approach.

"I can be involved in the jazz band, choir, theater, and everyday I come, there's something new," she said.

Kyle Goulston, 18, a senior, was involved in theater in his freshman and sophomore years but said he sees it as more of an intensive course of study now that he's older.

"The conservatory is a place for me to hone my craft," he said. "It's more like I'm training for it now, more focused."

Studying musical theater, he said he also has his eye on his own project, starting an improv or sketch comedy group.

Ball said most students are not double majors, although See is a triple major. Ball and her husband, Erik, who is the conservatory's head of theatrical arts, oversee all of the productions.

Year 2015 was the conservatory's beta year. It saw 38 students, 12 in theater. The numbers may have been small, but the Balls said there was huge interest.

This year, its first official year, there are 132 students, with nearly 50 in theater.

Erik Ball said a conservatory approach allows a student to flourish in a field in which he is passionate. He called a conservatory a "means to connect with the field in which you're planning to spend the rest of your life exploring."

"We allow the student to still be a student," Ball said. "They can be a Renaissance man and still play basketball for the season and still try out for a musical. Other private schools or academies are so centered they forget these are still impressionable minds at a turning-point age. We make sure that they are high-schoolers first and artists second."

Erik Ball said when colleges see applicants coming from a conservatory, it opens up the dialogue about the student and helps them determine if this is a good candidate for their university.

"They're looking for a certain type of student to fit their brand," he said.

He said interest was so high, he expected the conservatory's numbers to increase by 50 percent next year and to offer a black box theater and more space for dance within five years.

What did he learn in setting it all up?

"In the old adage from 'Field of Dreams,' I learned that if you build it, they will come," he quipped.

The conservatory plans to present "Fire: Igniting the Arts" at 7 p.m. March 12, with its five fine art disciplines of dance, theatrical arts, instrumental music, vocal music, and visual arts woven together on stage. A pre-show reception is planned for 6 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres, beverages and a silent auction. Tickets are $75 and include the pre-show reception and entertainment. Funds raised will support the conservatory program. Visit faithconservatory.com.

The conservatory's next big show, "Crazy For You," is set for May 13-22.

— To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.