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The Torrey Pines Players work in a cozy, traditional “black
box” theatre, a small landmark on the campus of Torrey Pines
High School. The small black box we inhabit has never limited
our art. In fact, the concrete block walls, cement floor, and
lack of fly space have served to heighten our creativity and the
quality of our performances.
Marinee Payne is the architect of this haven for artists. Fourteen
years ago, when she began teaching theatre at Torrey Pines High
School, the space housed a small proscenium stage with stadium-style
risers. The theatre had been the school metal shop just years
earlier. The TP Players, created as the theatre club, moved the
seating risers to establish a theatre-in-the-round for the show
1984 (part of the audience was seated on the stage). Following
1984, the space was converted into a black box, with semi-permanent
seating on three of the four sides. The box remains this way today,
only 14 feet high, seating roughly 130 audience members.
This black box houses a truly open theatre. This inclusive philosophy
sets us apart from other high school theatre programs. Auditions
are open to any student enrolled at Torrey Pines High School,
regardless of class standing and theatre experience. Students
create the entire production. This means that the students design
lighting, sets, costumes, sound, hair, and makeup for all the
shows. The technical and musical directors are students, along
with the student stage manager, live musicians, student director,
and the entire crew that builds and runs the show.
 Students
are volunteers and receive no academic credit for their participation.
This approach toward theatre leads to a dedication and commitment
to the process and an appreciation of theatrical art. Theatre
becomes their passion because, at Torrey Pines, theatre belongs
to the students who work in the black box.
The separation between the structure of theatre classes and the
TP Players productions serves to strengthen the program. Open
casting encourages any student to participate. In doing so, the
opportunity to continually work with new talent strengthens the
art. The novice actor or designer brings fresh eyes and limitless
imagination to the process.
Every year, three main stage productions are sponsored by the
TP Players. The productions are not connected to any mandated
district or school curriculum, and they are not regularly funded
by the district or the school. The TP Players is a self-sustaining
theatre company. Ticket sales, small fundraisers, and donations
through the parent-run TP Players Boosters support the shows and
maintain the theatre.
Theatre at Torrey Pines provides an incomparable learning experience
rarely found in a high school setting. Graduates of the theatre
leave with authentic experience and genuine passion for the art.
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