Jefferson Performing Arts Society

Founded in 1978 by Maestro Dennis G. Assaf, the Jefferson Performing Arts Society is a non-profit professional arts organization whose mission is to promote arts performance, training, and outreach by providing a diverse range of quality programs that entertain, educate and enrich the cultural and economic vitality of Jefferson Parish, Greater New Orleans and the Gulf South.

After successfully operating the JPAS Theatre Kids! program for three decades, reaching hundreds of youth between the ages of six and eighteen, we seek to expand our theater training programs to create a more accessible and comprehensive year-round educational program. One focus area of outreach will be for underserved Jefferson Parish public school students. We will offer technical training in lighting, sound, costume design, and other "behind the scenes" technical and artistic skills in addition to courses in musical theatre, composition, dance, choreography, and more. Our goal is to first develop and pilot a year-round curriculum in 2025-2026 and purchase and build out a venue in 2026-2027. We plan to open The Jefferson Performing Arts School in 2028, the year of our 50th anniversary. JPAS employs professional actors, directors, technicians, stage crew, and theater instructors to lead a group of approximately 120 youth per summer in a month-long training that culminates in a full-scale staged production. We have a full-time Youth Programs Director and recruit our camp instructors from our theatrical productions, local theater programs, and our alumni from previous summer camps.

Testimonials

FORMER JPAS THEATRE KIDS! TESTIMONIAL:
"JPAS Theatre Kids taught me how to be a theatre professional. I was held to a very high standard and I appreciate my instructors for that."--Tyler Price
I began working with JPAS Theatre Kids when I was 15 years old. I was awarded a scholarship to participate in the 2009 JPAS Theatre Kids! summer program and production of Smokey Joe's Cafe. It was my first full-length musical and made me fall in LOVE with every aspect of musical theatre.