Named the best live theater in the East Valley, the Combs Performing Arts Center (CPAC) features state of the art technology with a 516 seat house, mezzanine, spacious lobby, backstage spaces, dance studio, exceptional acoustics and a flexible black box performance space.
Located on Combs High School Campus at 2505 E. Germann Road in San Tan Valley, the theater opened in January 2019. Averaging around 300 events a year between school events and rentals, the center is currently taking reservations for events for the 2024/25 season.
CPAC is bringing a week of comedy and music Sept. 23 through 27.
From 6 to 7 p.m. on Sept. 23, Gutbusters Improv Comedy Show, a student production and extracurricular program, will perform their family-friendly show in the Black Box Theater. From 7 to 7:30 p.m. the audience can join while Voices of the Valley Orchestra & Choir features music of Disney Villains. The pre professional orchestra and choir is scheduled to perform four times at the center this year.
On Sept. 24, Combs Middle School will be hosting their band and orchestra concert from 6 to 8 p.m. On Sept. 25 Combs High School orchestra and choir will take the stage from 6 to 8 p.m.
Combs High School’s band will perform on Sept. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. This Is A Test-Adv. Productions One Act Performance produced by the advanced productions theater class that will be in the black box from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 27. The one act play centers around the topic of test anxiety.
“Before the performing arts center was built, we had award winning performance arts here. They just didn’t have the place to perform,” Corianna Lee, manager of CPAC said. “Drama was recognized statewide and nationally, but they were performing out of the corner of a library. Dance was recognized at the state level, but they would either perform at the gym or rent out another venue.”
A former fine arts and special education teacher, Lee has a dance degree and, before coming to Combs, taught dance, drama, technical theater and special education.
The center has allowed for partnerships to form between the schools in the district, local theaters and the community. Between the offered CTE internships and seniors that work with the theater, Lee has gotten the chance to watch students grow first-hand while pursuing their passions.
“As an educator, I’ve seen the arts work miracles on kids. Maybe they didn’t feel accepted anywhere else, or they didn't feel other people gave them a chance, but then they found that within the theater and arts,” Lee said. “We had a senior last year that I first met when she was an eighth grader. I had the opportunity to have her as my intern… She wrote an original play based on her life and her immigration from Russia. Having her as my intern gave me the chance to work with her one on one and see her passion for the arts.”
That intern, Alina Gerasimova, received a full ride scholarship to Southern Utah University for theater.
“We have a history of having great performing arts in our district,” Lee said. The district offers K-12 music, dance and drama at the middle school level as well as band, orchestra and choir.
With community volunteers, student volunteers and interns, CPAC offers a great opportunity for kids to get real hands-on experience.
For more information about CPAC and to stay updated on upcoming events, visit jocombs.org/cpac. Tickets are available online.
