Voice of OC - Orange County's nonprofit newsroom

Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/author/hjanssen/)

Heide Janssen

Heide Janssen most recently worked for almost five years at the Orange County Register where she was recruited to develop and curate their Varsity Arts section. Varsity Arts was dedicated to weekly stories and news about high school arts programs and students, giving arts students the same recognition that student athletes long enjoyed. The Varsity Arts section was the first of its kind in the nation and has since inspired similar sections in other regional newspapers. She also developed and continues to produce the Artist of the Year program which honors the top theater, dance, instrumental and vocal music, 2D and 3D visual arts, and film/animation students in Orange County. Prior to joining the Register, she worked in administrative and producing capacities at major regional theater companies including South Coast Repertory, Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Stage in Los Angeles, The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Court Theater in Chicago, and Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven. She has also produced smaller independent projects with Snehal Desai (artistic director at East West Players in Los Angeles) and Adam O’Byrne (producer with New Neighborhood, a multi-media production company) among others. In the world of education, she helped to establish the Orange County Cappies and created the RoleAbout Theatre Festival, programs for high school theater students which she ran for over 10 years. She also taught theater and English at Mission Viejo High School early in her career. She has been honored by the California Educational Theatre Association for Outstanding Contributions to Educational Theatre for her work with Varsity Arts and The Orange County Register, and by the Orange County Department of Education for Outstanding Contributions to Education for her work with the Orange County Cappies. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English, summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota and a master of fine arts in theater management from the Yale School of Drama, Yale University. Languages spoken: English Areas of expertise: Orange County, arts and culture, and arts education.

Hal Landon Jr. To Step Down As Scrooge After 40 Years

A Christmas Carol

By Heide Janssen | March 21, 2019

NEWS: Landon’s departure marks the end of an era.

Pacific Symphony Celebrates Nowruz with Persian Musicians

Arts & Culture

By Peter Lefevre | March 20, 2019

PREVIEW: Music director of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra will be a guest conductor to help ring in the Persian new year.

How Has Chance Theater Evolved Since It First Opened 20 Years Ago?

Anaheim

By Eric Marchese | March 18, 2019

The Anaheim storefront troupe celebrates 20 years of theater making this year.

Guitar Virtuoso Manuel Barrueco Has Come a Long Way Since Leaving Cuba

Artist Profile

By Lawrence Christon | February 28, 2019

Barrueco performs on Sunday at the Musco Center.

Martha Graham Dance Company to Highlight Female Power in Irvine with ‘The EVE Project’

Arts & Culture

By KAITLIN WRIGHT | February 25, 2019

The 93-year-old company will bring a repertory program to the Irvine Barclay Theatre that demonstrates both history and innovation.

Pacific Symphony’s ‘Madame Butterfly’ Takes Flight in Costa Mesa

Arts & Culture

By TIMOTHY MANGAN | February 22, 2019

REVIEW: In their annual opera presentation, Carl St.Clair leads the orchestra and singers in Puccini’s potent tear-jerker.

SEVEN DAYS OUT: András Schiff, Susan Graham, Martha Graham, the Russian National Orchestra and Kishi Bashi

Aliso Viejo

By Arts & Culture Staff | February 22, 2019

SEVEN DAYS OUT is Voice of OC’s weekly list of can’t miss arts and culture events in Orange County.

Little Saigon Tet Parade Marches On Despite the Rain

Arts & Culture

By RICHARD CHANG | February 11, 2019

The Year of the Pig is celebrated in Little Saigon at the annual Tet Parade.

Solving the Mystery Behind the Numbers of Your Favorite Pho Restaurants

Arts & Culture

By Asjia Garner | February 4, 2019

A look into why many local pho restaurants use numbers as a part of their name.

Quinceañera Dresses Are an Art Form That’s Vanishing from Downtown Santa Ana

Arts & Culture

By ALEJANDRA MOLINA | January 28, 2019

Traditional dress designers are being forced out by fast-paced redevelopment and the shifting demographics it brings.