Cerritos College structures its acting training with more rigor than most community colleges: the Theatre Arts AA's acting emphasis requires students to pass a jury after completing a six-course core, an audition-style checkpoint that treats the credential as earned rather than accumulated. Graduated rehearsal-and-performance courses then credit students for minor, supporting, and lead roles as they climb.
The department, which also houses film production and entertainment technology pathways, stages four productions a season, two per semester including musicals, in a Performing Arts Center with three venues and a dedicated acting lab, plus the Burnight Center stage. Fall 2026 courses from acting fundamentals through scene study and theatre improvisation were scheduled at verification.
Open enrollment and the $46 resident unit rate make entry trivial, with the jury reserving the degree's acting stamp for demonstrated skill. Serving Norwalk and the Gateway Cities between LA and Orange County, Cerritos rounds out this directory's community college coverage; from here, the transfer path runs to CSULB's theatre department twenty minutes south or the private studios north.
Techniques taught
- Eclectic / multi-technique: Schools that draw on several lineages and fit the tools to the actor, not the reverse.
Class types
Enrollment and schedule
Open enrollment; no audition to take classes, jury required only to enter the Acting degree option, and shows cast by open auditions (monologue plus 16 bars for musicals). Schedule: Fall 2026 regular session runs 8/17/2026-12/18/2026; production rehearsals typically weekday evenings 7-10 PM. Duration: AA typically two years full-time.
Published pricing
| Program | Published price | Source, as of |
|---|---|---|
| CA resident enrollment fee per unit | $46/unit (plus $19 health fee and $19 ASCC activities fee fall/spring, $2 representation fee) | source 路 2026-07-16 |
Prices are the school's own published rates on the dates shown. We never estimate prices. Always confirm before enrolling.
Instructors
- Brandt Reiter (co-chair, acting & voice), Faculty
- Israel Lopez Reyes, Faculty
Location
Questions actors ask
Where is Cerritos College Theatre, Film and Television Department located?
What acting technique does Cerritos College Theatre, Film and Television Department teach?
Is Cerritos College Theatre, Film and Television Department suitable for beginners?
How much do classes at Cerritos College Theatre, Film and Television Department cost?
Does Cerritos College Theatre, Film and Television Department teach children or teenagers?
Is admission to Cerritos College Theatre, Film and Television Department by audition?
Who teaches at Cerritos College Theatre, Film and Television Department?
When was this information last verified?
Sources and verification
- Theatre and Film - Cerritos College, accessed 2026-07-16
- Cerritos College Class Schedule - TH (Fall 2026), accessed 2026-07-16
- Theatre Auditions - Cerritos College, accessed 2026-07-16
- Fees - Cerritos College, accessed 2026-07-16
- History of Cerritos College, accessed 2026-07-16
Researched 2026-07-16, last verified 2026-07-16. Facts above come only from these sources. Anything we could not confirm is simply not shown. Report incorrect information or claim this listing if you represent the school.
Nearby schools
California State University, Long Beach, Department of Theatre Arts
Cal State Long Beach's Theatre Arts BA with an audition-gated Performance: Acting option and the California Repertory Company as its producing arm, at CSU-resident tuition.
South BayEl Camino College Theatre Department
El Camino College's South Bay theatre program: AA and transfer degrees, five to six productions a year including a musical with live orchestra, and master classes with visiting artists, at $46 per unit.
Lakewood Village area, Liberal Arts CampusLong Beach City College Theatre Arts (Performing Arts Department)
LBCC's theatre program with a dedicated Acting Academy AA track, media certificates in commercials, film acting, and voice-over, and a brand-new $75 million performing arts center, at $46 per unit.
Related by technique
La Crescenta-Montrose3-2-1- Acting Studios
On-camera school for ages 2 to adult in La Crescenta, founded 2007 by Mae Ross and now under new ownership, with tiered TV commercial and scene study classes, published package pricing, and a free trial class.
Sherman OaksThe Acting Center
Sherman Oaks school founded 2006 teaching its own proprietary technique in a strictly no-criticism classroom, with published 2026 session dates and pricing for scene study, intensives, and improv.
Culver CityThe Actors Circle
Culver City workshop founded 2003 by Marcie Smolin teaching film and TV craft with improv as half the curriculum, in a positive-feedback-only room serving ages 5 through adults at published per-class rates.