About Abandon Ship

In 2025, Lauren Velasco was looking for a way to fill a gap in elementary school children's arts education. During her years directing children's theater at school districts throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties, Lauren had discovered that children of all backgrounds love live theater. She wondered if that love could be turned into a learning opportunity. Her research revealed that budget constraints often make it difficult for schools to fund field trips to live theater. So, in 2026, Lauren founded the Abandon Ship Theater Troupe to bring fun, educational, and affordable live theater to schools and students everywhere.

Why Abandon Ship

Students develop their listening and emotional skills through the experience of live theater. Learning through storytelling has proven to be 20 times more effective in helping people retain facts, which makes storytelling an extremely effective teaching device. However, many students do not have the means, knowledge, or time to attend live theater.

Affordable: The pick-up-and-play model reduces the cost of a typical field trip. By hiring the Abandon Ship Theatrical Troupe, schools no longer need to pay for buses, outside food, and extra school aid. Also, the number of students who can attend Abandon Ship performances is limited only by available space, not budget constraints.
Easy: Off‑campus field trips can be a logistical headache. Schools often struggle to secure enough volunteers, collect guardian signatures, arrange transportation, manage students missing a full day of classes, and create detailed schedules—all on top of already demanding workloads. We remove that burden entirely. We bring the set, the props, the costumes – in short, everything required to provide the full experience of live theater directly to the school.
Safe: In-school performances bring live educational entertainment to a controlled space. School administrators needn’t fear students running off into unfamiliar sites where risks potentially cannot be managed. Among these risks are those associated with the management of care that students with physical or medical limitations may require.
Fun and Educational: With minimal effort required by staff, students get to enjoy a high‑quality theatrical experience right on their home turf.

Lauren Velasco has been involved in theater for over twenty years. She received her undergraduate degree in Applied Theater Arts at the California State University of Fullerton and her Masters in Playwrighting and Dramaturgy at the University of Glasgow. Lauren has experience as an actor, director, and producer. Then she worked as a manager for a private acting studio while continuing to teach her one-on-one acting students. She has worked as an acting teaching for over seven years and strives to make theater engaging and accessible for all children. Her experience in children’s education, theater and management gives her insight to the needs of school administrators, parents and children.

Lauren Velasco, Founder

Advisory Board

Leslie Bailey

Board Chair (she/her)

Floyd Harden

Board Member, Director (he/him)

Bob Fetes

Board Member (he/him)

With 25 years of experience working with the California County Office of Education and school district finance, HR, and payroll software and reporting, Leslie Bailey brings a deep understanding of school business, insight as a parent of children who attended California public schools, and a personal conviction of the power of theater to engage children in a school assembly environment.

Floyd Harden is a director/actor/writer with experience in children's theater theatre, professional theater and community theater. Among his children's theater credits is a stint performing in a touring production of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, which he directed. Floyd also serves on the Newport Theater Arts Center board, a position which gives him a broad understanding of board operations.

As the Managing Director of the Newport Theater Arts Center, Bob Fetes is skilled at event organization and recruiting volunteers. He has 35 years of experience in the theater as an actor, director, producer, and educator. His networking skills within the theater and educational sectors are of great value to Abandon Ship Theater Troupe.