Hats off to Boulder High School for a wonderful fundraising idea. They’ve turned the school basement into a haunted house for the past three years. What a perfect marriage of theatre and Halloween. Proceeds from the haunted house go straight to the theatre department.
Here’s a news article on the haunted house.
And here’s a video walkthrough:
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I read an article in The Toronto Star this week about Acting Up Stage Theatre Company. They’re producing the musical Edges which was written by two University of Michigan students. The musical has had quite a viral effect apparently, gaining underground interest across the country. I was most interested in the way the company is approaching the production. Read about it here:
This is how theatre will survive. Four actors, four stools, finding a space where you can, thinking of the production as an event as a means of communicating, using material that speaks instead of material that caters to the lowest common denominator. Just doing it. Theatre will always go on. Will it change? Of course. Is Broadway in trouble? Maybe. But there is no ‘death of the theatre.’
I officially capped off a draft of Beauty and the Bee (the full length I worked on in September during the 30 days of development) for my workshop next week in Florida. The script had to go to the printers and be shipped down south so no last minute frantic changing ball of worry moments. No scrambling for a last second deadline. The script is pdf’d and out of my hands till next Tuesday….. eek…….
Somebody at Time Magazine is, apparently, a huge supporter of theatre in schools. Two recent articles of note:
Donna Letzter, the theater director at West Aurora High School in Aurora, Ill., has put on ambitious shows in the past like Cats and Les Misérables, and last year she even figured out a way to get a helicopter to lift off the stage for a production of Miss Saigon. But that was kid stuff compared her challenge this spring: staging the nation’s first licensed high school edition of Rent. Though the script had been pruned of most of the roughest material, this is still a musical in which most of the characters are either on drugs, suffering from AIDS, or having sex with members of their own sex. Yet a precautionary letter she sent to parents of the cast seemed to defuse any outrage (”You go girl!” one parent wrote back), and the local paper gave the production a thumbs-up even before it was staged early this month. “The newspaper said, thank goodness the kids are dealing with the issues,” says Letzter. “Somebody’s not shying away from topics that are difficult.”
Read more: Bye Bye, Birdie. Hello, Rent
Students have been learning about theater almost as soon as they’re learning the alphabet. The school’s theater study begins with fairy tales: what they’ve meant to families and artists alike. And the children get their lessons from the pros: almost 80 theater actors, directors, writers, musicians and other theater people have made guest appearances.
Read more: Grade School Impresarios
You always found strengths in me when I could only find weaknesses. Thank you for helping me find a part of who I am.
Drama Teachers have a profound impact on students. Here is a very touching example.
10.29.08 Update:
I remember Mr. Prior always encouraging.
I remember Mr. Prior always laughing.
I remember Mr. Prior always smiling.
I remember Mr. Prior.
Silence is often forgotten in student performances, but when used wisely, its effects can be profound.
Australian drama teacher Justin Cash wrote an excellent article on the value of silence in student performances. Definitely worth a read!
This past weekend I was the Florida Association of Theatre Educators Conference. It took place in Melbourne FL and was RIGHT on the Atlantic OCEAN. Folks, I do not use the all caps lightly. I think about it long and hard before I switch to internet yelling. But Holy Cow, I’ve never seen the ocean before and the power of it was stunning, breathtaking and in the archaic sense of the word, AWESOME.
I experienced some great moments at the conference…..
Oh wait, you probably wanted theatre education moments. I keep getting distracted by the waves…..
Sorry, sorry, sorry. Theatre education moments. Right. I have such a soft spot for the teachers in Florida. It was the first place we really hit our stride. The teachers have always been highly supportive of Theatrefolk and of my work. The majority of all my new play testing goes on in Florida, mostly because they’re the teachers who actually express interest! They’re energetic and enthusiastic and (for the most part) love sharing theatre with students. That’s the best part. Florida has been hit with some major school cuts and it’s heartbreaking to see the distress in the faces of the teachers. Given the situation, I was rather leery about going to the conference, but still everyone was so nice and there were so many memorable moments.
And lastly many many thanks to Diana Price (otherwise known as mom). There were three conferences this weekend and not enough bodies to fill them. My mom sacrified herself (ok, maybe the ocean had something to do with it) and was a huge help this weekend. Thanks Mom!
I was very excited to learn the conference is going to be in the same location next year.
I don’t think I’m ever going to get my fill of looking at that water. 
Simply Amazing. And Awesome. Now if only all conferences were held in a location like this……
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