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October 2007
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October 2008
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January/February 2010
The Educational Theatre Association is collaborating with five other leading professional education associations to create a 21st Century Arts Skills Map for the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing into education the skills students need to engage with today’s economy and civic life.
The mission of the Partnership is to bring together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a vision for twenty-first century education and to ensure that students emerge from schools with the skills needed to be effective citizens, workers, and leaders. The arts—dance, music, theatre, and visual arts—are included as core subjects within the Partnership’s Framework for 21st Century Learning as well as in federal law. The other organizations collaborating on this project are the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the National Art Education Association, the National Dance Association, and the National Dance Education Organization. The document was drafted in late October by writers representing each association. The map in this draft focuses on four elements: an introduction, outcomes, examples, and cross-curricular themes. These are presented in the same format that was used for other subject-area 21st Century Skill Maps that have been posted on the Partnership website. Michael Peitz, Executive Director of EdTA, called the project “a tremendous step forward in the arts’ effort to be recognized as a discrete subject area as fundamental as any other discipline in the education of our students. We in theatre have long known of the rich and varied learning that takes place among our students, whether onstage or in a classroom. The kind of skills the Partnership is interested in communicating—creativity, leadership, self-direction, and collaboration, for example—are the cornerstones of every sound theatre education program.” Members of EdTA, along with other participating associations and a broad range of individuals in the arts education community, are being asked to review the draft Arts Skills Map and offer comment to help the organizations finalize the document that will be submitted for review to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. “I’m urging every member of EdTA to offer their input on the Arts Map draft.” said Peitz. “If we expect to be a leading voice for theatre and arts education in general, we have a responsibility to speak up on behalf of our field.” To review and comment, go to the survey at the link below. Input boxes are provided for all aspects of the draft that are not pre-set by the Skills Map format. Prior to beginning the survey, individuals are strongly urged to first review the maps already established for other subjects on the Partnership’s website (search for “publications” under the “tools and resources” tab). For more detail on the Arts Map project, see the two documents linked as PDFs below. If you have specific questions, contact Jim Palmarini, EdTA’s director of education policy, at jpalmarini@edta.org. (Posted 11/11/09) The survey review and comment period will end on December 9, 2009.
EdTA members have elected longtime California educator Gai Jones to a three-year seat on the EdTA Board of Directors. Her term begins August 1, 2010 and runs through the end of July, 2013.
A resident of Ojai, Jones has been an educator for more than four decades, including thirty-four years at El Dorado High School in Placentia, where she directed Thespian Troupe 199. She has also taught at the college level, as an instructor at Fullerton College and California State University, Channel Islands, and as an associate professor at California State University, East Bay. She has served the Thespian Society and EdTA in numerous leadership roles, as California State Thespian chapter director and territory/regional director, and as a workshop presenter at EdTA educational events. Outside of the classroom, Jones is active with Ojai’s Theater 150, the Ojai Center for the Arts, Camp Bravo in Angelus Oaks, and the Elite Theatre Company in Oxnard. She is the author of three books, including Raising the Curtain: Activities for the Theatre Arts Classroom. “I consider my affiliation with EdTA since 1968 as an advocacy position for educational theatre arts,” Jones said. “Listening to those in our field and representing the diversity of visionary plans for a united voice is my mission. We need sequential theatre arts for every student, pre-kindergarten through high school graduation. I continue to work for the advancement of educational theatre and serve as an activist for the field. I look forward to representing the members of EdTA in this effort.” Jones is active in the California Educational Theatre Association, for which she currently serves as vice president of membership, and the Drama Teachers Associations of Southern California, serving as membership secretary. “Gai Jones has been a stalwart voice for the importance of theatre arts education, in both California and the nation,” said EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz. “Her years of work as an educator have given her the experiences to understand the challenges faced by theatre educators and represent their interests. We are fortunate to have members like Gai who are ready and willing to take up the cause of leading the organization into an exciting future.”
The biennial Reba R. Robertson Award, sponsored by the Children’s Theatre Foundation of America (CTFA), is accepting nominations until January 10, 2010. The award recognizes the important work of secondary school theatre/drama and drama teachers in public schools throughout the United States of America.
Candidates must follow these general criteria: - Be at mid-career level and anticipate serving at least ten additional years in the profession
- Be dedicated to guiding students through curricular, co-curricular, and/or extracurricular programming in the theatre arts
- Personify mentoring qualities
- Demonstrate artistic excellence
- Verify artistic achievement
- Confirm broad influence on school, community, state, region, and beyond, as exhibited by the award’s namesake, Reba. R. Robinson
The award recipient will receive transportation expenses up to $500 for travel to the CTFA Medallion Awards event in San Francisco in August 2010; $6,000 to be used as the recipient chooses for the purpose of expanding his or her professional interests; and $1,000 for the honoree’s school district to enhance the high school theatre/drama program. For more information go to Children’s Theatre Foundation of America, or contact Jo Beth Gonzalez at jgonzal@wcnet.org. (Posted 7/30/09)
The National Assessment Governing Board has released the 2008 National Assessment of Educational Progress report on the arts in America’s schools. Commonly referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, NAEP annually measures the level of students’ academic achievement in one or more curricular subject areas in America’s public and private schools. The 2008 NAEP Arts Assessment, the first since 1994, was the fifth NAEP assessment in the arts.
The test was given to a nationally representative sample of 7,900 eighth-grade students from 260 public and private schools. Students were assessed on their ability to respond to music and to create and respond to visual arts. Theatre and dance were not tested due to budget constraints. Among the key findings, for both music and visual arts, on average among the eighth graders assessed: - Students eligible for reduced or free lunch scored lower than students from higher income households.
- Black and Hispanic students scored lower than white and Asian/Pacific Islander students.
- Public school students scored lower than private school students.
- Students in urban schools scored lower than students in suburban schools.
- In general, students who performed well on the responding questions also performed well on the creating questions.
Compared to 1997, the average reported frequency of arts instruction for eighth graders remained about the same. However, according to data collected from school administrators, 8 percent of eighth graders attended schools where no music instruction was offered, and 14 percent attended schools where no visual arts instruction was offered. These findings show a slight improvement from 1997. EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz said it was encouraging that NAEP had tested music and visual arts this past year, but he was disappointed that theatre was not assessed as well. “We certainly have the curricular numbers to create a statistically valid survey. The NAEP test is so important—it validates the subject area and tells teachers, administrators, and legislators that the discipline tested matters to the education of the whole child. We’ll be advocating in the years to come for NAEP to conduct a full test of theatre students in 2016, when the next arts test is scheduled.” The complete NAEP arts report card can be downloaded at www.nationsreportcard.gov/arts_2008. You can also find other information about the report on the Arts Education Partnership website at www.aep-arts.org. (Posted 7/23/09)
The proposal to change the name of the International Thespian Society to the Thespian Honor Society was narrowly defeated—by ten votes—in an EdTA membership meeting at the Thespian Festival. Since the proposal would have modified the EdTA code of regulations, at least two-thirds of the votes cast, rather than a simple majority, would have had to vote “yes” for the proposal to pass. The tally was 182 votes for the name change and 105 against.
“While the vote did not approve the name change, the board of directors remains confident that its decision to forward and endorse the proposal was the right course of action for the organization, its students, and its future,” says EdTA Board President Jerry Smith. “The fact that 64.3 percent of the voting members supported the name change indicates that more than a majority of voters felt the same, but the proposal failed to meet the necessary objective of a two-thirds affirmative vote. Name change or not, our mission remains the same: honoring student achievement in theatre.” (Posted 7/1/09)
The EdTA Board of Directors voted to endorse a statement from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) titled “A Statement of Support for the Whole Child.”
In a letter requesting support for the statement, Kathleen Welling, ASCD director of alliances and partnerships, wrote, “We call on parents, educators, policymakers, and communities to join forces to ensure our children become productive, engaged citizens. Our children deserve an education that emphasizes academic rigor as well as the essential 21st-century skills of critical thinking and creativity.” EdTA President Jerry Smith commented, “We have special appreciation for the emphasis on essential twenty-first-century skills of critical thinking and creativity and the statement’s support for a challenging well-balanced curriculum. EdTA believes that the education of the whole child must include standards-based work in the arts presented by qualified teachers.” EdTA members are encouraged to read The Learning Compact Redefined: A Call to Action at www.wholechildeducation.org. Members may also sign the petition in support of the Whole Child at the website. (Posted 6/16/09) 
The Educational Theatre Association Arts Advocacy Day delegates. | 
EdTA essay winner Lauren Caddick and
North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan
on Capitol Hill, Arts Advocacy Day 2009. |
Arts Advocacy Day was held March 30–31 in Washington, D.C. The annual two-day gathering draws arts advocates from throughout the country to lobby on behalf of legislative initiatives and financial support for the arts and arts education. This year’s meeting included nineteen members of the Educational Theatre Association from nine states, along with more than five hundred other registered delegates. EdTA adult attendees were Eva Ferguson (Arizona); Jeremy Goldson, Elizabeth Goldson, Mary Schuttler, and Jay Seller (Colorado); Lynn Jensen and Helen Duranleau (Iowa); Brian Drake and Phillip Moss (Michigan); Ben Martin (Missouri); Joe Norton (New York); Diana Vance, Michael J. Peitz, and James Palmarini (Ohio); Bob Singleton (Texas); and Bob Smith (Virginia). Michigan’s delegation included two students—David Clauson and Jacob Dombrowski.
The meeting featured advocacy training to prepare attendees for visits to Congressional offices, testimony before Congress by musicians Linda Ronstadt, Josh Groban, and Wynton Marsalis, and the Nancy Hanks Lecture at the Kennedy Center. The Hanks speaker was Marsalis, who presented a remarkable one-hour review of two hundred years of American history and culture, using bits of blues, swing, ragtime, and bebop music to make his case on the importance of arts in our society. His lecture-performance can viewed online at www.americansforthearts.org/events/2009/aad/nhl09.asp. Among the Arts Advocacy Day delegates was EdTA student essay winner Lauren Caddick, of Troupe 7152, Forestview High School, Gastonia, North Carolina. Caddick was chosen from eight semifinalist essayists, drawn from more than one hundred submissions by Thespians from throughout the country. The essay topic was “Why arts education is important to America’s future.” EdTA launched the competition in support of Arts Advocacy Day, and as a way of acknowledging the importance of student voices in the ongoing effort to maintain and expand arts education in the United States. EdTA paid the travel and attendance costs for Caddick and her mother to attend the event, where they participated in legislative training on the current arts issues circulating on Capitol Hill and lobbying visits to North Carolina Congressional representatives. Caddick said she was thrilled by Marsalis’s presentation. She also got a photo opportunity with Groban. As a member of the North Carolina delegation, Caddick and the group were escorted to Capitol Hill, where they meet with the state’s new junior senator, Kay Hagan. The senator came off the floor of the senate during a vote and met the group in an outer reception area—a rare occurrence during Arts Advocacy Day meetings, according to an Americans for the Arts staffer. After listening to the group’s request that the senator support, among other things, National Endowment for the Arts and Arts in Education funding, Hagan spent a little time talking to Caddick about her essay and future plans. “It was really something for her to take time out to talk to us,” said Caddick. “This whole experience is something I’ll never ever forget.” EdTA Executive Director Michael Peitz said he was very pleased with the participation from so many of the organization’s state chapters this year, as well as the response to the new essay contest. “Both our adult and student members really stepped up and spoke out this year about arts education in this country. Our voices really can make a difference, and I think it’s clear that working on behalf of arts education is a win for students and teachers alike. Next year, we’re hoping we can get even more folks to Washington, particularly students—Arts Advocacy Day is such a great lesson in democracy on action.” (Posted 4/15/09)
A group of performing arts and sports organizations have filed suit in Federal Court challenging the Federal Communication Commission’s 2008 ruling on the use of so-called “white spaces”—the radio frequencies used by wireless microphones. The Educational Theatre Association is one of several theatre groups that have joined the suit. Others include The Broadway League, Alliance of Resident Theatres, and the Theatre Communications Group. The cable network ESPN, along with the NCAA and a wide range of professional sports organizations, are also participating in the U.S. Court of Appeals petition.
The FCC’s “White Spaces Order” was part of the transition to digital broadcasting that was supposed to occur on February 17 (since delayed). The new digital broadcasts for television stations and new unlicensed devices (PDAs, cell phones, etc.) will inhabit the same frequency range—470 to 698 MHz—that wireless microphones use. There is concern among performing arts organization that the increased use of the frequencies by potentially millions of unlicensed devices could cause audio interference during public performances. Under the reallocated broadcast spectrum, the FCC will put aside two channels exclusively for “incumbent users” of unlicensed wireless devices in heavy-use markets; set up a system in which wireless users can register in a geo-location database that will allow them to track available channels; and require that all wireless devices have the capability to sense other wireless devices on the same frequency. The petition, filed February 27, seeks “review of the White Spaces Order on ground that it exceeds the Commission’s statutory authority and is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, unsupported by substantial evidence, or otherwise contrary to law.” The concern over the continued reliability and use of wireless microphones also prompted Americans for the Arts to include it in a “Communication Issues of Concern” brief distributed to members of Congress as part of Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. in late March. The brief urged Congress and the FCC to: - Conduct adequate testing of new devices to preserve the ability of wireless microphones used in performing arts venues to operate without interference.
- Recognize the legitimate use of wireless microphones used in the performing arts.
- Allow performing arts venues to be eligible for inclusion in a geo-location database.
Educational Theatre Association Executive Director Michael Peitz said EdTA joined the suit “to insure that educational theatre’s voice was heard in this very important issue.” Peitz noted that EdTA was supportive of creating greater access to the Internet, but also added that he was concerned that the re-allocation of the broadcast spectrum could open the door to radio interference to wireless microphones. “Our schools have come to depend on high quality audio systems, just like those in professional theatre,” he said. “It’s simply part of the educational package that we offer our students. Our theatre educators would have to radically change their teaching strategies if they we’re unable to depend on wireless microphones for their productions.” (Posted 3/9/09)
Dick Deasy’s keynote address “Theatre and the Challenges Facing the American Democracy” was a highlight of the 2008 EdTA Annual Conference held in Chicago. Deasy, the recently retired founding director of the Washington D.C.-based Arts Education Partnership, emphasized the need for educators to work as advocates for their own programs and school districts, using research data to bolster the case for theatre in the curriculum. The PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied his remarks is available in two parts: Part 1 (file size is 1.2 MB) and Part 2 (file size is 884 K).
Also available for downloading are the PDF versions of the welcome address given by EdTA President Jerry Smith, Jr. and the State of the Association PowerPoint presentation. (Posted 10/17/08)
In the summer of 2007 ten theatre educators from throughout the state of Ohio were chosen to participate in the Ohio Critical Links Project, a two-year program designed to promote localized learning communities of theatre educators. Their first-year reports of the individual teachers can be viewed at www.edta.org/criticallinks.
The project’s goals are based on Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development, an arts education research compendium published in 2002. The seven-step Critical Links Inquiry Process, as explained on the website www.criticallinks.org, is a professional development tool that supports teachers in refining their expertise. Through an inquiry process, sometimes known as “action research,” teachers develop questions pertinent to their classroom practices, gather evidence to answer those questions, and share the results in a “learning community” of their peers. The Educational Theatre Association is co-sponsoring the project, along with Arts Education Partnership. AEP is a national coalition of arts, education, business, philanthropic, and government organizations that demonstrate and promote the essential role of the arts in the learning and development of every child and in the improvement of America’s schools. Additional funding has been provided by the Ohio Arts Council and the University of Cincinnati. The ten theatre educators gathered three times during the 2007–08 school year. The meetings were conducted by Dr. Pamela Paulson and Cheryll Ostrom, the creators of the Critical Links Inquiry Process. During the first meeting, each member of the learning community created a research question that could be applied to their own theatre classroom or rehearsal work. Participants also began to learn how to adapt and facilitate the inquiry process themselves. In the second meeting they met in small groups, offered some evidence of student learning, and refined their individual inquiry questions. In the third meeting they shared their findings with their peers and the facilitators and began discussion on the formation of their own learning community for the 2008–09 school year. In the first meeting of the second year, held in early October, the teachers finalized plans to facilitate their own school district learning communities. Two of the ten will conduct a national Web-based learning community. The deadline for application for that group is November 3. Download the application form. The range of questions posed and data gathered in the learning communities are expected to provide important information on how students learn specific elements of theatre and how these elements impact their general learning skills. The data is also intended to help the teachers who generated it to adapt their pedagogy and align their curriculum to their state’s Academic Content Standards. The ultimate goal of the project, according to James Palmarini, project director and the editor of Teaching Theatre journal, is to create a network of theatre educator learning communities and a Web-based index of best teaching practices, based on the classroom research work of the participating teachers. “Critical Links asserts that the theatre teachers working with students every day are the best judge of what works and what doesn’t in the classroom and on the stage,” he said. “The project assumes that skilled educators can learn research methodology, gather and organize data, and contribute valuable information to the domain of theatre education.” The ten participating first-year teachers and their schools are: Jo Beth Gonzalez, Bowling Green (Ohio) High School
Irene Imboden, Troy (Ohio) High School
Colleen Pence-Sizelove, Butler Tech’s Options Arts Academy, Hamilton, Ohio
Patricia J. Santanello, Dublin (Ohio) Scioto High School
Diana Crawford, Withrow University High School, Cincinnati
Kandace L. Cleland, Canfield Village (Ohio) Middle School
Art Thomas, St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland
Greg Varner, Upper Arlington High School, Columbus
Wendy Duke, Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, Akron
Melissa Montag, Wayne High School, Huber Heights, Ohio For additional information about this project, contact jpalmarini  edta.org. (You will need to type this e-mail address into the e-mail message’s “To” field, as this is not a link.) (Updated 10/16/08)
The Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA) has named Ruthie Tutterow, an EdTA member from Greensboro, North Carolina, as the winner of its essay competition.
Tutterow is chair of the drama department at Greensboro Day School and troupe director of Thespian Troupe 6570. In her winning essay, Tutterow explained how attending the 2009 VASTA Conference would further her artistic and professional goals. As the winner, Tutterow receives $500 toward airfare to the VASTA Conference and a waiver for the $275 conference registration fee. She will have the opportunity to work with internationally renowned voice trainers Kristin Linklater, Patsy Rodenburg, Catherine Fitzmaurice, and Arthur Lessac, as well as network with colleagues from around the world. “As a high school drama teacher, I am eager to learn new ways for my students to optimize their vocal instrument,” says Tutterow. “I have used Patsy Rodenburg’s [videotape] A Voice of Your Own with my students and look forward to learning more from Ms. Rodenburg, as well as the other teachers at this conference. I am grateful for this opportunity!” EdTA and VASTA were a good match for this competition, according to Rena Cook, editor-in-chief of VASTA’s publication Voice and Speech Review: “When we conceived of the contest, EdTA seemed like a natural partner; no other organization puts you in touch with so many Thespians and their teachers.” The free trip was offered exclusively to EdTA members to increase awareness of the importance of voice training. “Part of EdTA’s mission is ensuring that our members have the vital professional development opportunities that they need in order to better serve their students,” says EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz. “The VASTA Conference provides professional development to theatre educators who wish to hone their skills in voice training. We are pleased that VASTA reached out to EdTA to create this opportunity to send one of our members to their conference.” The VASTA Conference will take place in New York City August 3–7. (Posted 3/18/09) 
Lauren Caddick. |
EdTA has selected the winner of its first student essay contest: sixteen-year-old Lauren Caddick, of Troupe 7152, Forestview High School, Gastonia, North Carolina. Caddick was chosen from eight semifinalist essayists, drawn from more than one hundred submissions. The essay topic was “Why arts education is important to America’s future.”
In her essay Caddick said, “In my life, arts education has played an irreplaceable role.... Art is an essential part of human existence and I hope that one day, with the support of our nation’s leaders, every American will be as positively influenced by the arts as I have.” EdTA launched the competition to support Arts Advocacy Day, organized by the Washington, D.C.-based Americans for the Arts. The event, set for March 30–31, draws arts advocates from throughout the country lobbying on behalf of legislative initiatives and financial support for the arts, including education. The competition was open to inducted student members of the International Thespian Society. EdTA will cover $1,500 of the travel and attendance costs for Caddick and a chaperone to attend Arts Advocacy Day, where they will take part in all event activities, including legislative training on the current arts issues circulating on Capitol Hill and lobbying visits to district Congressional representatives. Americans for the Arts has waived event registration fees. Readers for the contest were the staff of Dramatics magazine, EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz, Americans for the Arts Education Director John Abodeely, and Heather Noonan Watts, vice-president of advocacy for the League of American Orchestras. Caddick, who has been involved in the arts since she was seven, said she was prompted to submit her essay because she knew the importance of the arts was something she could address passionately. “About a year ago I saw a story in our local paper about the possibility that a string program in our elementary school might be cut. My sister was in that program and I had been, too. Plus I knew that, for some students, it was why they looked forward to coming to school every day. So I wrote a letter to the paper, drew cartoons in support of the program, contacted a school board member, and we were able to save the program. That experience taught me first-hand about the connection between the arts and community involvement.” Peitz said he was gratified that the response to the new essay contest had been so strong. “It says something about how aware our kids are, not just of their own needs, but those of their fellow students throughout the country. I’m especially proud that EdTA could help Americans for the Arts get the message out that arts advocacy is something that everyone can do—students and adults alike.” Caddick’s essay will be included in Arts Advocacy Day materials distributed to all registrants and Congress, and be published in Dramatics magazine. Links to her essay, along with the semifinalist entries, are listed below. For more information about Arts Advocacy Day 2009, go to artsusa.org/events/2009/aad. (Posted 2/26/09) Lauren Caddick’s essay
Semifinalist essays - Anne Alcasid, Bishop Moore High School, Troupe 5628, Lake Mary, Florida; essay
- Allison Aoun, Orange County High School of the Arts, Troupe 88726, Santa Ana, California; essay
- Allison Chalifoux, Bishop Moore High School, Troupe 5628, Altamonte Springs, Florida; essay
- Olivia Cho, Arendell Parrott Academy, Troupe 6652, New Bern, North Carolina; essay
- James Hendley, Newman (Georgia) High School, Troupe 7132; essay
- Hilary Kelly, Bishop Moore High School, Troupe 5628, Winter Park, Florida; essay
- Taylor Thompson, Jasper High School, Troupe 6044, Plano, Texas; essay
Molly Grasso has been elected the next chapter director for Nebraska Thespians. Her term begins on August 1, 2009 and runs through July 31, 2013.
Grasso, the troupe director for Troupe 68 at Papillion-La Vista High School, succeeds Robyn Baker of Millard South High School in Omaha. Grasso has served as a chapter committee head, developed the Nebraska Thespians webpage, directed the 2003 all-state production of Godspell, and hosted the 2006 Nebraska Thespian Festival. “I am very excited for the opportunity to be chapter director for the state of Nebraska,” says Grasso. “In the past four years, our state has made incredible changes in our state festival and I am proud of all that we have done. I look forward to working to help our state develop a better communication system and to expand our current network of troupes.” “As Nebraska Thespians continues to grow, we are pleased to have active members who are willing to step forward and take on leadership roles,” says EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz. “It is no small task for these busy educators to take time out of their schedules to provide leadership and support to their chapter. We thank Robyn Baker for her service as chapter director and look forward to having Molly Grasso take the helm and lead Nebraska Thespians into an exciting future.” (Posted 2/5/09)
Four Thespians were recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) youngARTS program:
- Tucker Worley, Troupe 5869, Denver School of the Arts, Parker, Colorado; Finalist in musical theatre
- Nora Garrett, Troupe 5869, Denver School of the Arts, Lakewood, Colorado; Merit Award in spoken theatre
- Nathan Cheeseman, Troupe 2960, Middleton High School, Verona, Wisconsin; Merit Award in spoken theatre
- Danielle Peterson, Troupe 4182, Lexington (South Carolina) High School, Merit Award in spoken and musical theatre
- Monique Huff, Troupe 4229, McCallum High School, Austin, Texas; Honorable Mention in spoken and musical theatre
The youngARTS program recognizes the most talented U.S. high school seniors in nine disciplines in the performing, literary, and visual arts. Each year hundreds of participants receive cash awards, and ultimately twenty finalists are named Presidental Scholars in the Arts. Finalists receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Miami for a week of master classes, showcase performances, and final adjudications. Students who qualify for the first round of the National Individual Events Showcase at the International Thespian Festival and students who are selected as semifinalists in the Thespian Playworks program are eligible to bypass the preliminary judging of the youngARTS program. “The Educational Theatre Association is a perfect example of the kind of partnership that NFAA appreciates,” says NFAA Vice President of Communications Judy Block. “Their member students are exceptional artists who obviously have great talent and exceptional gifts to share with the world, and we are proud to support them.” “The NFAA youngARTS program provides an important avenue for the cultivation of young talent and recognition of the transformative power of the arts” says EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz. “EdTA is proud to be associated with this program and looks forward to continuing our association in an effort to support the work of those who represent the future of the arts.” For more information about the youngARTS program, visit www.youngARTS.org. (Updated 2/19/09)
Matt Conover, who is the vice president of entertainment at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California and head of the Disney Parks casting team, has been appointed to the EdTA board of directors. Conover was appointed to fill the remainder of the term of board member Paul Leopoulos, who resigned to be able to devote more time to the operation of his family-run foundation.
Conover’s connection to EdTA began when he was inducted as a member of Thespian Troupe 335 at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland. During his twenty years with Disney, Conover served as the production manager on the grand opening team for Disneyland Resort Paris, developed the Walt Disney Theatre, and created three original musicals for the Disney Cruise Line. “I am very honored and excited to be joining this terrific group of professionals who all share the common purpose—continuing to improve, enhance, and champion arts as a key component of education,” says Conover. “I was inspired to pursue a career in the arts while a high school student in Rockville, Maryland. It was educators then, just like the members of EdTA today, who inspired young people with a passion for the arts to practice their craft and embrace all of the lessons that an arts education provides. I want to be one of those now who can inspire.” “Matt Conover is an example of how an arts education can prepare an individual for success in a variety of career paths,” says EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz. “His years of experience and dedication to the arts in his career with Disney, coupled with his history as a Thespian, make him a unique and valuable addition to the EdTA board of directors. We are excited to welcome him and look forward to his contributions to the Association.” Conover’s term as board director runs from December 2008 through July 31, 2010. (Posted 1/20/09)
More than three hundred Thespian troupes in thirty-eight states collected 308,096 pounds (as of 11/7/08) (including late donations, 309,543 pounds) of food for local food banks as part of the Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat (TOTS-EAT) food drive.
Each year TOTS-EAT honors participating Thespians with community service awards in several categories at the troupe, team, and chapter levels. This year’s honorees are listed below. Troupe awards
Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a single troupe: Troupe 2326, Kellam High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia; 16,162 pounds. Harvest Excellence Award, for greatest total collection by a first-time participant (troupes only): Troupe 2131, South Lafourche High School, Galliano, Louisiana; 2,108 pounds. Community Spirit Award, for first Thespian troupe registered (that also met the donation verification deadline): Troupe 2326, Kellam High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Golden Harvest Award, for troupes that collect more than 15,000 pounds: Troupe 2326, Kellam High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 16,162 pounds; and Troupe 4274, Grinnell (Iowa) High School, 15,762 pounds. Abundant Harvest Award, for greatest one-year increase in total collections by a troupe. For increase by pounds: Troupe 6512, Glen Este High School, Cincinnati, Ohio, 3,032-pound increase. For increase by percent: Troupe 6512, Glen Este High School, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1,011 percent increase. Troupe team awards
Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a team: Wichita Area Team, Wichita, Kansas, 11,405 pounds. Team members include: Troupe 182, Wichita South High School; Troupe 184, Derby Senior High School; Troupe 695, Kapaun-Mt. Carmel Catholic High School; Troupe 923, Wichita Heights High School; Troupe 1204, Wichita High School West; Troupe 1820, Wichita Southeast High School; Troupe 2661, Wichita Northwest High School; Troupe 3473, Wichita North High School; Troupe 3540, Andover High School; Troupe 3596, Maize High School; Troupe 6282, Andover Central High School; Troupe 6542, Northeast Magnet High School; and Troupe 6544, Rose Hill High School. Community Spirit Award, for first team registered (that also met the donation verification deadline): Lee’s Summit United, Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Team members include: Troupe 1885, Lee’s Summit High School; Troupe 6258, Lee’s Summit North High School; Troupe 6761, Lee’s Summit West High School; and Troupe 7225, Lee’s Summit Community Christian School. Chapter awards Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a chapter: - Overall winner: Texas Thespian Chapter of EdTA, 40,917 pounds
- Division 1 (1–10 participating troupes): Virginia Thespians, 23,634 pounds
- Division 2 (11–20 participating troupes): California State Thespians, 12,795 pounds
- Division 3 (21–30 participating troupes): Missouri State Thespians, 31,459 pounds
- Division 4 (31–40 participating troupes): Kansas Thespians, 34,220 pounds
Outstanding Commitment Award, for greatest percentage participation of active Thespian troupes: - Overall winner: Kansas Thespians, 52 percent
- Division 1 (1–10 participating troupes): Montana Chapter of EdTA, 27 percent
- Division 2 (11–20 participating troupes): EdTA Arkansas, 28 percent
- Division 3 (21–30 participating troupes): Missouri State Thespians, 20 percent
- Division 5 (41–50 participating troupes): Texas Thespian Chapter of EdTA, 10 percent
Abundant Harvest Award, for greatest one-year increase in total collections by a chapter. For increase by pounds: Oregon Thespians, 8,812-pound increase. For increase by percent, Oregon Thespians, 733 percent increase. Ten preregistered and participating troupes were randomly drawn to receive a $100 gift certificate good for anything from the EdTA Resources and Thespian Gear and Honors Catalogs. This year’s winners are: Troupe 1053, The Woodlands (Texas) High School; Troupe 1341, Harrisonville (Missouri) High School; Troupe 1476, Salina (Kansas) South High School; Troupe 1903, New Smyrna Beach (Florida) Senior High School; Troupe 2413, Shawnee Mission (Kansas) West High School; Troupe 3430, Bentonville (Arkansas) High School; Troupe 4151, Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park, Kansas; Troupe 4589, West Hall High School, Oakwood, Georgia; Troupe 6386, Vernon Hills (Illinois) High School; and Troupe 88881, Summer Creek Middle School, Crowley, Texas. See the troupe and team totals page and chapter total pages for all the 2008 totals. (Posted 11/25/08)
Florida will have a new chapter director starting in 2010. C. LeRoy “Lee” Tempest, of Deerfield Beach High School, was elected by Florida EdTA members to succeed longtime chapter director Michael Higgins of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville.
Tempest, who has spent twenty-five years at Deerfield Beach, served as the head of the school’s English department, faculty chair, and graduation coordinator. He also served as co-chair of District VII and on its board. “I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to serve Florida’s troupe directors as the next chapter director,” said Tempest. “I hope to build on the wonderful foundation that Michael Higgins has created and make contributions to move our organization forward into the next decade.” “Florida Thespians is our organization’s largest and most active chapter, which is in no small part due to the tireless work and strong leadership of Michael Higgins,” EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz commented. “We are excited for Florida to continue their tradition of excellence with Lee Tempest at the helm and look forward to a smooth and successful transition of leadership over the next eighteen months.” Tempest’s term begins May 1, 2010 and runs through July 31, 2011. (Posted 11/24/08)
Five theatre educators were inducted into the Educational Theatre Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the EdTA Annual Conference in Chicago in September. The new honorees are:
Jonathan Gillespie, artistic director at Warren Consolidated School of Performing Arts in Sterling Heights, Michigan, who rescued several ailing theatre programs during his career. Martha “Marty” Hancock, who spent over thirty years serving the Miami area, mentoring teachers, advising drama certification and textbook adoption at the local and state level, and adjudicating at conferences and festivals. Patricia “Lee” Hitchler, a former EdTA leadership coach and Kansas chapter director. Her school, Olathe East, received the EdTA Outstanding School Award, and she was recently inducted into the Kansas Thespian Hall of Fame. Madelon Horvath, an EdTA leadership coach since 1999. She served as troupe director at Chardon (Ohio) High School for nineteen years and as Ohio chapter director and regional director. Terry McGonigle, who costumed the International Thespian company productions of Ragtime—School Edition and Thoroughly Modern Mille—School Edition. He is the International Thespian Officers liaison and was inducted into both the Kansas and Georgia Thespian Halls of Fame. Eighty-three theatre educators have been inducted into the EdTA Hall of Fame since its inception in 1991. Inductees are nominated by their peers and screened by a board-appointed committee on the basis of professional achievement, education and continuing education, community service, commitment to theatre and theatre education, work with the Educational Theatre Association and the Thespian Society, and letters of recommendation from students and peers. This year’s induction ceremony was held during a Lake Michigan dinner cruise on the excursion boat Mystic Blue. The EdTA Founders’ Award was presented posthumously to William Strauss. A Harvard-educated lawyer, writer, and co-founder of the satirical musical group the Capitol Steps, Strauss was the guiding force behind the Cappies, a program that gave high school students opportunities to attend each other’s shows, review them, and honor exceptional work. Strauss passed away earlier this year after an eight-year battle with pancreatic cancer. The Standing Ovation Award was presented to Bob and Marty Fowler, who founded Interactive Educational Video and developed the multimedia educational series Practical Technical Theater. (Posted 10/13/08)
One Thespian troupe has snagged a primetime television slot. On Monday, December 15, Troupe 6237, Westfield High School, in Chantilly, Virginia, was featured on a two-hour edition of 20/20.
For the story “Drama High: The Making of a High School Musical,” 20/20 camera crews followed Westfield’s production of The Wiz for three months during the fall of 2007. The production was directed by troupe director Scott Pafumi, who also founded the Thespian troupe. “This program that started nine years ago with thirty active students, now has over two hundred students,” says Pafumi. “I have a very supportive administration, booster group, and community support system in place. This documentary is not just a celebration of who we are as a school, but a reflection of how the arts make a huge impact in the lives of young people. I am proud to be an arts educator at Westfield.” “The positive impact of educational theatre is something that has been known to those students and teachers in the field for a long time,” says EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz. “‘Drama High: The Making of a High School Musical’ promises to illuminate the process of staging a production and all of the work that goes into it. Those who watch it will see that it is a process not only about the art, but all of the skills and lessons that theatre students take away from the process. These skills and lessons will serve them well whether their futures take them to a life on the stage, in the classroom, or in the boardroom.” Video clips of students auditioning for the four leads can be viewed at http://abcnews.go.com/2020/dramahigh, where viewers can also vote online for their favorites. (Posted 12/15/08)
EdTA chapters in Regions II and IV have named their nominated candidates for the chapter director elections. The list of nominees is below.
Changes to chapter director elections were approved by EdTA members at the annual meeting held during the EdTA Annual Conference. These changes allow chapter boards to nominate a candidate for available chapter director positions; other chapter members can petition to be placed on the ballot. Petitions must be received at the EdTA home office by Tuesday, November 25. (Posted 10/23/08) Chapter director nominees
Marydell Merrill, Connecticut, Region IV
James D Smith, Illinois, Region II
Beth Ann Hileman, Indiana, Region IV
Lynn Jensen, Iowa, Region II
Max Brown, Kansas, Region II
Rick Osann, Maine, Region IV
Ruby Duehring, Maryland, Region IV
James Ferguson, Massachusetts, Region IV
Brian Drake, Michigan, Region IV
Michael Sheeks, Minnesota, Region II
Debbie Corbin, Missouri, Region II
Sarah DeGrandpre, Montana, Region II
Molly Grasso, Nebraska, Region II
Jennifer LaFrance, New Hampshire, Region IV
Sandra Van Dyke, New Jersey, Region IV
Scott Wilson, Ohio, Region IV
Jeff Graham, Ontario, Region IV
William Hallman, Pennsylvania, Region IV
Kate Arthur, Rhode Island, Region IV
Ron Lurvey, Vermont, Region IV
At the annual membership meeting during the EdTA Annual Conference in Chicago, members passed both proposed changes to the code of regulations: a revision to the language on the number of names presented by the nominating committee to the membership for board officer and director seats, and changes in chapter election procedures.
As a result, the nomination committee will present at least one nomination for each EdTA officer and elected director vacancy on the ballot, which allows it to place multiple names for consideration if more than one candidate meets the selection matrix for nominees prepared by the board. Chapter boards will now be responsible for nominating their respective chapter directors. (For more details on these changes, see the article below, “Changes proposed for chapter director elections.”) The updated version of the code can be downloaded from the link below. (Posted 10/3/08) Amended code of regulations
2008 annual meeting minutes
The Educational Theatre Association held its election for the positions of vice president/president and board director during the 2008 EdTA Annual Conference in Chicago.
Joe Norton, who ran unopposed, is the new vice president-elect, and Ben Martin won the race for the three-year board director seat. Norton is the director of education and outreach at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA). He served the past eight years as an EdTA board director, and is currently board treasurer. He will serve as vice president of the governing board for two years beginning in August 2009, and will begin a two-year term as president in August 2011. “My own theatre education provided me with a passion for art,” Norton said. “Now, I have a passion for the educational process to support our art and I speak to that process every chance that I get. I am honored and humbled to have been elected by the membership. I look forward to continuing my service to EdTA as its next vice president.” Martin is the troupe director of Troupe 6761 at Lee’s Summit West High School, Missouri and served on the Missouri chapter board. He also adjudicates main stage shows for Festival. His term as board director begins August 2009. “I’ve been a Thespian, first as a student and now as a veteran sponsor, since 1971, and I’ve gained so much from my membership in this organization,” said Martin. “I hope to use my voice to help EdTA support the efforts of the thousands of teachers and students who are working every day to create theatre programs that will enrich their schools and communities.” (Posted 10/2/08)
Adults who assist Thespian troupe directors and provide other services that contribute to the success of the theatre program in a Thespian school are now eligible to become affiliate professional members of EdTA at a special reduced rate under a new membership option that’s being rolled out at the EdTA Annual Conference this week.
The affiliate professional membership is designed for troupe co-directors, other faculty members who are involved with the Thespian troupe, administrators, and adult volunteers. The annual membership fee is $50, which is one-third less than the standard professional member fee. The full range of membership benefits applies. EdTA executive director Michael Peitz said the new membership option was created in response to requests from existing members. “We’re pleased to be able to make it a little bit easier for the friends of our Thespian troupes to enjoy the full benefit of EdTA membership,” Peitz said. “The individuals who are eligible to become affiliate professional members are doing important work to support educational theatre, and this is our way of recognizing that.” (Posted 9/25/08) PDF version of the affiliate professional membership application
Membership FAQs page
A coalition of the three major organizations representing American theatre educators, including the Educational Theatre Association, is making policy recommendations designed to protect freedom of expression in educational theatre from elementary school through graduate-level programs.
The joint statement from the Coalition for Theatre Education, which includes the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education in addition to EdTA, says incidents of censorship stifle free expression and stunt the educational process. The document calls on school administrators to recognize that professional theatre educators are the individuals best qualified to make play selection decisions, and to establish policies that discourage prior restraint or censorship. The three organizations represent 7,000 theatre educators in American elementary, middle, and high schools and colleges and universities. The joint statement on freedom of expression is the first product of their coalition, which was formed two years ago to provide a forum for discussing issues of shared concern. The statement defines censorship as “external efforts to draw boundaries defining acceptable content” that are undertaken “without a sound artistic or educational purpose.” It sets forth six standards for free expression in educational theatre, the first of which states that school-based theatre programs should provide “diverse productions, teaching activities, and support materials that examine the spectrum of human experience and present a range of points of view concerning the issues and problems of our times.” Scripts and other educational materials “should be selected for their capacity to inform, educate, enlighten, and engage the interest of the school theatre community.” Separate sections contain a set of recommended policy guidelines for administrators and outline the responsibilities of theatre educators. The coalition said it hopes school principals, district administrators, and college and university officials will use the document to establish policies on play selection that will make incidents of censorship more rare. The complete text of the statement and its appendices can be downloaded from the links below. (Posted 9/16/08) Coalition for Theatre Education statement on freedom of expression
Academic freedom and artistic expression
Miami-Dade County Schools play selection policy
The Educational Theatre Association’s President’s Award was presented to veteran Iowa theatre educator Craig Ihnen at this year’s Thespian Festival in June.
The President’s Award is presented annually to recognize an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the association. Ihnen, the executive director of the Iowa High School Speech Association, has served as an EdTA leadership coach since 1999 and as a member of the National Individual Events Showcase committee since 2004. Before taking over the leadership of the IHSSA in 1994, he taught for twelve years at Le Mars (Iowa) High School. He was inducted into the EdTA Hall of Fame in 2006. EdTA’s 2008 Outstanding School Awards went to three schools: Charlotte (North Carolina) Christian School; Lincoln (Nebraska) High School; and University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. The award is given to schools whose work exemplifies and promotes high standards of quality in educational theatre. John Marsh, the principal of Floyd Central High School in Floyds Knobs, Indiana, and James Montepare, superintendent of North Adams (Massachusetts) Public Schools, were recognized for their exemplary support of educational theatre with the association’s Administrator’s Award. (Posted 8/11/08)
Thirty-one volunteer leaders representing twenty-three EdTA chapters met July18–20 in Indianapolis to discuss and provide input on a variety of topics during a Leadership Summit weekend.
Session topics included a review of the current Leadership Coach model and how to best support chapter volunteer leaders; EdTA code of regulations provisions on chapter director elections and term limits; National Individual Events Showcase events; the results of a recent branding study and unification of EdTA and chapter branding; EdTA’s new member software and how chapters will be able to access member information on line; and sharing of best practices. Volunteer leaders proposed a three-tiered system of support for leadership coaching. Under this system some chapters will receive traditional Leadership Coach support, some will receive support regarding a specific topic, and some will receive support on an on-call basis. Leaders also proposed a change to the EdTA code of regulations regarding chapter director elections. The proposal places the responsibility for nomination of chapter director candidates with chapter board members. See the article below for specific information on this proposed change. “Compliments go to all chapters leaders who attended the Leadership Summit for taking time from busy summers,” commented President Jerry Smith, Jr. “The work accomplished was amazing. The leaders addressed a number of issues and developed solutions in a cooperative way.” (Posted 7/25/08)
Chapter leaders attending the Leadership Summit in Indianapolis reviewed the current election procedure of chapter directors as outlined in the EdTA code of regulations and proposed a change to the code.
Under this proposal, chapter boards will nominate a candidate for the chapter director position. This will give the chapter board a more active role in the development of future leaders. Under the proposed plan: - The EdTA home office will issue a call for vitae for chapters on cycle for an election or with a vacancy. Vitae received will be copied and sent to the chapter board.
- The chapter board will review the vitae and submit at least one name to the EdTA nominating committee for announcement.
- The nominated candidate(s) will be announced along with a process for placement of other chapter member names on the ballot.
- Ballots will be sent to each member in the chapter, unless only one candidate is announced by the committee and no additional names are placed on the ballot by petition.
“Chapter members and their boards must be actively involved in leadership development and succession planning,” stated EdTA President Jerry Smith, Jr. “The work of our chapters is too important to leave to chance.” The attendees also discussed term limits, but chose not to suggest changes in the current code requirement for twelve-year term limits for chapter directors. This proposal to amend the code will be presented to the EdTA board of directors at their August meeting. If accepted by the board, the measure would be voted on by the membership at the September member meeting during the EdTA Annual Conference in Chicago. The revised process will take effect immediately upon approval by the membership. The elections for chapter director in regions II and IV will be affected by the outcome of this vote. Vitae from sitting chapter directors who are not at their term limit, or for those chapters with a vacancy, will be due by October 1 under the proposed code provisions. (Posted 7/25/08) | 
Back row, left to right: Travis Greene, Katherine Lawrence, Maxwell Cove, Zachary Payne, Will Seefried, Amy Oxley. Front row, left to right: Sarah Misch, Katherine Thomas, Kevin Heard, Natalie Wisener, Marlen Nahhas. Not pictured: Amelia Gossett. |
Every year EdTA awards merit-based scholarships to a number of graduating Thespians to recognize their talents and hard work in various areas of theatre, including theatre performance, playwriting, and theatre education. The awards range from $1,000 to $4,500.
This year’s scholarship recipients are: - Maxwell Cove, Pennsbury High School, Troupe 830, Yardley, Pennsylvania, $1,500
- Amelia Gossett, Leander High School, Troupe 5232, Cedar Park, Texas, $2,000
- Travis Greene, North Kingstown (Rhode Island) High School, Troupe 6945, $800
- Kevin Heard, Butte (Montana) High School, Troupe 5474, $800
- Katherine Lawrence, Northridge High School, Troupe 6717, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, $1,500
- Sarah Misch, Liberty High School, Troupe 6730, Henderson, Nevada, $4,500 and $2,500
- Marlen Nahhas, Memorial High School, Troupe 2980, Houston, $800
- Amy Oxley, Memorial High School, Troupe 2980, Houston, $800
- Zachary Payne, Lakeview Academy, Troupe 3630, $1,500
- Will Seefried, Denver (Colorado) School of the Arts, Troupe 5869, $800
- Katherine Thomas, Mary D. Bradford High School, Troupe 4982, Kenosha, Wisconsin, $2,000
- Natalie Wisener, Cactus High School, Troupe 478, Glendale, Arizona, $1,500
To be considered for these scholarships, students submitted résumés and applications and were auditioned and interviewed by a panel of judges at the Thespian Festival. Three scholarships were awarded prior to Festival: - Alan D. Englesman and Penny Lu Englesman Scholarship: Stephanie Leatham, Nipomo High School, Troupe 6686, Grover Beach, California
- Austin Yeatman Technical Theatre Scholarship: Lenae Everette, Ponderosa High School, Troupe 5397, Franktown, Colorado
- Bob and Marti Fowler Future Theatre Educator Scholarship: Molly Goodman, Arapahoe High School, Troupe 4492, Centennial, Colorado
In related recognition news, Gai Jones, a former EdTA territory and region director and California chapter board member, successfully obtained a proclamation that declared March 25, 2008 to be California Youth in Theatre Day by the California Senate. The proclamation noted that Jones has brought more than a thousand theatre students to perform for the state legislature and to advocate on behalf of arts education since 1998. (Posted 7/16/08) 
Roy Hudson. |
Roy Hudson, the troupe director of Troupe 398 at Shades Valley High School in Birmingham, Alabama, was named Alabama Teacher of the Year by the Alabama Department of Education.
Hudson, who is the first arts teacher to receive this award, has taught at Shades Valley since 1995. He has written over twenty plays and musicals that were performed at the Dallas Theatre Center, Musical Theatre Works in New York City, the Birmingham Children’s Theatre, and the International Thespian Festival. Hudson also runs his own production company that specializes in commercials, films, television, theatre, and video. In recognition for his work in educational theatre, Hudson has received the 2006 Alabama EdTA Hall of Fame Award and was named the 2002–2003 Alabama State Thespian Outstanding Troupe Sponsor. His Thespian troupe has performed on the main stage at Festival, and one of his students is in the international Thespian cast of Hairspray that will be presented at the 2008 Festival. (Posted 5/13/08)
The EdTA Board of Directors has adopted a Code of Professional Standards for its members working in the field of theatre education.
The code is intended to provide members with a framework for ethical decision-making in matters both inside and outside of the classroom involving students, parents, colleagues, and members of the community at large. The Code of Professional Standards was created by a committee of four EdTA members, including EdTA Board Vice President Debby Gibbs of Tupelo, Mississippi; Craig Ihnen of Des Moines, Iowa; Gavin Mayer of Denver, Colorado; and Ruben Van Kempen of Seattle, Washington. “As the largest professional organization for theatre education, EdTA requires that its members conduct themselves in a way that represents the highest level of integrity,” EdTA Board President Jerry Smith said. “The Code of Professional Standards is a statement to those inside and outside of the community of professional educators that EdTA members are always serving their schools and communities in a way that maintains a focus on the welfare of students by collaborating with fellow educators, parents, and the community.” Click here for a downloadable copy of the new code. (Posted 5/1/08)
The EdTA home office has streamlined and coordinated the policies, procedures, and guidelines that Thespian and Junior Thespian troupe directors need to effectively operate and organize their troupes. The changes in these documents affect all Thespian and Junior Thespian troupes, so troupe directors are encouraged to download and familiarize themselves with the following materials:
- The Thespian Troupe Handbook and Junior Thespian Troupe Handbook are the comprehensive guides to running a troupe. Each handbook features a table of contents and new and updated material, and explains and cross-references important information from all troupe governance documents.
- The Troupe Constitution Template has been revised with important new content. Every troupe must have a troupe constitution; otherwise, this document is the default troupe constitution.
- The FAQs address the most commonly asked questions from troupe directors about EdTA and ITS.
- The revised Official Thespian Point System and Official Junior Thespian Point System include a refreshed design, answers to frequently-asked questions, new point recommendations for attending theatre performances, and tables that summarize the ranking and rating systems for exceptional student members.
- The induction Ceremonies include suggestions for troupe directors on preparations for a ceremony. (Posted 3/5/08)
The staff of Dramatics magazine received seventy-seven submissions for the 2008 Playworks program. A group of readers narrowed that field to thirteen semifinalists whose work will in turn go through one more round of readings before the finalists are named in mid-April. Finalists will then be invited to the International Thespian Festival June 23–28 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for a week’s worth of play development workshops and a staged reading of their work on the final day of the Festival.
The semifinalists are: Elijah Allred of Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, North Carolina, for American Ashtray
Stephany Calles of El Toro High School in Mission Viejo, California, for Robert O’Delliet: A Life
Kyrie Eberhart of Robert D. Edgren High School in Misawa, Japan, for Heart of a Child
Aliza Goldstein of Stanton College Preparatory School in Jacksonville, Florida, for Izzy Icarus Fell Off of the World
Molly Horan of Bristol (Connecticut) Eastern High School, for Ramon Noodles
Katie Hunter of Olathe East High School in Overland Park, Kansas, for www.SELFSTORY.com
Zach Laws of Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, North Carolina, for Four Grieving Mothers
Lindsay Miller of Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth, Texas, for Chartreuse
Alison Morrow of Lee’s Summit (Missouri) West High School, for Keep
Madison Owens of Newton (Kansas) Senior High School, for Heart
Will Seefried of Denver School of the Arts, for A Freckled Heart
Luke Slattery of Colorado Academy in Denver, for Icarus
Seanna Tucker of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas, for Don’t Look Back The finalists will be announced after April 17. (Posted 4/8/08)
EdTA judging committees have chosen the recipients for 2007–08 Festival grants.
International Thespian Society Leadership Grant: Natasha Jones, Toledo (Ohio) School for the Arts, Troupe 6783
Ronald L. Longstreth International Thespian Festival Grant: Emmanuelle Mouniapin, Toulouse, France Doug Finney Festival Grants: - Joey Frenette, Maurice McDonough High School, Troupe 303, Waldorf, Maryland
- Forrest Harlan, Florence (Alabama) High School, Troupe 2273
- Andrew Smith, Ingleside (Texas) High School, Troupe 7233
- Joseph Michael Villanueva, Boulder Creek High School, Troupe 7070, Anthem, Arizona
The Festival grant is named for former EdTA executive director Ronald L. Longstreth. It is awarded to a high school theatre student who is not a U.S. citizen to enable him or her to attend the annual International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. The grant includes transportation costs to and from Lincoln and fees for Festival registration. Mouniapin is an exchange student from Toulouse, France, and will attend Festival with Troupe 5464 of North Penn High School, Lansdale, Pennsylvania. The ITS leadership grant was created by Joe Burnsworth, a former EdTA president, and is awarded to a troupe or state officer who participated in the leadership training program at the Festival. The grant covers the Festival registration fees. The Finney grants, named for the late Doug Finney, longtime Festival chair, are awarded to four high school theatre students to enable them to attend the annual event. These grants include partial coverage of transportation costs to and from Lincoln, and fees for Festival registration. EdTA extends special thanks to the judging committees for helping to continue serving theatre arts students. (Updated 5/16/08)
Thespians are smart, talented, energetic, good-looking… and generous. Just ask Joe Norton.
Norton, the associate director of education and outreach for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS who is also a member of the Educational Theatre Association board, released figures this week showing individual Thespians, Thespian troupes, and chapter organizations have contributed almost half a million dollars to BC/EFA since 2000. Norton said the Thespian Society raises more money for BC/EFA than any other academic or educational organization. The funds are used to support community-based AIDS services organizations around the country, and, through the Actors Fund of America, to provide direct services to entertainment industry professionals and performing artists who are dealing with AIDS and HIV-related health problems. The flow of dollars from young theatre students to BC/EFA began in 1999 when Cindy Louden and the Thespians at North Penn High School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania organized a fundraiser. By the end of 2000, troupes and chapter organizations in nine states had contributed more than $10,000. During 2007, more than $113,000 was raised in twenty-one states and at the International Thespian Festival. Total Thespian contributions to date stand at $470,045, and are expected to top the half-million-dollar mark sometime this spring. Among the state Thespian organizations, Florida has made the largest contribution by a wide margin, giving $168,404 since 2000. Florida Thespians organize regional and statewide campaigns and have topped their own fundraising records for each of the last three years. Other chapters in the top five: 2. Nevada, $67,208
3. Pennsylvania, $56,182
4. Georgia, $28,643
5. Ohio, $26,676 Las Vegas Academy, under the leadership of Thespian troupe director Glenn Edwards, consistently makes the largest contributions for a single school. “These efforts surpass my wildest dreams,” Norton said. In addition to the funds, which go directly into health care and support services, “the amount of AIDS awareness and community involvement surrounding BC/EFA campaigns in schools because of Thespian efforts is priceless, and cannot be named in numbers.” (Posted 2/28/08)
Three EdTA troupe directors were recognized for their contributions to the field of theatre education.
Patricia “Lee” Hitchler, a former Leadership Coach and former Kansas chapter director, was inducted into the Kansas Thespians Hall of Fame in a ceremony during the Kansas Thespian Conference. Hitchler is the troupe director of Troupe 5078 at Olathe East High School. Carlen Gilseth, who is the troupe director of Troupe 1053 at The Woodlands (Texas) High School and the Texas chapter director, was named the Texas Educational Theatre Association’s (TETA) 2008 Educator of the Year. In 2007 Gilseth’s school received an EdTA Outstanding School Award. Kerry Onxley, who is the artistic director of the Children’s Theatre Company (Troupe 5701) in Lake Charles, Louisiana, as well as an EdTA Leadership Coach, was inducted into the Arkansas Hall of Fame in recognition of his work in that state since 1995. “EdTA is always proud to learn of its members being recognized for their dedication to the field of theatre education,” says EdTA Executive Director Michael Peitz. “Lee, Carlen, and Kerry have devoted many years of service to their students, their schools, and their states. They are both most deserving of these honors.” (Updated 2/22/08)
More than 251 Thespian troupes in thirty-five states collected 269,202 pounds of food for local food banks as part of the Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat (TOTS-EAT) food drive.
Each year TOTS-EAT honors participating Thespians with community service awards in several categories at the troupe, team, and chapter levels. This year’s honorees are listed below. Troupe awards
Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a single troupe: Troupe 2326, Kellam High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia; 14,821 pounds. Harvest Excellence Award, for greatest total collection by a first-time participant (troupes only): Troupe 1256, Oak Hills High School, Cincinnati, Ohio; 8,900 pounds. Community Spirit Award, for first Thespian troupe registered (that also met the donation verification deadline): Troupe 1903, New Smyrna Beach Senior High School, New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Abundant Harvest Award, for greatest one-year increase in total collections by a troupe. For increase by pounds: Troupe 4274, Grinnell High School, Grinnell, Iowa, 5,367-pound increase. For increase by percent: Troupe 6388, St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Greenville, South Carolina, 3,092% increase. Troupe team awards
Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a team: Wichita Area Team, Wichita, Kansas, 9,369 pounds. Team members include: - Troupe 184, Derby Senior High School
- Troupe 695, Kapaun-Mt. Carmel Catholic High School
- Troupe 923, Wichita Heights High School
- Troupe 1820, Wichita Southeast High School
- Troupe 2661, Wichita Northwest High School
- Troupe 3540, Andover High School
- Troupe 3596, Maize High School
Community Spirit Award, for first team registered (that also met the donation verification deadline): Lee’s Summit United, Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Team members include: - Troupe 1885, Lee’s Summit High School
- Troupe 6258, Lee’s Summit North High School
- Troupe 6761, Lee’s Summit West High School
Chapter awards - Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a chapter:
- Overall winner: Texas Thespian Chapter of EdTA, 36,208 pounds
- Division 1 (1–10 participating troupes): Virginia Thespians, 18,202 pounds
- Division 2 (11–20 participating troupes): Missouri State Thespians, 22,363 pounds
- Division 3 (21–30 participating troupes): Kansas Thespians, 30,910 pounds
Outstanding Commitment Award, for greatest percentage participation of active Thespian troupes: - Overall winner: Kansas Thespians, 42%
- Division 1 (1–10 participating troupes): Alabama Chapter of EdTA, 17%
- Division 2 (11–20 participating troupes): Missouri State Thespians, 14%
- Division 4 (31–40 participating troupes): Texas Thespian Chapter of EdTA, 9%
Abundant Harvest Award, for greatest one-year increase in total collections by a chapter. For increase by pounds: Ohio Educational Theatre Association, 11,734-pound increase. For increase by percent, EdTA Arkansas, 186% increase. Ten preregistered and participating troupes were randomly drawn to receive a $100 gift certificate good for anything from the EdTA Resources and Thespian Gear and Honors Catalogs. This year’s winners are: - Troupe 941, Manhattan High School, Manhattan, Kansas
- Troupe 1065, Kentucky Country Day School, Louisville, Kentucky
- Troupe 1820, Wichita Southeast High School, Wichita, Kansas
- Troupe 2973, Eastwood High School, El Paso, Texas
- Troupe 5521, Tuscaloosa County High School, Northport, Alabama
- Troupe 6125, Desert Pines High School, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Troupe 6332, Amelia High School, Batavia, Ohio
- Troupe 6854, Tomah High School, Tomah, Wisconsin
- Troupe 88732, Our Lady of the Valley School, Birmingham, Alabama
- Troupe 88750, Kaffie Middle School, Corpus Christi, Texas
See the troupe and team totals page and chapter total pages for all the 2007 totals. (Posted 11/16/07) 
Rachel Evans.
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Rachel Evans, an assistant professor in the department of theatre at Kean University, has been elected to the EdTA Board of Directors. Evans was nominated by a committee headed by past-President Gail Burns and voted into office by EdTA members in attendance at the organization’s annual meeting, held during the EdTA Annual Conference in New York in September. Her three-year term on the board begins next August.
Evans teaches acting, creative drama, children’s theatre, and other theatre education courses. She also heads the university’s new K–12 theatre education certification program and hosts the New Jersey State Thespian Festival at Kean. Prior to joining the faculty at Kean, Evans was a high school theatre instructor at the School of Performing Arts in East Brunswick, New Jersey, where she was designated a 2003 Surdna Foundation Arts Teacher Fellow. She holds a B.F.A. in theatre performance from Hofstra University, an M.F.A. in directing from the University of Pittsburgh, and is a former AEA stage manager. Evans serves as a grant panel reviewer for the United States Department of Education and is chair for the theatre curriculum consortium for the New Jersey Department of Education. She is also a trained item writer and reviewer for the State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards/Arts Consortium (SCASS Arts), a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers, and she has presented workshops at the EdTA conference for the past two years. Evans’s other interests and activities include researching theatre assessment issues, doing audio description for visually impaired patrons, costume design, and playwriting. During the summer of 2006, she was commissioned to write her first play for young audiences, Artie Pfeiffer and the Great Garden State. (Posted 10/11/07)
This fall EdTA is collaborating with the Arts Education Partnership (AEP) on the Ohio Critical Links Pilot Project. The AEP is a national coalition of arts, education, business, philanthropic, and government organizations that promotes the essential role of the arts in the learning and development of children.
The goal of this two-year project, which is based on AEP’s Critical Links, is to create local learning communities of educators who will actively measure the effectiveness of specific instructional practices and share these results with each other. Twelve theatre teachers selected from throughout Ohio will meet during the 2007-08 school year to form a learning community, participate in the Critical Links process, and receive training on adapting and facilitating the inquiry process within their school district or region. During the second year of the project, the trained teacher-facilitators will form their own learning communities comprising educators from other arts fields within their school or district. Training will be conducted by Dr. Pamela Paulson and Cheryll Ostrom, the creators of the Critical Links Inquiry Process. “This is an exciting and innovative approach to helping large numbers of theatre educators improve their instructional practice,” said Michael Peitz, EdTA executive director. “We think the Ohio pilot effort has great potential and we’ll look to replicate the model in other states.” Additional funding and in-kind support are provided by the Ohio Arts Council and the University of Cincinnati. (Posted 9/24/07)
The Educational Theatre Association recently announced the winners of many of its annual awards including the President’s Award, the Standing Ovation citation, and the Administrator’s Award.
The President’s Award, which recognizes an individual whose exceptional contributions have been an extraordinary benefit to the Association, the Governing Board, and/or volunteer leadership of EdTA, was given to Joe Norton, associate director of education and outreach at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Norton is also a member of the Governing Board. The Standing Ovation went to Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. in recognition of the company’s commitment to the area of technical theatre education. ETC has sponsored EdTA’s Professional Development Institutes on lighting at the International Thespian Festival and helped make a new Festival event, Tech Challenge, a reality. Three schools were named 2007 Outstanding Schools by EdTA. They are: Floyd Central High School in Floyds Knobs, Indiana; Indian River High School in Philadelphia, New York; and The Woodlands (Texas) High School. The Outstanding School Award is given to schools whose work exemplifies and promotes high standards of quality in educational theatre. Three principals were honored with Administrator’s Awards. Jane Baker of Shades Valley High School in Irondale, Alabama; Michael Kemp of Gainesville (Georgia) High School; and Jerry Wilks of Lincoln (Nebraska) Southwest High School were recognized for their exemplary support of educational theatre. Finally, the International Thespian Officer Scholarship was renamed the Jhon Marshall Scholarship in honor of the veteran theatre teacher and EdTA employee, who retired from his position at EdTA this July. (Posted 9/7/07)
If you happened to miss the version of Hairspray that hit the big screens this summer, fear not. You will have another chance to hear all about the adventures of sixties Baltimorean hip shaker Tracy Turnblad when the International Thespian Cast production of Hairspray: School Edition hits the main stage at next year’s Thespian Festival.
The forty-eight-member cast and crew was selected after a series of auditions and callbacks held at regional and chapter events around the country and at the 2007 Thespian Festival on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Under the direction of Vance Fulkerson of the University of Northern Colorado, students from seventeen different states will bring to life the story of Turnblad, whose heart and determination land her a coveted role on the local dance program, The Corny Collins Show. Those students will be flown to UNC in the spring for two long-weekend rehearsal sessions, as well as to UNL’s campus for a week’s worth of fine-tuning just prior to Festival. This is the Educational Theatre Association’s third International Thespian Cast production in collaboration with Music Theatre International. Thoroughly Modern Millie: School Edition was produced for the 2007 Thespian Festival and Ragtime: School Edition was featured at the 2005 Festival. For a complete Hairspray cast and crew list and further developments, visit the Hairspray page. (Updated 9/7/07)
The Children’s Theatre Foundation of America (CTFA) is calling for nominations for the first Reba R. Robertson Award, which recognizes the important work of secondary school theatre/drama and drama teachers in public schools throughout the United States.
The winner will receive $5,000 to expand their professional interests and $750 to their school district for enhancing their high school theatre/drama program, plus travel expenses to the CTFA Medallion Awards Event in July 2008. Nominees should be mid-career theatre or drama teachers who can demonstrate a broad influence on their school, community, state, region, and beyond. For more information on the nomination process, download the award PDF or contact Dr. Jo Beth Gonzalez at (419) 354-0100, ext. 420 or jgonzal@wcnet.org. The CTFA website is at www.childrenstheatrefouncation.org. Nominations to the award committee must be postmarked on or before December 15, 2007. (Posted 9/06/07) 
Lana Hagan. | 
Jay Jensen. | 
Ed Moon. | 
Janine West.
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The Educational Theatre Association will induct four theatre educators into its Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the 2007 EdTA Conference in New York City in September.
The 2007 inductees are: Lana Hagan, who started teaching theatre at Washington (Missouri) High School, which received the EdTA Outstanding School Award in 1995. She later joined the faculty at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she created a theatre education degree program. Hagan is one of EdTA’s first leadership coaches and served as the Missouri chapter director. Jay Jensen, called the “teacher of the stars” because many of his former students achieved success in the entertainment field, including Roy Firestone, Andy Garcia, Brett Ratner, and Mickey Rourke. Jensen donated millions of dollars to the University of Miami and was featured in the documentary Class Act. He passed away in early 2007 from cancer. Ed Moon, an English teacher who went on to head technical direction at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He developed a curriculum for both his school and district when Illinois mandated a fine arts graduation requirement, and went on to consult for other districts. Moon also served as the Illinois chapter director and designed the sets and lighting for EdTA’s first three national Thespian cast productions. Janine West, an original member of the Colorado State Thespian Board and later a Colorado chapter director. West also served as an EdTA territorial director, a member of the leadership development team, and most recently as a leadership coach. In addition to the Hall of Fame inductions, the Association’s Founders’ Award will be presented to longtime Dramatics contributor Jeffrey Sweet. (Updated 10/2/07)
Every year EdTA awards scholarships to a number of graduating seniors to recognize their talents and hard work in various areas of theatre, including theatre performance, playwriting, and theatre education. The awards range from $1,000 to $4,500.
This year’s scholarship recipients are: - Antonio Addeo, Harry S Truman High School, Troupe 5008, Levittown, Pennsylvania, $2,000
- Kelsey Arendt, Grinnell (Iowa) High School, Troupe 4274, $1,000
- Chad Baker, Beavercreek (Ohio) High School, Troupe 2807, $2,000
- Zachary Beck, St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Troupe 6388, Greenville, South Carolina, $1,000
- Ren Belcher, University Liggett School, Troupe 5253, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, $1,000
- Parker Couch, Gainesville (Georgia) High School, Troupe 2445, $1,000
- Amy Harpenau, Floyd Central High School, Troupe 1794, Floyds Knobs, Indiana, $1,400
- Kelly Higgins, Kellam High School, Troupe 2326, Virginia Beach, Virginia, $1,000
- Zairah Lopez-Montano, Liberty High School, Las Vegas, $1,000
- Jomanda Lynn Manglona, Marianas High School, Troupe 5374, Saipan, Marianas Islands, $1,000
- Katherine McGee, Pleasant Valley High School, Troupe 856, Bettendorf, Iowa, $2,500
- Spenser Morris, Dublin Scioto High School, Troupe 5440, Dublin, Ohio, $4,500
- Tyler Nelson, Del Sol High School, Troupe 6849, Las Vegas, $1,400
- Leah Watson, Denver School of the Arts, Troupe 5869, $1,000
To be considered for these scholarships, students submitted résumés and applications and were auditioned and interviewed by a panel of judges at the Thespian Festival. (Posted 8/16/07)
During a meeting at the 2007 International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska, the EdTA Governing Board approved several changes to the Association’s code of regulations (formerly known as its constitution).
Several changes affect Thespian troupes: starting with the 2008–2009 school year, troupes must maintain a roster of at least six Thespians to keep their active status. (This change does not require that troupes induct six new members each year, only that they keep their numbers at or above six to be considered active troupes.) Other troupe-related changes allow for the chartering of non-traditional troupes and prohibit hazing of Thespian inductees. One proposed change that was not adopted was the addition of a minimum grade-point average requirement for Thespian induction. The board also voted to expand its membership from six to eight, adding one elected and one appointed position, and made changes in the way elections are conducted. The board will now consist of a president, a vice president, three elected members, and three appointed positions. The board is also seeking to increase its diversity, establishing a list of criteria for director candidates to best achieve the Association’s strategic vision. A nominating committee, headed by EdTA past-President Gail Burns, will use these criteria in its search for a nominee for the 2008–2011 director position. Desirable qualifications for this candidate include collegiate teaching experience and involvement in theatre education advocacy at the state and/or national level. The nominating committee will also consider a variety of other demographic factors such as the age, gender, ethnicity, and the EdTA home region of the candidate. Other skill criteria currently utilized by the board include service as a troupe director, participation in EdTA student and professional events, past Association leadership experience, live theatre and film industry connections, not-for-profit experience, and fundraising and development experience and connections. The committee will announce the candidate it deems most suitable for the vacant elected position at the 2007 EdTA Annual Conference in New York City, where members with voting privileges will have a chance to approve the nomination. Within Article 8 of the new code there are provisions and a timeline for submitting names for nominations from the floor. The final versions of the policies can be downloaded from the links below. (Updated 8/27/07)
EdTA code of regulations
EdTA membership policy
EdTA conflicts of interest policy
EdTA conflicts of interest annual statement
EdTA chapter governance policy
We recently received word that Mort Clark, a longtime friend of the International Thespian Society and the Educational Theatre Association and a globetrotting ambassador who helped connect theatre companies all over the world, passed away in January. He was seventy-eight and had been in failing health.
Clark received the EdTA Founders’ Award in 1984 and was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 1996. These honors recognized not only his contributions to the organization as a territorial director and a perennial workshop presenter at the International Thespian Festival and state Thespian conferences, but also his stature in the larger theatre world. A professor of theatre at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York, Clark traveled to theatre festivals all over the world as the vice president and North American representative on the council of the International Amateur Theatre Association, and as president of the American Community Theatre Association and a board member of its successor organization, AACT. At each event he would lead workshops—improv was his forte—and mail out flurries of postcards to friends in other latitudes. He delighted in bringing together theatre people from different cultural traditions. Among his many international honors and awards, he was presented the Chevalier Medal of Culture by Princess Caroline of Monaco, on behalf of her father, Prince Rainier, in 1993. After that he insisted, with a sparkle in his eye, on being addressed as “Sir Mort.” It was an indulgence his friends were pleased to grant. (Posted 6/6/07)
An EdTA judging committee has chosen four Doug Finney Festival Grant recipients for 2006–07. They are:
- Lucy Opal Ragland, Maurice J. McDonough High School, Troupe 303, Waldor, Maryland
- Brittany Sanson, McKinney (Texas) Boyd High School, Troupe 7052
- Emily Sigman, George Washington High School, Troupe 1621, Denver, Colorado
- Mi (Miller) L. Tai, Wichita (Kansas) Southeast High School, Troupe 1820
The grants, named for the late Doug Finney, longtime Festival chair, are awarded to four high school theatre students to enable them to attend the annual International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. These grants include partial coverage of transportation costs to and from Lincoln, and fees for Festival registration, college or Thespian audition scholarship registration, and the National Individual Events Showcase. EdTA extends special thanks to the judging committee for helping to continue Finney’s legacy of service to theatre arts students. (Posted 3/20/07)
An EdTA judging committee has chosen the recipients for two 2006–07 Festival grants. They are:
- International Thespian Society Leadership Grant: Joseph Hunter, Neosho (Missouri) High School, Troupe 1770
- Ronald L. Longstreth International Thespian Festival Grant: Svenja Wiese, Big Sky High School, Troupe 3090, Missoula, Montana
This is the first year for the Festival grant, which is named for former EdTA executive director Ronald L. Longstreth. It is awarded to a high school theatre student who is not a U.S. citizen to enable him or her to attend the annual International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska. The grant includes transportation costs to and from Lincoln and fees for Festival registration. Wiese, who is an exchange student from Erftstadt, Germany, is interested in pursuing a career in American theatre. Someday she “would like to bring a German Thespian troupe to Festival.” Hunter is the 2006–07 Missouri ITS president and secretary for his troupe, as well as his school’s class president. The ITS leadership grant was created by Joe Burnsworth, a former EdTA president, and is awarded to a troupe or state officer who participated in the leadership training program at Festival. The grant covers the Festival registration fees. EdTA extends special thanks to the judging committee for its assistance in serving theatre arts students. (Posted 3/15/07)
The members of EdTA have chosen longtime Mississippi Thespian troupe director Debby Gibbs to be the organization’s next vice president, and, in two years, its president.
Gibbs is the troupe director at Tupelo High School; during her thirty-five-year career she served as Mississippi chapter director and also as EdTA trustee. She will serve as vice president of the governing board for two years beginning in August, and will begin a two-year term as president in August 2009. Robert Johnson won the race for the three-year board director seat. Johnson, who founded the Robert L. Johnson/Hector S. Cruz scholarship, served as an EdTA board trustee for over fifteen years and also as board president. His terms also begins in August. Carlen Gilseth won the only contested chapter director election, in Texas. Gilseth has served as the troupe director at The Woodlands High School for the past thirteen years. He was a member of the Texas Educational Theatre Association board from 2000–05 and is a member of the Texas Thespians’ executive board. This year ballots were sent out to 4,422 members who were eligible to vote; 489 ballots were mailed back properly and within the postmark deadline, the highest number of votes returned since 426 ballots were returned in the 2000 election. The results for the 2007 EdTA board and chapter director elections were tabulated by two Cincinnati area executives not associated with EdTA, with assistance from EdTA’s Web editor, Linda Hwang. The vote totals were: Gibbs, 268 votes, Patricia Santanello, 216 votes; Johnson, 282 votes, Yatesy Harvey, 206 votes; Gilseth, 59 votes, Anita Grant, 30 votes. (Posted 3/14/07)
EdTA members can now obtain additional liability insurance for directing theatre activities through a special cooperative program between EdTA and the National Federation of State High School Associations Speech, Debate and Theatre Association (NFHS SDTA).
The insurance policy, which is a benefit of membership in NFHS SDTA, provides liability insurance coverage up to $1 million for members while performing extracurricular duties, including travel and participation in speech tournaments and other school-sponsored speech, debate, and theatre activities. This coverage is supplemental, and takes effect after the primary insurance has been exhausted. The annual membership fee for NFHS SDTA is $20. “When a teacher considers the potential liability suits that come from supervising students, this additional liability insurance is a bargain,” explained EdTA Executive Director Michael Peitz. “It is well worth the small cost of joining NFHS SDTA. The huge Federation membership of athletic coaches and officials provides the buying power to make this inexpensive insurance available to theatre teachers. We are pleased to be able to bring this opportunity to our members.” For more information on the insurance coverage, visit www.BollingerNFHS.com or call (800) 526-1379. For additional information on joining NFHS SDTA, download this PDF or visit their website at www.nfhs.org. (Posted 2/21/07)
Lauren Gieseke is the winner of the first “What Broadway Means to Me” contest, which was held at the Junior Thespian Festival–East in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Gieseke attends Caddo Parish Talented Arts Program, Shreveport, Louisiana, and is a member of Junior Thespian Troupe 88742. Middle school students attending the festival had the weekend to write an essay about what Broadway means to them. Philip Katz, producing director at Camp Broadway, selected Gieseke’s essay from over forty entries. The prize: attending a five-day summer camp in New York City to work with Broadway professionals. Gieseke’s essay was a tribute to a theatre teacher who recently died, and how her enthusiasm and love of theatre lives on in her students. The annual contest is sponsored by EdTA and Camp Broadway, to explore how kids who live outside of the New York City area perceive Broadway. Next year two separate contests will be held at the 2008 Junior Thespian Festivals, which will be held March 7–9 at Dodson Middle School, Rancho Palo Verdes, California and J.S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, Augusta, Georgia. (Updated 5/2/07)
A feasibility study that will assess the potential for administering Advanced Placement (AP) exams in theatre and dance is being conducted by the College Board, the organization that owns and administers the AP Program.
The AP Program was developed to give high school students an opportunity to take college-level courses while still in high school, with the potential to earn credit or advanced placement in college. According to the College Board, more than 1.3 million students nationally took 2.3 million AP Exams in 2006. The College Board currently offers thirty-seven AP courses in twenty-two subject areas. College Board Executive Director Trevor Packer made the following statement to members of a College Board advisory panel: “As requested by the Academic Assembly Council, the College Board is undertaking an analysis of the demand, need, sustainability, and potential for AP courses in theatre and in dance. This analysis will quantify demand and need within both secondary and higher education for such courses, the willingness among higher education institutions to provide college credit for such courses, the type of assessment that would be necessary to generate appropriate evidence for credit/placement decisions in higher education, and the professional development infrastructure needed to support the delivery of college-level theatre and dance instruction in secondary schools. This analysis, which will inform future discussions about the feasibility of adding such courses to the AP suite, is scheduled to be completed in time for review by the Arts Academic Advisory Committee meeting in spring 2007.” The effort gained new momentum in April 2006 when Lithgow submitted a position paper to the committee signed by EdTA Executive Director Michael Peitz; Steve Barberio, president of the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE); and Karen Berman, president of the Association of Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). The position paper stated that “there is nearly universal agreement among theatre educators that an Advanced Placement exam in theatre is a timely and much-needed step in the promotion of quality secondary school theatre programs nationwide… Recent research on the connections between theatre education and literacy is compelling, and more and more schools are strengthening their departments. An Advanced Placement exam would contribute to the nationwide focus on arts education in general, and theatre education in particular.” Peitz called the AP feasibility study “exciting news to secondary theatre educators across the country. EdTA has worked for years to bring the need for an Advanced Placement theatre course to the College Board’s attention. This is the important first step toward bringing theatre education the validation of an AP Exam within the school curriculum and recognition for the value of theatre education in the lives of millions of students.” Lithgow said she is pleased that her work and the cooperation of the three major theatre education organizations has helped prompt serious consideration of an AP theatre offering. “This is an exciting time for those of us in theatre education,” she said. “An AP option in theatre history, literature, and performance would help propel theatre back into its rightful and historical role in education.” (Posted 2/20/07)
More than 255 Thespian troupes in thirty-seven states collected over 225,000 pounds of food for local food banks as part of the Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat (TOTS-EAT) food drive.
Each year TOTS-EAT honors participating Thespians with community service awards in several categories at the troupe, team, and chapter levels. This year’s honorees are listed below. Troupe awards
Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a single troupe: Troupe 2326, Kellam High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia; 10,526 pounds. Harvest Excellence Award, for greatest total collection by a first-time participant (troupes only): Troupe 5613, St. Clair High School, St. Clair, Michigan; 5,635 pounds. Community Spirit Award, for first Thespian troupe registered (that also met the donation verification deadline): Troupe 3871, Franklin County High School, Carnesville, Georgia. Abundant Harvest Award, for greatest one-year increase in total collections by a troupe. For increase by pounds: Troupe 1226, Southaven High School, Southaven, Mississippi, 4,149-pound increase. For increase by percent: Troupe 2973, Eastwood High School, El Paso, Texas, 680% increase. Troupe team awards
Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a team: Wichita Area Thespians, Kansas, 8,195 pounds. Team members include: - Troupe 182, Wichita South High School
- Troupe 184, Derby Senior High School
- Troupe 695, Kapuan-Mt. Carmel Academy
- Troupe 923, Wichita Heights High School
- Troupe 1820, Wichita Southeast High School
- Troupe 2661, Wichita Northwest High School
- Troupe 3540, Andover High School
- Troupe 3596, Maize High School
- Troupe 6282, Andover Central High School
- Troupe 6542, Northeast Magnet High School
- Troupe 6544, Rose Hill High School
Community Spirit Award, for first team registered (that also met the donation verification deadline): Theatre Randolph, Huntsville, Alabama. Team members include: - Troupe 4590, Randolph School (Upper School)
- Troupe 88517, Randolph School (Middle School)
Chapter awards - Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a chapter:
- Overall winner: Texas Thespian Chapter of EdTA, 33,117 pounds
- Division 1 (1–10 participating troupes): Virginia Thespians, 11,304 pounds
- Division 2 (11–20 participating troupes): Ohio Educational Theatre Association, 9,676 pounds
- Division 3 (21–30 participating troupes): Missouri State Thespians, 23,930 pounds
Outstanding Commitment Award, for greatest percentage participation of active Thespian troupes: - Overall winner: Kansas Thespians, 47%
- Division 1 (1–10 participating troupes): Montana Chapter of EdTA, 26%
- Division 2 (11–20 participating troupes): Georgia Thespians, 12%
- Division 3 (21–30 participating troupes): Missouri State Thespians, 18%
Abundant Harvest Award, for greatest one-year increase in total collections by a chapter. For increase by pounds: Missouri State Thespians, 10,337-pound increase. For increase by percent, Arizona Chapter of EdTA, 225% increase. Ten preregistered and participating troupes were randomly drawn to receive a gift certificate good for anything from the EdTA Resources and Thespian Gear and Honors Catalogs. This year’s winners are: - Troupe 75, Milwaukie High School, Milwaukie, Oregon
- Troupe 449, Woodbridge Senior High School, Woodbridge, Virginia
- Troupe 3596, Maize High School, Maize, Kansas
- Troupe 3604, McKinney High School, McKinney, Texas
- Troupe 3833, Nixa High School, Nixa, Missouri
- Troupe 5073, Thomasville High School, Thomasville, Alabama
- Troupe 5113, Unity High School, Tolono, Illinois
- Troupe 6208, Great Bend High School, Great Bend, Kansas
- Troupe 6451, St. Lucie West Centennial High School, Port St. Lucie, Florida
- Troupe 6685, Olathe Northwest High School, Olathe, Kansas
See the troupe and team totals page and chapter total pages for all the 2006 totals. (Posted 11/20/06)
EdTA was featured as the “Spotlight Organization of the Week” in the November 13 episode of “Your Neighborhood Stage,” a national podcast (Internet radio show) on school, religious, and community theatre.
EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz was interviewed about the organization by the show’s co-hosts Rob Scardino and Chris Laning. Parts of the interview are included in Episode 1.25 of “Your Neighborhood Stage,” which was released with the entire interview on November 13. Both the show and the full interview can be downloaded or listened to online at www.NeighborhoodStage.com. “Your Neighborhood Stage” is the first and only podcast dedicated to the discussion of school, religious, and community theatre. The podcast, which originates in New Jersey, spotlights different theatre organizations, lists new shows available for local production, and highlights particular plays or musicals. For more information on “Your Neighborhood Stage,” visit the website at www.NeighborhoodStage.com, or contact Chris Laning (chris@neighborhoodstage.com or 206-350-7824). (Updated 12/5/06)  From left to right, Hall of Fame inductee Linda Wise’s successor, Hylan Scott, and her husband, Henry Wise, who accepted on her behalf; Craig Ihnen; Chris Bundy; and Glenn Edwards. |
Four veteran theatre educators were inducted into the Educational Theatre Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the 2006 EdTA Conference in Denver in September.
The 2006 inductees are: Chris Bundy, whose career spans more than thirty years at five Indiana high schools, most recently Floyd Central High School in Floyds Knobs. Since 1982 Bundy’s students have performed eight shows on the Thespian Festival main stage. He has served as a member of the EdTA governing board and as Indiana chapter director. Glenn Edwards, who preceded Bundy at Floyd Central and now teaches at the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts. He has served EdTA as a state and territorial director, and has directed ten main stage shows for the Thespian Festival, including the 2005 national Thespian cast production of Ragtime. Craig Ihnen, executive director of the Iowa High School Speech Association, former teacher and director at Le Mars (Iowa) High School, and an EdTA leadership coach since 1999. Linda Wise, longtime theatre teacher at Woodward Academy Upper School in College Park, Georgia, who was inducted posthumously. In Wise’s obituary last January the Atlanta Journal-Constitution described her as the “reigning grande dame of high school theatre in metro Atlanta.” Accepting the posthumous award, Wise’s husband Henry brought many in the audience to tears with a tribute to his wife’s career. “I am the neglected spouse all these other fellows have been talking about,” he said. “And I wouldn’t trade a moment of it for anything.” The Association’s Founders’ Award was presented to Dr. Robert Strickland, a former teacher whose work as an administrator has energized arts education in Miami-Dade County Schools. (Posted 11/2/06)
A new benefit is under construction for EdTA members: exclusive access to an online library of high school and middle school drama lesson plans through the EdTA website. EdTA is currently accepting lesson plans from theatre instructors to build this library.
The downloadable plans and units will be listed by state, along with state standards. The plans and units will be reviewed and selected by a committee of EdTA members and staff. All lesson plans must be in electronic form, either as Microsoft Word documents or Adobe PDFs. Include the following information with the lesson plan: name of author, e-mail address of author, author’s address/city/state/zip code, and school name/city/state. The lesson plan document should include: lesson title, age group or grade level, objectives, overview, procedures or activities, materials and resources, state or national standards met by the lesson plan, whether the lesson plan can be adapted to a different age or grade, time period to complete the exercise, and assessment or evaluation. All material submitted to EdTA should be original work created by the person submitting the material, or have a grant of rights given by co-authors or other owners, or be in the public domain. E-mail a copy of your lesson plans or send any questions about this project to Linda Hwang at lhwang  edta.org. (Note: You will need to type this e-mail address into the message’s “To” field, since the address is not a link in order to help protect against spam.) (Posted 8/9/06)  Joe Norton of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and EdTA Executive Director Michael Peitz.
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A nonprofit fundraising organization, several schools, and Thespians were honored at the awards ceremonies that took place at the International Thespian Festival held in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The Standing Ovation Award went to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA). Joe Norton, a trustee on the EdTA governing board since 2001 and a workshop presenter at Festival for the past six years, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. BC/EFA is an industry-based nonprofit that raises funds for AIDS-related causes throughout the United States. The Standing Ovation Award is presented to an organization that has made significant contributions on a regional, national, or international level to promote and strengthen theatre in education through philanthropic efforts and/or programs and activities. The 2006 Administrator’s Award, which recognizes school administrations that have encouraged and promoted educational theatre, went to Joseph Pergola of William Floyd High School, Mastic Beach, New York; and Gerrell Moore of John B. Connally High School, Austin, Texas. The President’s Award was given to Rick Chudomelka, who served as Arkansas chapter director from 1997–1999. For many years he has participated at the Thespian Festival, working on the security team and coordinating the volunteer ushers for the Lied main stage shows. Traditionally the President’s Award is presented to an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the Association, president, governing board, or volunteer leadership. Two schools received the Outstanding School Award, which recognizes high school theatre programs that exemplify and promote high standards in educational theatre: Denver (Colorado) School of the Arts (Shawn Hann, troupe director); and Lincoln Southwest High School, Lincoln, Nebraska (Bob Heinrichs, troupe director). The ITS Leadership grant was awarded to Whitney Conley, Rector (Arkansas) High School, Troupe 4089. The Outstanding Student Achievement Award went to Caleb Thurston, St. Helens (Oregon) High School, Troupe 2002, while the Outstanding Student Technical Achievement Award was awarded to Avi Englard, Hillel Community Day School, Troupe 4856, North Miami Beach, Florida. (Posted 7/24/06)  Cast members rehearse a dance from Thoroughly Modern Millie.
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The cast and technical crew for the international cast production of Thoroughly Modern Millie School Edition were announced after a week of callbacks and interviews and portfolio reviews at the 2006 Thespian Festival.
Scheduled for the main stage at the 2007 International Thespian Festival at the University of Nebraska, the production will premiere Music Theatre International’s new School Edition version of the musical. Holly Stanfield of Mary D. Bradford High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, whose Thespian Festival main stage credits include Sweeney Todd (2005), Parade (2003), and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2001), will direct. The cast will be flown to Kenosha for three rehearsal sessions in the spring of 2007, concluding with preview performances at Stanfield’s school just before the Thespian Festival. Thoroughly Modern Millie opened on Broadway in 2002. It won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for more than two years. Based on a 1967 George Roy Hill film that featured Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, and Carol Channing (which was itself based on a 1956 West End musical titled Chrysanthemum), Millie follows the adventures of a young woman from Salina, Kansas, in Jazz Age New York City. The Broadway version, and MTI’s School Edition, feature eleven new songs by Dick Scanlan and Jeanine Tesori. Like the national cast production of Ragtime School Edition performed at the 2005 Festival, Millie will be supported by a major gift from Procter & Gamble Productions and produced in association with MTI. For more developments, visit the Millie page. (Updated 5/29/07) Main characters
Antonio Addeo, Harry S Truman High School, Troupe 5008, Levittown, Pennsylvania
Taylor Aldrich, West Orange High School, Troupe 1983, Winter Garden, Florida
Jennifer Bell, A.W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts, Troupe 4990, West Palm Beach, Florida
Rachel Buethe, Shorewood High School, Troupe 2139, Shorewood, Wisconsin
Audrey Cardwell, Shades Valley High School, Troupe 398, Birmingham, Alabama
Michael Carr, Walnut Hills High School, Troupe 456, Cincinnati, Ohio
Louis Casados, Horizon High School, Troupe 5012, Thornton, Colorado
Caley Crawford, Stratford High School, Troupe 2215, Houston, Texas
Blake Daniel, White County High, Troupe 5439, Cleveland, Georgia
Elizabeth Elliott, Spain Park High School, Troupe 6966, Hoover, Alabama
Amy Harpenau, Floyd Central High School, Troupe 1794, Floyds Knobs, Indiana
Katie Johannigman, Wyoming High School, Troupe 1804, Wyoming, Ohio
Tyler Jones, McKinney High School, Troupe 3604, McKinney, Texas
Elizabeth Judd, J.J. Pearce High School, Troupe 6896, Richardson, Texas
David King, Columbia Christian School, Troupe 6609, Portland, Oregon
Samuel Lips, Denver School of the Arts, Troupe 5869, Denver, Colorado
Beth Mawhinney, Rosary High School, Troupe 4566, Anaheim, California
Jennifer McCormick, Richland Northeast High School, Troupe 2312, Columbia, South Carolina
Braxton Molinaro, Bradford High School, Troupe 4982, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Taylor Neville, The Woodlands High School, Troupe 1053, The Woodlands, Texas
Charles Osborne, Northwest School of the Arts, Troupe 5634, Charlotte, North Carolina
Jenna Paulette, Prestonwood Christian Academy, Troupe 6605, Plano, Texas
Aaron Ricciardi, North Broward Prep, Troupe 5880, Coconut Creek, Florida
Jessica Richards, Northwest School of the Arts, Troupe 5634, Charlotte, North Carolina
Chelsea Turbin, Seabreeze Senior High School, Troupe 1269, Daytona Beach, Florida
Brittany Visser, Vanguard High School, Troupe 1003, Ocala, Florida Ensemble
Giovanni Bonaventura, Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts, Troupe 5273, Las Vegas, Nevada
Luis Herrera, Bradford High School, Troupe 4982, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Wesley Jetton, Forsyth Central High School, Troupe 3064, Cumming, Georgia
Scott Joy, Stevenson High School, Troupe 33, Sterling Heights, Michigan
Taylor Simon, The Children’s Theatre Company, Troupe 5701, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Bobby Walker, Walker High School, Troupe 4325, Jasper, Alabama
Corey Warren, Lake Brantley High School, Troupe 2888, Altamonte Springs, Florida
Tucker Worley, Denver School of the Arts, Troupe 5869, Denver, Colorado Stage managers
Scott Frost, Tremper High School, Troupe 6435, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Ashley Jupp, Bradford High School, Troupe 4982, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Josh Swenson, Bradford High School, Troupe 4982, Kenosha, Wisconsin Technical crew
Zachary Beck, St. Joseph’s Catholic School, Troupe 6388, Greenville, South Carolina
Molly Browne, Lewis-Palmer High School, Troupe 5450, Monument, Colorado
Derek Deiterman, Denton High School, Troupe 5358, Denton, Texas
Stasa Denkovich, Lincoln Southwest High School, Troupe 6547, Lincoln, Nebraska
Isaac Katzanek, Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts, Troupe 5273, Las Vegas, Nevada
Brad Meyers, The Woodlands College Park High School, Troupe 6898, The Woodlands, Texas
Holly Petermann, Shawnee Mission South High School, Troupe 2491, Overland Park, Kansas
Jeff Ryder, Pleasant Valley High School, Troupe 856, Pleasant Valley, Iowa
Kara Scherz, River Ridge High School, Troupe 6120, Lacey, Washington
Elliot Sturgis, The Calverton School, Troupe 6498, Huntingtown, Maryland Production and design staff
Technical director, Jodi Williams
Vocal director, Bradley Mann
Orchestral direction, Alex Tyler
Choreography, Brenda Didier, Annie Hackett, Christie Kerr
Costumer, Terry McGonigle
Lighting design, John R. Dolphin
Set design, Trevor Gohr
Set design consultant, Skelley Warren
Production manager, Robert Allen
Vocal coaching, Greg Berg, Kurt Chalgren
Acting coaching, Barbara Gensler, Adam Theisen, Joanne Woodard
Stage combat, Adam Theisen
Rehearsal accompanist, Janell Keuchenmeister
Sound, Eric Meilke, Shannon Stuart
Assistants to the costumer, Heather Miles, Claudia Dahl
In response to feedback from focus groups of acting troupe sponsors, the Educational Theatre Association has announced that, as of August 1, troupe sponsors will officially be referred to as troupe directors. This modification was deemed appropriate partially because the term “sponsor” is often associated with commercial backers of a theatrical production and no longer accurately reflected the work of troupe leaders. The result is a change not only in title but in standing within the organization as well.
Whereas troupe sponsors technically act as liaisons between their schools and EdTA, troupe directors will have full professional membership status in the organization. The benefit to directors is that they will now have the opportunity to cast Association votes on their own behalf rather than on the behalf of their schools. As an added bonus, troupe directors will receive an EdTA professional membership card after each year’s troupe renewal dues are paid in full. They will also be able to mention their membership in a professional organization in the body of their résumé. Other benefits directors were receiving as troupe sponsors will continue, including special member rates for purchasing educational resources sold through EdTA, discounted subscription rates for Dramatics and Teaching Theatre, access to members-only content on the EdTA website, and the opportunity to run for elected office in the Association. With the addition of troupe directors to its official ranks, EdTA will serve as the professional association for more than 4,100 theatre educators, making it the largest theatre education organization in the world. For more information on this change, go to the Troupe director FAQs page, or download the PDF. (Posted 4/20/06)
By Don Corathers
It will be Shakespeare, not Miller, on the stage at Fulton High School this spring, and thereby hangs a tale.
In one of the more unusual school play selection controversies in a year that has seen a rash of them, the superintendent of schools in Fulton, Missouri pre-emptively canceled a scheduled spring production of The Crucible at the school after receiving complaints about “immoral behavior” in a November production of Grease. There had been no objections from the community to The Crucible, and Mark Enderle, the official who made the cancellation decision, declined to say what it was about the play that made it unsuitable for Fulton students. The 1953 Arthur Miller play is considered a modern classic and was the second most frequently produced title at Thespian-affiliated high schools last year. The Fulton case became a national story in mid-February when the New York Times published a page one account of the events leading to the cancellation. The Times piece suggested that in places like Fulton, a central Missouri town of about 10,000, school theatre has become a new front in the “culture war” that is being waged by conservative religious groups against more liberal elements of American society. Since then Enderle has been deflecting interview requests, referring reporters to a written statement released by the school district. In the statement, Enderle says he “made a decision to direct the Fulton High School Drama Department to choose a play other than The Crucible to avoid additional scrutiny that had already occurred as a result of the fall production of Grease.” According to the Times, the superintendent received three letters complaining about drinking, smoking, and kissing in Grease, directed by theatre teacher and Thespian troupe sponsor Wendy DeVore. (The writers, the Times said, were acquainted with one another and were all three members of the same church. At least one of them had not seen the show.) Enderle watched a videotape of a dress rehearsal and discussed the show with other district employees who had seen it, and ultimately determined that some of the material—even after DeVore’s editing—was inappropriate. He told the Times he then decided to cancel the scheduled production of The Crucible so the school would not be "mired in controversy" all spring. Miller’s play uses the seventeenth century Salem witch trials as an unsubtle but deftly drawn metaphor for the political hysteria of the McCarthy era. DeVore theorized that the production was nixed because the portrayal of the persecution of witches might be perceived as an unflattering depiction of Christians. Enderle did not respond to a request, submitted through an assistant, to identify the specific objectionable content in the play. DeVore said she was initially given two different guidelines by Enderle for choosing a script to replace the Miller play. “First he said it should be something I could take my six-year-old son to. Then he said that my actors shouldn’t do anything on stage that would get a kid in trouble if he did it in a classroom.” The school district does not have written guidelines or selection criteria for plays, according to Kathy Wright, director of community relations, but does have formal policies on instructional materials, challenges, and public complaints. Wright, speaking on Enderle’s behalf, took issue with the Times’s use of the word “banned” in reference to The Crucible. “The Crucible was not canceled or banned,” she said. “Dr. Enderle decided it would be best not to do The Crucible this spring. He left open the possibility that it might be produced next year.” “That’s news to me,” DeVore said. “What he said to me was that it might be up for consideration in three or four years. This whole ‘you can do it next year’ business is new to me.” Eventually, DeVore decided to substitute A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which she had already planned on directing next season. Now she’s not even sure there will be a next season for her at Fulton. “I’m not tenured, and I won’t know until March whether I’ll have a job here next year,” she said. “I’ve been told by my principal that she’d like for me to be back, but that will be up to the board.” Her students are soldiering on, glad to be working on Midsummer Night’s Dream but still disappointed to have lost the opportunity to do the Miller play. “We’ve had to do that grin and bear it thing,” said John Curtis, the president of the school’s Thespian troupe. He played Danny in Grease and is cast as Puck in Midsummer Night’s Dream. Asked if there was a lesson to be drawn from the experience, he said, “I hope Dr. Enderle has learned that he can’t just listen to a few people and put at risk the educational experience of all the rest of us.” “I know Dr. Enderle made the choice that he thought was best for the drama department, but I don’t see the problem with The Crucible,” said Amber Adams, a junior who will play one of the fairies in Midsummer this spring. “We read The Crucible in English class. I think if we’re mature enough to read it in class, we’re mature enough to perform it on stage.” (Posted 3/3/06) |