Thursday, March 29, 2007
"Courage in Theater" award for Wilton students
Incoming email, quoted verbatim:
You have covered the controversy at Wilton High School concerning the students’ attempts to perform “Voices in Conflict,” a play about the Iraq War.
We wanted to let you know that Music Theatre International, the Broadway musical licensing agency, has now voiced its support for the students, as well . . .
Music Theatre International
421 West 54th Street, Second Floor
New York, New York 10019
(212) 541-4684 FAX: (212) 397-4684
Freddie Gershon
Chairman
March 28, 2007
To: The Advanced Theatre Students of Wilton High School,
Congratulations to each of you!
MTI has determined that you collectively and individually receive the MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL COURAGE IN THEATER AWARD. This is the first such award in the 54 year history of Music Theatre International.
MTI was founded by Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway Composer/Lyricist
FRANK LOESSER in whose honor we have established this award. Frank believed that High School productions keep theater alive in America serving to enlighten, educate as well as entertain. Although Mr. Loesser’s musicals were not about war (GUYS &DOLLS, THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS and others) he and his colleagues in the Broadway community and the company he created to serve the schools of America with theater materials, would be proud of your class’s approach to theatre as well as your passion and commitment to the production which you created.
Schools and Theater Departments with outstanding performances or those demonstrating adventuresome spirit, inventiveness and daring through their stage productions have been recognized in different ways by MTI in the past.
However, we are aware that theater is not just about acting, singing, dancing and excelling in performance. It is also about positive risk taking for students, working as a community and utilizing theatre skills, to present points of view on the stage which comment on the world in which we live. In doing so, they provoke discussion, engage an audience and stimulate their colleagues/fellow students/and the audience to reflect on what they saw and heard long after they have left the theater. That, in turn, should result in healthy dialogue of differing points of view.
WILTON HIGH SCHOOL’s advanced theater students' “non-performance” of their original theater piece is unique in our experience of licensing over 500,000 high school performances in the last two decades and deserving of special recognition.
MTI’s very first COURAGE IN THEATER AWARD therefore goes to the members of the advanced theater class…not for a performance or a production, but rather in recognition of your actions in having collaborated in the creation of a stage piece on a sensitive but germane subject titled: VOICES IN CONFLICT.
Music Theatre International congratulates each of you.
Technorati Tags: Censorship, FirstAmendment, Freedom, Iraq, War
Comments:
I hope that before you present this award, you read the most recent articles and letters to the editor that show that this play may not be as free-speech oriented as you may imagine. You may find yourself very embarrassed. The New York Times is in the process of reviewing its article -- and is having problems verifying some of its data and conclusions.
Instead of jumping on the wagon of "free-speech at all costs", you may want to research the background of this play. Did you know that the teacher was asked by the family that LOST THEIR SON only earlier this year and whose daughter still attends WHS not to use his name or bring him in.... and was IGNORED. That the evil "Gabby" is the sister of a current serviceman... not some primadonna.. and when reviewing the ORIGINAL script realized that this was not an even handed play ... and her brother - IN IRAQ, was upset... was Principle Canty wrong in then looking at this, and asking for a rewrite or more review as the the theatre teacher said this was to be an evenhanded review of the soldiers - not an indictment of the war WHS is not afraid to put on controversial material (the Laramie Project, as example)... but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck... If the theatre students said they wanted to put on an anti-war program, it would have been accepted as such. To couch it in terms of a play that honors soldiers, and then ignores the families IN WILTON of two soldiers who have/are serving, is dissembleming.. and that is where many of us are angry. I am anti-war... I am pro-freespeech.. but I will be damned if I applaud the efforts of this group, at the expense of others.
Instead of jumping on the wagon of "free-speech at all costs", you may want to research the background of this play. Did you know that the teacher was asked by the family that LOST THEIR SON only earlier this year and whose daughter still attends WHS not to use his name or bring him in.... and was IGNORED. That the evil "Gabby" is the sister of a current serviceman... not some primadonna.. and when reviewing the ORIGINAL script realized that this was not an even handed play ... and her brother - IN IRAQ, was upset... was Principle Canty wrong in then looking at this, and asking for a rewrite or more review as the the theatre teacher said this was to be an evenhanded review of the soldiers - not an indictment of the war WHS is not afraid to put on controversial material (the Laramie Project, as example)... but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck... If the theatre students said they wanted to put on an anti-war program, it would have been accepted as such. To couch it in terms of a play that honors soldiers, and then ignores the families IN WILTON of two soldiers who have/are serving, is dissembleming.. and that is where many of us are angry. I am anti-war... I am pro-freespeech.. but I will be damned if I applaud the efforts of this group, at the expense of others.
In my opinion MTI is a callous company that should be boycotted by parents, teachers, students, and advocates of free speech.
Music Theatre International has taken action against me on YouTube because I posted two short, incomplete home videos of a performance of Seussical Jr. that I recorded and posted to be shared among my family and friends, as well as young performers and educators that may find them useful or interesting.
As a result of those two disputed videos and MTI's claims, I had all of my accounts permanently disabled. These accounts had NO content that was either property of MTI. And none of the other 100+ videos that I created and posted had any copyright claims filed against them whatsoever.
This action by MTI is sweeping and unfair not only because they instigated the total and complete banning of all of my activity and accounts on YouTube, but also because they are undermining parents, families, students and teachers who posted that content with the sole intention of sharing their children's personal accomplishments and hard work.
The Courage in Theater Award is another perfect example of the standards that MTI holds itself to and the way it treats it's clients.
Please consider signing my petition against MTI.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Say_No_To_MTI/signatures.html
Post a Comment
Music Theatre International has taken action against me on YouTube because I posted two short, incomplete home videos of a performance of Seussical Jr. that I recorded and posted to be shared among my family and friends, as well as young performers and educators that may find them useful or interesting.
As a result of those two disputed videos and MTI's claims, I had all of my accounts permanently disabled. These accounts had NO content that was either property of MTI. And none of the other 100+ videos that I created and posted had any copyright claims filed against them whatsoever.
This action by MTI is sweeping and unfair not only because they instigated the total and complete banning of all of my activity and accounts on YouTube, but also because they are undermining parents, families, students and teachers who posted that content with the sole intention of sharing their children's personal accomplishments and hard work.
The Courage in Theater Award is another perfect example of the standards that MTI holds itself to and the way it treats it's clients.
Please consider signing my petition against MTI.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Say_No_To_MTI/signatures.html
