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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=drj@shawfest.com href="mailto:drj@shawfest.com">Denis Johnston</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=dkeith@SILK.NET
href="mailto:dkeith@SILK.NET">dkeith</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, February 06, 2002 6:47 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> RE: TIME FOR REVOLUTION? WILL THE PLAY GO ON?</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=258543914-06022002>Animal
Farm? I remember seeing a longish one-act version of it in a high-school
festival in Victoria, oh alomst 20 years ago now. Opportunities for lots of
kids, and gender doesn't matter to most of the roles.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=258543914-06022002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=258543914-06022002>Something school-based like Up the Down
Staircase?</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=258543914-06022002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=258543914-06022002>Then
there's The Lottery -- an old chestnut perhaps, but I remember having some fun
with it when I was a high-school drama teacher. For the climactic stoning scene,
we used a strobe light and had the cast throw crumpled-up paper instead of the
stones they were carrying in their other hand.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=258543914-06022002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=258543914-06022002>My
heart goes out to you and your students. Please pass along my best
wishes,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=258543914-06022002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=258543914-06022002>Dr
Denis Johnston</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN
class=258543914-06022002>Co-Director</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN class=258543914-06022002>The
Academy of the Shaw Festival</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> dkeith
[mailto:dkeith@SILK.NET]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, February 05, 2002 8:41
PM<BR><B>To:</B> CANDRAMA@LISTSERV.UNB.CA<BR><B>Subject:</B> TIME FOR
REVOLUTION? WILL THE PLAY GO ON?<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I am a high school drama teacher with 31 years of
experience. I need your help and support.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have never cancelled a show, and I have worked
under many political dicatorships , yet this year because of the recent events
in B.C. Politics I am facing the withdrawal of all my voluntary
extra-curricular work, aka directing a play. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Our school is well known and respected for the
high quality of our work, and over the last 20 years we have produced some of
the greatest plays of dramatic literature, from Sophocles to Shakespeare,
Brecht to Miller. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Our recent repertory included <EM>The
Crucible,The Good Woman of Setzuan</EM>, Aristophanes' <EM>The Birds</EM>, an
original production of <EM>Frankenstein</EM> (written and directed by my
colleague), and my personal favorite<EM>, Our Country's Good</EM>,
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We always try to pick plays which have a strong
social or political context because we enjoy teaching our students that
theatre has an important social function, and should challenge the audience to
think. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This year we decided to dedicate the entire year
to Shakespeare, and we have already mounted a production of <EM>Twelfth
Night.</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The second play, <EM>Much Ado About
Nothing</EM> has been cast, the sets and costumes designed, ready to go
into rehearsal, and we are faced with the possibility of canceling the show as
a protest to the B.C Government and their draconian legislation. Drama
teachers are withdrawing their voluntary services in many school
districts.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have a wonderful group of talented
students, and they have already indicated that if we cancel the play
they are behind us 100%. They want us to stand up for what we believe in. They
put it in writing, and are following up with some individual political
protests of their own.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>After many sleepless nights I have decided that
we should continue with a play, maybe not <EM>Much Ado,</EM> but something a
bit edgier, a play about civil rights, or oppressive governments, or standing
up for yourself. These are the lessons I want to teach my students through
theatre. I want to wake them from their feeling of helplessness. Me too. This
is the only way I know to teach. I don't want to miss an opportunity to give
the students a special voice in this difficult time.I have a plan, but I am
struggling to find a script.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I welcome suggestions of scripts - ensemble works
are preferred. (25-35 actors)I will direct it class time only (this is a
Performance class, and we meet outside the timetable) so I am limited to a few
hours a week. Our protest only covers extra-curricular, voluntary time.The
production dates are late April, so we have time to produce "one hell of a
barn storming 50-75 minute, shake your bones, noisy protest." Suggestion and
comments please. Should I cancel, carry on with <EM>Much Ado About
Nothing</EM>, or...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Please forward your ideas.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I thank you in advance.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Don Keith</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kelowna Secondary School</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>KELOWNA
B.C.</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>