Nov 5, 2008 6:35 PM
Rant dess~
Before hand, any person who's reading this, be warned, this is a rant. That is all.
sooo~
Okay. Lets start with Theatre. Pretty basic. Then, there's the class. I first joined said class my freshman year. And truth be told, I loved it. I loved it so much I chose it over friends, family, even anime. So. This class consisted of very strange people. Crazy, smelly, ugly, fat. All of the above. And in this class, we were able to be ourselves. We could stand in the middle of our theatre and scream "FUCK LIFE" at the top of our lungs, and chances would be that the rest of the class would come and scream it too, including the teacher. So. Like I said, this class would accept anyone in any shape or size. And you could slit your wrists and they would just say that that's a stupid decision. And they would still be your friend. You could be 'secretly' plotting the mass murder of the whole school administration and teachers. We would all join in, making it so it might actually work. It didn't matter. This class was like a family. A LOVING family. We would stay in the theatre until 1 am sometimes. And we loved it. We might complain here and there, but that's what made it fun.
We had sets the size of the stage, moving platforms, timed HUMONGOUS set changes. We could HATE that change, but we could do it. And then we could look back at that and laugh at it as a group. And even before the show, the week before it, 'Hell Week', where everything dies and we rush to finish it. We had the zest, the happiness of it. It was like, HELL FUCKING YEAH. WE ARE GOING TO PUT ON A SHOW. AND WE WILL LOVE IT. Even if we were all pissed, that was the feeling in it.
Now, today. This is the day that our director finally realized that this is hell week. We have yet to start ANYTHING with sound. We haven't finished lights. Lines haven't been memorized, the run crew, me and a few others, we JUST today got our blocking. TODAY. We would have our blocking done atleast two weeks before the show.We would have the lights done, gelled, everything. And the sound would be almost done. Just the ques would have to be set. And we could run the show twice in one day and enjoy it. Back to now, we can't even finish one full run-through without asking what our que is, what the next scene is, and someone forgetting their lines. This is probably the LAST show that will survive in this theatre. Our precious green room. Our old director had that room for us. And us techies had our own shop. For us. Right across the hall from the theatre. That director left, and the wrestling coach took that room, tore down our wall, padded it and claimed it for himself. All we can do is watch this place go down the shitter. We can't say anything because it's too late. I was told we could 'share' it, but we can't move, build, or put ANYTHING in that room anymore. Our senior wall, where all old techies and actors signed it, HISTORY on that wall. Techies from YEARS ago signed it. The coach looked at it, and just destroyed it. Everything important is being taken and destroyed. The family concept. This new director took that, ripped it in half, stomped on it a few times, then lit it on fire and walked away. We can't vent in that class. If we say shit, or something, or retarted even, we have to write a three page essay on why the word is offensive. If we slit our wrists, the word would get to administration and we would have to be 'properly cared for' because it's a mental disability.
;_________;
Letter from an Amazing Actor:
WARNING, IT IS EXTREMELY LONG.
To: _____________________
From: Students of the Theater Department
A response would be appreciated.
..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
We write to you in regards of the current state of the second floor Green Room. We as students and parents affiliated with the Arvada Performing Arts Program have tried to understand the reasons and validation for the room's recent passing into the sole property of Arvada's wrestling team; an action conveyed by recent actions taken in remodeling the room, and both student and staff attitudes towards the situation. We understand that the wrestling team has no designated "Wrestling Room", feels it needs one, and unlike others schools the said room is not provided by our campus. However, we do not understand why this is validation for taking necessary space from our activity; in affect, we don't understand why this issue with wrestling should have a cost on our Theater Department.
The Green Room is the room adjacent to the north side of the auditorium. Up until this year it consisted of two rooms; a tech design room and an actor prep area. The dividing wall was removed in the recent remodeling in order to better serve the wrestling team and so it is now a single room. The Green Room also contained a sowing room and two dressing rooms; the only such rooms in the building. For past productions the room has served the requirements of the 10-50 actors and actresses preparing and performing in shows, and also the technical needs of the production team. The room has also been shared for the past two years with the wrestling team at times when it is not in use in order to provide them a place to practice.
Our performing arts program is one that consists of a large portion of our student body, 10-50 actors and up to 20 technicians at a time work for weeks to produce great performances. Our program too seeks to support the academic standards of our school. We follow CHASA requirements, and go so far as to provide study areas and set up small tutorships to insure the academic success of our actors. Academics aside this program brings together a large portion of ours student body into the study of the English Language, Music, Dance, Public Performance, Fine Arts, Set Design and the overall classic art of Theater.
As theater students we understand the Green Room is not used by our program year round. As actors we used the room completely for only about six weeks of the school year (having only three performances a year, and each one containing a week of dress rehearsal and performance). The technical room was used consistently during productions and was used 18-24 weeks out of the year. During these periods of use, the Green Room is necessary for our success.
For starters, the location of the room allows for set and costume construction to be accomplished in proximity to the theater. The woodshop being too far, and the stairwells too confining to transport large set pieces to the theater, the green room was a necessary convenience. The woodshop too is a classroom, and so the bulky creations of our extracurricular activities are inappropriate to be stored there, and cannot be placed on stage until completed as the auditorium is also used by other activities that would be hindered by our set pieces. The auditorium is not a workshop as at any moment it may be needed by administration or for the various other activities that require its services. The Green Room for our production staff was essential to the construction of their set designs.
Furthermore, the Green Room is the only room that accommodates for the needs of the 10-50 actors involved in productions during performances; needs such as mirrors for makeup and separate dressing rooms. We do have the auditorium itself for our use, but when filled with an audience it cannot serve the needs of preparing actors. The only other room is the choir room. However, the choir room has only one dressing room and it is in use by the choir for storage of its props and costumes. Without the green room also we have no other place to store costumes being used for performance. There is no other room in the building which provides the space needed (for costumes and the preparation of actors), or the two separate dressing rooms (a whole cast cannot change in the bathroom and certainly not together), or the wall of mirrors (for hair and makeup), or the tile floor (for easy cleanup; contrary to argument we make it a point for the room to be cleaned after each performance to lower the work load of the janitorial staff).
The fact is: the Green Room was built for purpose of fulfilling the needs of theater performances. Giving its use over to the wrestling team is at the expense of the theater department. And neither program should cost either. It is not the fault of the theater department that Wrestling is not being accommodated as it wants to be, however Wrestling currently stands at fault for Theater not being accommodated.
Space is limited on this campus. We have here two gyms and a weight lifting room. The argument we have encountered is that our school is one of only a few schools that has no wrestling rooms. However, we are aware that our school is unique in that we have two gyms as apposed to the standard one. The limitations of wrestling are a matter not of space it would seem, but rather of how our sports are using the space provided. Taking space from our arts programs, especially necessary space, is the height of unfairness. Both programs are of equal merit and importance and so neither should be causing either any cost.
I have addressed one of the wrestling coaches in the desire of clarifying the new position and why the space was no longer capable of being shared. We cannot understand why, for the three sets of two week periods of Dress Rehearsal and Performance, the room cannot be available for the needs of our actors. We also cannot understand why the room cannot be shared respectfully, half and half, between the wrestling team and technicians during times of construction. Admittedly, the removal of the center wall does raise obstacle to the ability to share the space, but that can be overcome.
When I questioned the said coach on why the team was unable to share the space, I was met with disrespect for our arts program and its necessities. In fact I was told the wrestling team was, "only looking out for ourselves now…is done with sharing," and this attitude has been proven in the complete stripping of the green room, and its remarkable transformation into a room that cannot be used by us for fear of causing damages to the mats that have been fixed permanently and the exercise equipment. Frankly we feel this is not the appropriate attitude for any activity here at ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Arvada High School. Our space is limited and all endeavors of students are of importance. If a team or activity cannot bring itself to coexist equally, it cannot be at the expense of those activities that do.
We as the theater program are willing to share this room on terms of equal respect and a strive for the success of both programs. The auditorium is shared between ourselves, choir, band, orchestra, the various events put on by administration, Link Leaders, and any other event that comes our way. Why is it the Green Room has been transformed to strip away its uses to theater, and only be usable for Wrestling? The Green Room was built to and its purpose is to complete the auditorium in meeting the needs of the performing arts. Just as the Choir Room adjoins the auditorium for choir concerts, and how the Band Room adjoins for band and orchestra. Argument aside, that room belongs to the theater department because its purpose is to fulfill our necessities. We understand the problem the Wrestling Team faces and are willing to do what we can to help them. However, the claim of ownership and control the team has placed on the room is not right, and it cripples our program for the sake of the expansion of theirs.
Our intent is to solve this problem, and the problem is that the wrestling team has taken a vital component of our theater program and has made it inaccessible to us. We also feel that this was only possible by taking advantage of the laps in opposition that occurred with the departure of Director Brady Taylor and the arrival of a new director. The problem also is that Wrestling needs a place to practice, and yet refuses to share space unless it has domination over said space.
We as students feel slighted, and a program we have put hours of work into is being offered no respect by certain members of the staff. We write this letter because we are admittedly angry and hurt by what has happened, and that no reasonable explanation has been offered; only the unceremonious claim on and disrespectful stripping of a space pertaining and necessary to our beloved activity of theater. In our eyes what is being done is very much wrong, and we ask administration to please rectify it.
This letter does not reflect the attitude, views, or opinions of either Dave Karasik or John Miller or any other staff member in connection to the performing arts programs at Arvada High School. This letter is written to you by the concerned students of Arvada High School's performing arts program.
If you have any questions or have need of contact please do so through Daniel Leonard. We would appreciate a timely and affective response to our concerns.
Sincerely Yours:
The result of sending this letter to administration:
Basically, the writer of the letter was threatened to be suspended and we were all spoken to that this isn't our problem and that it was decided back during the summer. We were asked if we knew how much the coach paid to redo that room. And we were told that since some new law passed, and funding it getting cut, they get the room because it's sooo expensive to remodel. Then said actor that wrote the letter asked the person who came to talk to us a few questions.
1. Did you talk to the old directors Brady Taylor or Anna Smith?
No.
2. Did you talk to the old tech Director, Denise?
No.
3. Do you know how much the school paid to remodel that room for the theatre?
No.
Basically, the vice principle told us not to act when we don't know anything, when he doesn't either. He only asked the Music department guy, Miller, and he said that he doesn't care whether the room is remodeled or not. Which is just stupid. Another reason to hate him. So from that point on, we weren't allowed to ask any other questions about the room or really talk about it.. :D
sooo~
Okay. Lets start with Theatre. Pretty basic. Then, there's the class. I first joined said class my freshman year. And truth be told, I loved it. I loved it so much I chose it over friends, family, even anime. So. This class consisted of very strange people. Crazy, smelly, ugly, fat. All of the above. And in this class, we were able to be ourselves. We could stand in the middle of our theatre and scream "FUCK LIFE" at the top of our lungs, and chances would be that the rest of the class would come and scream it too, including the teacher. So. Like I said, this class would accept anyone in any shape or size. And you could slit your wrists and they would just say that that's a stupid decision. And they would still be your friend. You could be 'secretly' plotting the mass murder of the whole school administration and teachers. We would all join in, making it so it might actually work. It didn't matter. This class was like a family. A LOVING family. We would stay in the theatre until 1 am sometimes. And we loved it. We might complain here and there, but that's what made it fun.
We had sets the size of the stage, moving platforms, timed HUMONGOUS set changes. We could HATE that change, but we could do it. And then we could look back at that and laugh at it as a group. And even before the show, the week before it, 'Hell Week', where everything dies and we rush to finish it. We had the zest, the happiness of it. It was like, HELL FUCKING YEAH. WE ARE GOING TO PUT ON A SHOW. AND WE WILL LOVE IT. Even if we were all pissed, that was the feeling in it.
Now, today. This is the day that our director finally realized that this is hell week. We have yet to start ANYTHING with sound. We haven't finished lights. Lines haven't been memorized, the run crew, me and a few others, we JUST today got our blocking. TODAY. We would have our blocking done atleast two weeks before the show.We would have the lights done, gelled, everything. And the sound would be almost done. Just the ques would have to be set. And we could run the show twice in one day and enjoy it. Back to now, we can't even finish one full run-through without asking what our que is, what the next scene is, and someone forgetting their lines. This is probably the LAST show that will survive in this theatre. Our precious green room. Our old director had that room for us. And us techies had our own shop. For us. Right across the hall from the theatre. That director left, and the wrestling coach took that room, tore down our wall, padded it and claimed it for himself. All we can do is watch this place go down the shitter. We can't say anything because it's too late. I was told we could 'share' it, but we can't move, build, or put ANYTHING in that room anymore. Our senior wall, where all old techies and actors signed it, HISTORY on that wall. Techies from YEARS ago signed it. The coach looked at it, and just destroyed it. Everything important is being taken and destroyed. The family concept. This new director took that, ripped it in half, stomped on it a few times, then lit it on fire and walked away. We can't vent in that class. If we say shit, or something, or retarted even, we have to write a three page essay on why the word is offensive. If we slit our wrists, the word would get to administration and we would have to be 'properly cared for' because it's a mental disability.
;_________;
Letter from an Amazing Actor:
WARNING, IT IS EXTREMELY LONG.
To: _____________________
From: Students of the Theater Department
A response would be appreciated.
..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
We write to you in regards of the current state of the second floor Green Room. We as students and parents affiliated with the Arvada Performing Arts Program have tried to understand the reasons and validation for the room's recent passing into the sole property of Arvada's wrestling team; an action conveyed by recent actions taken in remodeling the room, and both student and staff attitudes towards the situation. We understand that the wrestling team has no designated "Wrestling Room", feels it needs one, and unlike others schools the said room is not provided by our campus. However, we do not understand why this is validation for taking necessary space from our activity; in affect, we don't understand why this issue with wrestling should have a cost on our Theater Department.
The Green Room is the room adjacent to the north side of the auditorium. Up until this year it consisted of two rooms; a tech design room and an actor prep area. The dividing wall was removed in the recent remodeling in order to better serve the wrestling team and so it is now a single room. The Green Room also contained a sowing room and two dressing rooms; the only such rooms in the building. For past productions the room has served the requirements of the 10-50 actors and actresses preparing and performing in shows, and also the technical needs of the production team. The room has also been shared for the past two years with the wrestling team at times when it is not in use in order to provide them a place to practice.
Our performing arts program is one that consists of a large portion of our student body, 10-50 actors and up to 20 technicians at a time work for weeks to produce great performances. Our program too seeks to support the academic standards of our school. We follow CHASA requirements, and go so far as to provide study areas and set up small tutorships to insure the academic success of our actors. Academics aside this program brings together a large portion of ours student body into the study of the English Language, Music, Dance, Public Performance, Fine Arts, Set Design and the overall classic art of Theater.
As theater students we understand the Green Room is not used by our program year round. As actors we used the room completely for only about six weeks of the school year (having only three performances a year, and each one containing a week of dress rehearsal and performance). The technical room was used consistently during productions and was used 18-24 weeks out of the year. During these periods of use, the Green Room is necessary for our success.
For starters, the location of the room allows for set and costume construction to be accomplished in proximity to the theater. The woodshop being too far, and the stairwells too confining to transport large set pieces to the theater, the green room was a necessary convenience. The woodshop too is a classroom, and so the bulky creations of our extracurricular activities are inappropriate to be stored there, and cannot be placed on stage until completed as the auditorium is also used by other activities that would be hindered by our set pieces. The auditorium is not a workshop as at any moment it may be needed by administration or for the various other activities that require its services. The Green Room for our production staff was essential to the construction of their set designs.
Furthermore, the Green Room is the only room that accommodates for the needs of the 10-50 actors involved in productions during performances; needs such as mirrors for makeup and separate dressing rooms. We do have the auditorium itself for our use, but when filled with an audience it cannot serve the needs of preparing actors. The only other room is the choir room. However, the choir room has only one dressing room and it is in use by the choir for storage of its props and costumes. Without the green room also we have no other place to store costumes being used for performance. There is no other room in the building which provides the space needed (for costumes and the preparation of actors), or the two separate dressing rooms (a whole cast cannot change in the bathroom and certainly not together), or the wall of mirrors (for hair and makeup), or the tile floor (for easy cleanup; contrary to argument we make it a point for the room to be cleaned after each performance to lower the work load of the janitorial staff).
The fact is: the Green Room was built for purpose of fulfilling the needs of theater performances. Giving its use over to the wrestling team is at the expense of the theater department. And neither program should cost either. It is not the fault of the theater department that Wrestling is not being accommodated as it wants to be, however Wrestling currently stands at fault for Theater not being accommodated.
Space is limited on this campus. We have here two gyms and a weight lifting room. The argument we have encountered is that our school is one of only a few schools that has no wrestling rooms. However, we are aware that our school is unique in that we have two gyms as apposed to the standard one. The limitations of wrestling are a matter not of space it would seem, but rather of how our sports are using the space provided. Taking space from our arts programs, especially necessary space, is the height of unfairness. Both programs are of equal merit and importance and so neither should be causing either any cost.
I have addressed one of the wrestling coaches in the desire of clarifying the new position and why the space was no longer capable of being shared. We cannot understand why, for the three sets of two week periods of Dress Rehearsal and Performance, the room cannot be available for the needs of our actors. We also cannot understand why the room cannot be shared respectfully, half and half, between the wrestling team and technicians during times of construction. Admittedly, the removal of the center wall does raise obstacle to the ability to share the space, but that can be overcome.
When I questioned the said coach on why the team was unable to share the space, I was met with disrespect for our arts program and its necessities. In fact I was told the wrestling team was, "only looking out for ourselves now…is done with sharing," and this attitude has been proven in the complete stripping of the green room, and its remarkable transformation into a room that cannot be used by us for fear of causing damages to the mats that have been fixed permanently and the exercise equipment. Frankly we feel this is not the appropriate attitude for any activity here at ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Arvada High School. Our space is limited and all endeavors of students are of importance. If a team or activity cannot bring itself to coexist equally, it cannot be at the expense of those activities that do.
We as the theater program are willing to share this room on terms of equal respect and a strive for the success of both programs. The auditorium is shared between ourselves, choir, band, orchestra, the various events put on by administration, Link Leaders, and any other event that comes our way. Why is it the Green Room has been transformed to strip away its uses to theater, and only be usable for Wrestling? The Green Room was built to and its purpose is to complete the auditorium in meeting the needs of the performing arts. Just as the Choir Room adjoins the auditorium for choir concerts, and how the Band Room adjoins for band and orchestra. Argument aside, that room belongs to the theater department because its purpose is to fulfill our necessities. We understand the problem the Wrestling Team faces and are willing to do what we can to help them. However, the claim of ownership and control the team has placed on the room is not right, and it cripples our program for the sake of the expansion of theirs.
Our intent is to solve this problem, and the problem is that the wrestling team has taken a vital component of our theater program and has made it inaccessible to us. We also feel that this was only possible by taking advantage of the laps in opposition that occurred with the departure of Director Brady Taylor and the arrival of a new director. The problem also is that Wrestling needs a place to practice, and yet refuses to share space unless it has domination over said space.
We as students feel slighted, and a program we have put hours of work into is being offered no respect by certain members of the staff. We write this letter because we are admittedly angry and hurt by what has happened, and that no reasonable explanation has been offered; only the unceremonious claim on and disrespectful stripping of a space pertaining and necessary to our beloved activity of theater. In our eyes what is being done is very much wrong, and we ask administration to please rectify it.
This letter does not reflect the attitude, views, or opinions of either Dave Karasik or John Miller or any other staff member in connection to the performing arts programs at Arvada High School. This letter is written to you by the concerned students of Arvada High School's performing arts program.
If you have any questions or have need of contact please do so through Daniel Leonard. We would appreciate a timely and affective response to our concerns.
Sincerely Yours:
The result of sending this letter to administration:
Basically, the writer of the letter was threatened to be suspended and we were all spoken to that this isn't our problem and that it was decided back during the summer. We were asked if we knew how much the coach paid to redo that room. And we were told that since some new law passed, and funding it getting cut, they get the room because it's sooo expensive to remodel. Then said actor that wrote the letter asked the person who came to talk to us a few questions.
1. Did you talk to the old directors Brady Taylor or Anna Smith?
No.
2. Did you talk to the old tech Director, Denise?
No.
3. Do you know how much the school paid to remodel that room for the theatre?
No.
Basically, the vice principle told us not to act when we don't know anything, when he doesn't either. He only asked the Music department guy, Miller, and he said that he doesn't care whether the room is remodeled or not. Which is just stupid. Another reason to hate him. So from that point on, we weren't allowed to ask any other questions about the room or really talk about it.. :D
Posted by
Jello
| Nov 5, 2008 6:35 PM |
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