This Patriot Ledger opinion piece highlights the notable efforts of MASSCreative and applauds towns across the state that are using the arts to revitalize their communities and to improve education. Read the opinion piece here.
Category Archives: Arts Education
Thoroughly Modern Millie Controversy at Local High School
This Boston Globe by Ellen Ishkanian article talks about the controversy surrounding Newton North High School’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Read the article to find out how students, parents, and administration responded to the outcry regarding the show’s racial stereotypes of Asian Americans.
In this Boston Globe article by Don Aucoin, he highlights the issues surrounding producing plays that come from “problematic source material, as in the case of Thoroughly Modern Millie, and says that one of the underlying issues is that older plays haven’t caught up to our increasing diversity. He also highlights our production of Neighbors by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins for using stereotypes to show the racial assumptions we still make in today’s world. Read the article here.
UPDATE:
This column from the Boston Globe talks about high schools feeling fearful of producing certain plays due to content. Read the column here.
In this editorial also from the Boston Globe, the writer talks about how producing controversial plays can prove educational to students. Read the opinion piece here.
Wall Street Journal: High School Theatres Turn to Product Placement
This Wall Street Journal article talks about how high school are now using product placement in their shows to generate funding. Read the article here.
Thoughts on The Theater: Arts Education Won’t Save Us From Boring, Inaccessible Theater
In his post, playwright Mike Lew argues that a lack of education is not the reason that young people do not pay to see theatre and instead offers an alternative reason as to why young people would rather spend their money on other activities. Read the post here.
The Guardian (UK): Is It Time to Teach Theatre Manners to Children?
This article from The Guardian talks about how children behave during performances and if their behavior actually needs to be changed. Read the article here.
HowlRound: 10 Lessons for Theater, from TEDxBroadway 2014
This article talks about the 3rd annual TEDxBroadway 2014 conference, where middle schoolers had the chance to ask industry professionals how they “make the magic of theatre.” Read those ten lessons here.
Mike Lew: A Plea about Arts Piracy in the Theater
In this article, playwright Mike Lew talks about an experience he had regarding a potential unauthorized production of one of his ten-minute plays, The Roosevelt Cousins, Thoroughly Sauced, and he advocates for the rights of playwrights everywhere. Read his plea here.
American Theatre Magazine: Debt Sentence
This article by Diep Tran talks about the high amount of debt those who go to college for theatre incur, the struggle artists have to repay that debt, and how colleges can better prepare and talk to their students about the cost of their education. Read the article here.
“Why I Yelled at the Kara Walker Exhibit”
Nicholas Powers recounts his visit to the Kara Walker exhibit at the old Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn, NY. His outburst had to do with how visitors treated the artwork featured at the exhibit and his anger at the lack of curation or education regarding the artwork. Read his account here.
Here’s an interview with Kara Walker regarding the exhibit.
Here’s an interview about the “We Are Here” event that took place at the Domino Sugar Factory.
This is an interview featuring Robert Shelton, a man who worked at the Domino Sugar Factory for 20 years and chose to volunteer at the exhibit.
The Atlantic: Art is Vital
This article from The Atlantic highlights the importance of art in education and how participating in the arts enhances success in other areas of academia. Read the article here.