“The Wave,” Fascism Cautionary Drama, Restored at OCVTS in New Jersey

hesherman1.substack.com: School Violence Awareness Week at Ocean County Vocational and Technical School’s Grunin Performing Arts Academy in New Jersey will come and go this month without one of its tentpole events, performances by students of The Wave (aka The Third Wave), a play designed to show how easily societies – and high schoolers – can fall under the sway of Fascist ideologies.

She Kills Monsters May Be Seen at Copley High in Ohio

hesherman1.substack.com: After more than a month of turmoil following the announcement that Copley High School in Ohio’s fall show, Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters, would be canceled, despite rehearsals already being underway, it’s now likely that show will be seen on the high school’s stage – although the high school won’t take responsibility for it.

Game Over for “She Kills Monsters” at Copley High in Ohio

hesherman1.substack.com: On September 16, following auditions and after the start of rehearsals, students in the Copley High Thespian Society at Copley High School in Ohio were informed that the fall production, Qui Nguyen’s She Kills Monsters, would not be proceeding. She Kills Monsters has proven itself to be one of the most popular plays in high school theatre in recent years, yielding a 2020 New York Times feature about its success in that arena. While the play, particularly in a version edited for high school use, dubbed the Young Adventurers Edition, has been widely seen, it has encountered occasional opposition from those who oppose the saga, particularly for its representation of queer characters.

Students and Parents Protest After Wisconsin Superintendent Blocks High School Production of FLASHDANCE

BroadwayWorld: Students, parents, and community members in Watertown, Wisconsin rallied outside their school district offices this week after the interim superintendent blocked Watertown High School from staging Flashdance as its spring 2027 musical. The news was first reported by WPR.

Oregon Youth: Collaborating & Creating Art Summit connects arts students with professionals

Oregon ArtsWatch: Dozens of Washington County high school students met with representatives from regional arts organizations at the first Oregon Youth: Collaborating & Creating Art Summit on Saturday, Oct. 3. The goal of the event was to introduce students interested in the arts to professionals in the field to learn more about how to pursue such careers and create connections.

Watertown High School students hope to revive ‘Flashdance’

www.tmj4.com: Watertown High School theater students are pushing back after the interim superintendent canceled their planned spring production of the high school version of "Flashdance," citing concerns the show could be risqué or potentially controversial.

JCPS confirms ‘Ragtime’ production not canceled, apologizes for miscommunication to students

www.wave3.com: Jefferson County Public Schools issued a response after posts on social media claimed a production by duPont Manual High School’s Youth Performing Arts School was canceled. A video posted on TikTok by the page “SaveRagtime502” claiming the production had been canceled has received more than 231,500 likes and 11,100 shares. The video claims the cast and crew received word from JCPS that the production was canceled because the “material would offend too many members of our community.”

High School Musicals Are Missing Half Their Cast . . . And It’s Not Who You Think

Ken Davenport: I went to a high school musical recently. And it was great! The kids were talented, the energy was electric, the whole thing reminded me exactly why I got into this business in the first place. But then I picked up the Playbill . . . and I noticed something. I saw the future stars of Broadway. I did not see the future staff of Broadway.

Carhartt announces $375,000 grant to 15 high school via skilled trades nonprofit

Woodworking Network: Carhartt has announce a $375,000 grant through its "For the Love of Labor" program to the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), a nonprofit leader in skilled trades workforce development.

CMU Drama Professors and Alumni Encourage High School Students To Find Their Voice

News - Carnegie Mellon University: The master class at Creators Academy in Brooklyn, New York, was part of the annual Excellence in Theatre Education Award, presented at the Tony Awards by CMU, in partnership with the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League. This year’s recipient, Gary Edwin Robinson, and his theatre students spent an October day with CMU faculty who shared their expertise in acting, musical theatre and dance.

Student theater gives Broadway flops a second life

NPR: Just three days from opening night, the task at hand is to figure out how to break a glass slipper onstage, or at least make it look like it's broken, since having a bunch of shards on the floor for a student theater production is probably a little too dangerous.

Plans for New High School Exclude ‘Fly Loft & System’ for Its Theater

Falls Church News-Press Online: The biggest citizen concern to arise so far from recent public input sessions on the plans for the new George Mason High School focus on what the new theater/auditorium space there is going to be like. Unlike the current high school’s space, the new plan would be to remove the “fly” loft and system that many consider vital for theatrical productions, and more than a few parents and citizens are not happy.

How Heathers: High School Edition is helping difficult discourse on teen issues in Johnson County, Kansas (and how it can help you, too).

Breaking Character: The importance of having discussions about mental health, violence, and bullying in our community and communities around the United States became clear when three students in Johnson County, Kansas took their own lives in January of 2018. In the previous year, eight Johnson County teens did the same. This is a subject that is very difficult to discuss between local students and adults alike.

I Wanna Rock!

Breaking Character: Since the beginning of my teaching career I have always been on the search for the perfect musical that fits my students, my music director, and the community. When the curtain closed on March 2, 2018 I was elated that my perfect musical had been found. Rock of Ages: High School Edition was a labor of love. Yes, I know it is cliché to say but true nonetheless.

Putting the High School Voice in the High School Story

Breaking Character: Who could forget the iconic lines of the movie Heathers? In 1988, the movie premiered to surprisingly giant audiences nationwide and garnered a cult following for its harsh attack on the reality of high school life. Along with many others, I grew up with this dark comedy as a kid, but it’s shocking to see that this eighties cult classic has gained even more relevance in 2018.

High School Production of "The Lion King" Cancelled Mid-Run Due to Copyright Issue

OnStage Blog: Once again, when it comes to licensing permissions, it appears as though educators have failed their students as a high school production has been canceled due to copyrights not being secured.

Over the weekend, students at Nansemond River High School in Suffolk, VA were told that their production of Disney's The Lion King would not continue because rights to the show had not been obtained. The worst part is, they had already begun performances.

Kelly Critic Review: ‘Honeymoon in Vegas,’ Baldwin High School

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: “Honeymoon in Vegas” director Jason Coll isn’t a gambling man. But he is, as it says in his Director’s Note, “one for weighing the odds and taking calculated risks.” That’s exactly what Coll did by bringing Las Vegas to Baldwin. With this production, where reality and absurdity blended into one joyous ride of a show, both he and the audience hit the jackpot.

Bethel Park changes stagehand policy after parent raises issue of blackened faces

TribLIVE: Stagehands at Bethel Park's high school switched from blackened faces to black ski masks after a concerned parent contacted the district, said Vicki Flotta, spokeswoman for the Bethel Park School District.

Trio works behind scenes to ensure success of G.I. Northwest musical

theindependent.com: While many Grand Island Northwest High School students will be on stage during the production of “High School Musical 2” this week, three students will be working backstage to make sure the show runs smoothly.

Marcus Eriksen, a sophomore from Grand Island, Ryan Zimmerman, a senior from St. Libory, and Ethan Ruff, a sophomore from Grand Island, are three stage hands who are helping with Northwest’s production of “High School Musical 2.”