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The nominating committee of the EdTA board of directors is accepting vitae from qualified members for a set on the board, to be elected in September. The deadline for submitting a vita to be considered for nomination is February 27, 2009. The election will be held during the 2009 EdTA Annual Conference, which takes place September 10–13 in Anaheim, California.
The board established the skill sets and qualifications for nominees for the board director position during its December 2008 meeting. These criteria, which are outlined in a selection matrix (link below), will be used by nominating committee in selecting a candidate for inclusion on the ballot. The key dates for the election timeline are:
February 27, 2009: Vitae packets must be received at home office by this date
April 6: Nominating committee candidate is announced; petition forms and process posted online
June 30: Petitions must be received at home office by this date
July 25: Final ballot announced; registration for absentee ballots opens
August 15: Last day to request absentee ballot
August 22: Absentee ballots mailed from home office
September 5: Absentee ballots must be received at home office
September 13: Membership meeting and election at Annual Conference The nominee selection matrix and vita form can be downloaded from the links below. (Posted 12/22/08)
2009 EdTA board member nominee selection matrix
2009 EdTA election for board director vita form
More than three hundred Thespian troupes in thirty-eight states collected 308,096 pounds (as of 11/7/08) (including late donations, 309,543 pounds) of food for local food banks as part of the Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat (TOTS-EAT) food drive.
Each year TOTS-EAT honors participating Thespians with community service awards in several categories at the troupe, team, and chapter levels. This year’s honorees are listed below. Troupe awards
Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a single troupe: Troupe 2326, Kellam High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia; 16,162 pounds. Harvest Excellence Award, for greatest total collection by a first-time participant (troupes only): Troupe 2131, South Lafourche High School, Galliano, Louisiana; 2,108 pounds. Community Spirit Award, for first Thespian troupe registered (that also met the donation verification deadline): Troupe 2326, Kellam High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Golden Harvest Award, for troupes that collect more than 15,000 pounds: Troupe 2326, Kellam High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 16,162 pounds; and Troupe 4274, Grinnell (Iowa) High School, 15,762 pounds. Abundant Harvest Award, for greatest one-year increase in total collections by a troupe. For increase by pounds: Troupe 6512, Glen Este High School, Cincinnati, Ohio, 3,032-pound increase. For increase by percent: Troupe 6512, Glen Este High School, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1,011 percent increase. Troupe team awards
Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a team: Wichita Area Team, Wichita, Kansas, 11,405 pounds. Team members include: Troupe 182, Wichita South High School; Troupe 184, Derby Senior High School; Troupe 695, Kapaun-Mt. Carmel Catholic High School; Troupe 923, Wichita Heights High School; Troupe 1204, Wichita High School West; Troupe 1820, Wichita Southeast High School; Troupe 2661, Wichita Northwest High School; Troupe 3473, Wichita North High School; Troupe 3540, Andover High School; Troupe 3596, Maize High School; Troupe 6282, Andover Central High School; Troupe 6542, Northeast Magnet High School; and Troupe 6544, Rose Hill High School. Community Spirit Award, for first team registered (that also met the donation verification deadline): Lee’s Summit United, Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Team members include: Troupe 1885, Lee’s Summit High School; Troupe 6258, Lee’s Summit North High School; Troupe 6761, Lee’s Summit West High School; and Troupe 7225, Lee’s Summit Community Christian School. Chapter awards Cornucopia Award, for most total weight collected by a chapter: - Overall winner: Texas Thespian Chapter of EdTA, 40,917 pounds
- Division 1 (1–10 participating troupes): Virginia Thespians, 23,634 pounds
- Division 2 (11–20 participating troupes): California State Thespians, 12,795 pounds
- Division 3 (21–30 participating troupes): Missouri State Thespians, 31,459 pounds
- Division 4 (31–40 participating troupes): Kansas Thespians, 34,220 pounds
Outstanding Commitment Award, for greatest percentage participation of active Thespian troupes: - Overall winner: Kansas Thespians, 52 percent
- Division 1 (1–10 participating troupes): Montana Chapter of EdTA, 27 percent
- Division 2 (11–20 participating troupes): EdTA Arkansas, 28 percent
- Division 3 (21–30 participating troupes): Missouri State Thespians, 20 percent
- Division 5 (41–50 participating troupes): Texas Thespian Chapter of EdTA, 10 percent
Abundant Harvest Award, for greatest one-year increase in total collections by a chapter. For increase by pounds: Oregon Thespians, 8,812-pound increase. For increase by percent, Oregon Thespians, 733 percent increase. Ten preregistered and participating troupes were randomly drawn to receive a $100 gift certificate good for anything from the EdTA Resources and Thespian Gear and Honors Catalogs. This year’s winners are: Troupe 1053, The Woodlands (Texas) High School; Troupe 1341, Harrisonville (Missouri) High School; Troupe 1476, Salina (Kansas) South High School; Troupe 1903, New Smyrna Beach (Florida) Senior High School; Troupe 2413, Shawnee Mission (Kansas) West High School; Troupe 3430, Bentonville (Arkansas) High School; Troupe 4151, Blue Valley North High School, Overland Park, Kansas; Troupe 4589, West Hall High School, Oakwood, Georgia; Troupe 6386, Vernon Hills (Illinois) High School; and Troupe 88881, Summer Creek Middle School, Crowley, Texas. See the troupe and team totals page and chapter total pages for all the 2008 totals. (Posted 11/25/08)
The Educational Theatre Association is sponsoring an essay contest for inducted student members in support of the 2009 Arts Advocacy Day training and lobbying activities in Washington D.C., March 30–31. The annual event, organized by Americans for the Arts, draws arts advocates from throughout the country lobbying on behalf of legislative initiatives and financial support for the arts, including education.
The wave of student interest in the recent presidential election, and the educational challenges connected to the current economic crisis prompted EdTA to create the contest. The topic prompt for the essay is, “Why arts education is important to America’s future.” EdTA will choose one winning essay and provide $1,500 toward the travel and attendance costs at Arts Advocacy Day for the winner and his or her chaperone. Americans for the Arts will waive the event registration fees for the winner and chaperone. The winning essay will be included in the Arts Advocacy Day materials distributed to all registrants and Congress, and the student will have the opportunity to read his or her essay at a legislative training session before national arts education advocates. The winning essayist will take part in all scheduled events, including legislative training on the current arts issues circulating on Capitol Hill; the Congressional Arts Breakfast; lobbying visits to his or her district Congressional representatives; and the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information about Arts Advocacy Day 2009, go to www.artsusa.org/events/2009/aad. The winning essay will also be published in Dramatics magazine. “We think this a tremendous opportunity for our student members to speak on behalf of arts education,” said EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz. “As a veteran attendee of Arts Advocacy Day, I can say this is also a great civics lesson—it’s really democracy in action that’s far superior to any lesson in a textbook.” Deadline for submissions is February 2. The winner will be announced February 16. For the complete essay submission guidelines, visit www.edta.org/essayguidelines. (Posted 11/24/08)
Florida will have a new chapter director starting in 2010. C. LeRoy “Lee” Tempest, of Deerfield Beach High School, was elected by Florida EdTA members to succeed longtime chapter director Michael Higgins of Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville.
Tempest, who has spent twenty-five years at Deerfield Beach, served as the head of the school’s English department, faculty chair, and graduation coordinator. He also served as co-chair of District VII and on its board. “I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to serve Florida’s troupe directors as the next chapter director,” said Tempest. “I hope to build on the wonderful foundation that Michael Higgins has created and make contributions to move our organization forward into the next decade.” “Florida Thespians is our organization’s largest and most active chapter, which is in no small part due to the tireless work and strong leadership of Michael Higgins,” EdTA Executive Director Michael J. Peitz commented. “We are excited for Florida to continue their tradition of excellence with Lee Tempest at the helm and look forward to a smooth and successful transition of leadership over the next eighteen months.” Tempest’s term begins May 1, 2010 and runs through July 31, 2011. (Posted 11/24/08)
New York University is offering five in-residence fellowships in 2009 to three categories of students: graduate students in the final year of their dissertation; postdoctoral students who have completed their dissertation within the last three years; and professionals transitioning to academic careers.
The two-year appointments, which begin September 2009 and end August 2011, may also include an additional year. Graduate students in the final year of their dissertation must make significant progress toward the dissertation. Fellows teach a maximum of one course per semester, and receive an annual stipend of $40,000 as well as allowances for housing ($20,000), research ($2,000), and one-time relocation ($3,000). The University also provides a medical and dental benefits package. The fellowship application and instructions for submission are available at www.nyu.edu/info/provost/ms0877. All materials must be received by January 15, 2009. Awards will be announced on March 15. (Posted 11/11/08)
The Educational Theatre Association is working with the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), to offer a free trip to an EdTA adult member to attend the VASTA conference in New York City, August 3–7, 2009. The winning entry will have the opportunity to work with internationally renowned voice trainers Kristin Linklater, Patsy Rodenburg, Catherine Fitzmaurice, and Arthur Lessac. VASTA will pay $500 toward the attendee’s airfare and the $350 conference fee. This is an excellent opportunity to interact with some of the best voice and speech trainers in the world, interact with college and professional theatre colleagues from around the world, and enjoy all that the Big Apple has to offer.
This competition is being offered exclusively to EdTA members. To apply, e-mail Rena Cook at renacook@ou.edu stating why this opportunity would be of value to you and how it would help you meet your personal and teaching goals. Include the name and location of your high school, and your complete home and school contact information, including e-mail and phone. The deadline for application is February 1, 2009. Application letters will be reviewed by members of VASTA’s board of directors and the winner will be notified by February 15. The Voice and Speech Trainers Association is an international organization whose mission is to practice and encourage the highest standard of voice and speech use and artistry in all professional and educational arenas; serve the needs of voice and speech teachers and students; and encourage and facilitate ongoing education and information exchange. For more information, go to www.VASTA.org or contact Rena Cook. (Posted 10/30/08)
EdTA chapters in Regions II and IV have named their nominated candidates for the chapter director elections. The list of nominees is below.
Changes to chapter director elections were approved by EdTA members at the annual meeting held during the EdTA Annual Conference. These changes allow chapter boards to nominate a candidate for available chapter director positions; other chapter members can petition to be placed on the ballot. Petitions must be received at the EdTA home office by Tuesday, November 25. Additional details regarding the petition process, as well as chapter duties and responsibilities, can be downloaded from the PDF links at the end of this article. (Posted 10/23/08) Chapter director nominees
Marydell Merrill, Connecticut, Region IV
James D Smith, Illinois, Region II
Beth Ann Hileman, Indiana, Region IV
Lynn Jensen, Iowa, Region II
Max Brown, Kansas, Region II
Rick Osann, Maine, Region IV
Ruby Duehring, Maryland, Region IV
James Ferguson, Massachusetts, Region IV
Brian Drake, Michigan, Region IV
Michael Sheeks, Minnesota, Region II
Debbie Corbin, Missouri, Region II
Sarah DeGrandpre, Montana, Region II
Molly Grasso, Nebraska, Region II
Jennifer LaFrance, New Hampshire, Region IV
Sandra Van Dyke, New Jersey, Region IV
Scott Wilson, Ohio, Region IV
Jeff Graham, Ontario, Region IV
William Hallman, Pennsylvania, Region IV
Kate Arthur, Rhode Island, Region IV
Ron Lurvey, Vermont, Region IV Petition vita form
EdTA chapter duties and responsibilities
EdTA chapter charter—pledge of support to chapters
The New York City Department of Education, in collaboration with the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI), has created an exit exam for high school technical theatre students and is recruiting theatre educators around the country to help evaluate it.
Following the pilot stage and revision of the exam, the technical theatre test will be available nationally to any schools that choose to use it. The hope is that this will be a beneficial resource to technical theatre educators and will allow schools to appropriately assess student learning in technical theatre in conjunction with various state vocational, career, and technical education requirements. The exam is a nationally-normed exit examination for high school technical theatre students. A committee of industry representatives, union members, high school technical theatre teachers, and higher education personnel worked with NOCTI to create a comprehensive and appropriate test aligned with industry standards. High school students participating in this pilot should be advanced technical theatre students with a minimum of six semesters of technical theatre study in various components of the discipline. The technical theatre exam includes a multiple-choice component to assess basic technical theatre knowledge and understanding. Additionally, students will participate in real-time performance tasks for stage carpentry/construction, makeup and hair, electrics, costume construction, sound, and stage management. Each participating student will take the two-hundred question multiple-choice test and will select one or more of the performance tasks based on their area of technical theatre expertise. See the Word document linked below that describes the scope of the test as well as how schools and students can participate in the pilot process for this important project. A registration sheet is included in the document. The pilot technical theatre test registration deadline is December 18. (Posted 10/21/08) For more information contact:
Paul L. King
Executive Director, Interim Acting
New York City Department of Education
Office of the Arts and Special Projects
52 Chambers Street, Room 210
New York, NY 10007
Direct line: (212) 374-0290 Technical theatre test description and registration form (file size 844 KB)
Dick Deasy’s keynote address “Theatre and the Challenges Facing the American Democracy” was a highlight of the 2008 EdTA Annual Conference held in Chicago. Deasy, the recently retired founding director of the Washington D.C.-based Arts Education Partnership, emphasized the need for educators to work as advocates for their own programs and school districts, using research data to bolster the case for theatre in the curriculum. The PDF version of the PowerPoint presentation that accompanied his remarks is available in two parts: Part 1 (file size is 1.2 MB) and Part 2 (file size is 884 K).
Also available for downloading are the PDF versions of the welcome address given by EdTA President Jerry Smith, Jr. and the State of the Association PowerPoint presentation. (Posted 10/17/08)
Five theatre educators were inducted into the Educational Theatre Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the EdTA Annual Conference in Chicago in September. The new honorees are:
Jonathan Gillespie, artistic director at Warren Consolidated School of Performing Arts in Sterling Heights, Michigan, who rescued several ailing theatre programs during his career. Martha “Marty” Hancock, who spent over thirty years serving the Miami area, mentoring teachers, advising drama certification and textbook adoption at the local and state level, and adjudicating at conferences and festivals. Patricia “Lee” Hitchler, a former EdTA leadership coach and Kansas chapter director. Her school, Olathe East, received the EdTA Outstanding School Award, and she was recently inducted into the Kansas Thespian Hall of Fame. Madelon Horvath, an EdTA leadership coach since 1999. She served as troupe director at Chardon (Ohio) High School for nineteen years and as Ohio chapter director and regional director. Terry McGonigle, who costumed the International Thespian company productions of Ragtime—School Edition and Thoroughly Modern Mille—School Edition. He is the International Thespian Officers liaison and was inducted into both the Kansas and Georgia Thespian Halls of Fame. Eighty-three theatre educators have been inducted into the EdTA Hall of Fame since its inception in 1991. Inductees are nominated by their peers and screened by a board-appointed committee on the basis of professional achievement, education and continuing education, community service, commitment to theatre and theatre education, work with the Educational Theatre Association and the Thespian Society, and letters of recommendation from students and peers. This year’s induction ceremony was held during a Lake Michigan dinner cruise on the excursion boat Mystic Blue. The EdTA Founders’ Award was presented posthumously to William Strauss. A Harvard-educated lawyer, writer, and co-founder of the satirical musical group the Capitol Steps, Strauss was the guiding force behind the Cappies, a program that gave high school students opportunities to attend each other’s shows, review them, and honor exceptional work. Strauss passed away earlier this year after an eight-year battle with pancreatic cancer. The Standing Ovation Award was presented to Bob and Marty Fowler, who founded Interactive Educational Video and developed the multimedia educational series Practical Technical Theater. (Posted 10/13/08)
In the summer of 2007 ten theatre educators from throughout the state of Ohio were chosen to participate in the Ohio Critical Links Project, a two-year program designed to promote localized learning communities of theatre educators. Their first-year reports of the individual teachers can be viewed at www.edta.org/criticallinks.
The project’s goals are based on Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development, an arts education research compendium published in 2002. The seven-step Critical Links Inquiry Process, as explained on the website www.criticallinks.org, is a professional development tool that supports teachers in refining their expertise. Through an inquiry process, sometimes known as “action research,” teachers develop questions pertinent to their classroom practices, gather evidence to answer those questions, and share the results in a “learning community” of their peers. The Educational Theatre Association is co-sponsoring the project, along with Arts Education Partnership. AEP is a national coalition of arts, education, business, philanthropic, and government organizations that demonstrate and promote the essential role of the arts in the learning and development of every child and in the improvement of America’s schools. Additional funding has been provided by the Ohio Arts Council and the University of Cincinnati. The ten theatre educators gathered three times during the 2007–08 school year. The meetings were conducted by Dr. Pamela Paulson and Cheryll Ostrom, the creators of the Critical Links Inquiry Process. During the first meeting, each member of the learning community created a research question that could be applied to their own theatre classroom or rehearsal work. Participants also began to learn how to adapt and facilitate the inquiry process themselves. In the second meeting they met in small groups, offered some evidence of student learning, and refined their individual inquiry questions. In the third meeting they shared their findings with their peers and the facilitators and began discussion on the formation of their own learning community for the 2008–09 school year. In the first meeting of the second year, held in early October, the teachers finalized plans to facilitate their own school district learning communities. Two of the ten will conduct a national Web-based learning community. The deadline for application for that group is November 3. Download the application form. The range of questions posed and data gathered in the learning communities are expected to provide important information on how students learn specific elements of theatre and how these elements impact their general learning skills. The data is also intended to help the teachers who generated it to adapt their pedagogy and align their curriculum to their state’s Academic Content Standards. The ultimate goal of the project, according to James Palmarini, project director and the editor of Teaching Theatre journal, is to create a network of theatre educator learning communities and a Web-based index of best teaching practices, based on the classroom research work of the participating teachers. “Critical Links asserts that the theatre teachers working with students every day are the best judge of what works and what doesn’t in the classroom and on the stage,” he said. “The project assumes that skilled educators can learn research methodology, gather and organize data, and contribute valuable information to the domain of theatre education.” The ten participating first-year teachers and their schools are: Jo Beth Gonzalez, Bowling Green (Ohio) High School
Irene Imboden, Troy (Ohio) High School
Colleen Pence-Sizelove, Butler Tech’s Options Arts Academy, Hamilton, Ohio
Patricia J. Santanello, Dublin (Ohio) Scioto High School
Diana Crawford, Withrow University High School, Cincinnati
Kandace L. Cleland, Canfield Village (Ohio) Middle School
Art Thomas, St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland
Greg Varner, Upper Arlington High School, Columbus
Wendy Duke, Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, Akron
Melissa Montag, Wayne High School, Huber Heights, Ohio For additional information about this project, contact jpalmarini  edta.org. (You will need to type this e-mail address into the e-mail message’s “To” field, as this is not a link.) (Updated 10/16/08)
At the annual membership meeting during the EdTA Annual Conference in Chicago, members passed both proposed changes to the code of regulations: a revision to the language on the number of names presented by the nominating committee to the membership for board officer and director seats, and changes in chapter election procedures.
As a result, the nomination committee will present at least one nomination for each EdTA officer and elected director vacancy on the ballot, which allows it to place multiple names for consideration if more than one candidate meets the selection matrix for nominees prepared by the board. Chapter boards will now be responsible for nominating their respective chapter directors. (For more details on these changes, see the article below, “Changes proposed for chapter director elections.”) The updated version of the code can be downloaded from the link below. (Posted 10/3/08) Amended code of regulations
2008 annual meeting minutes
The Educational Theatre Association held its election for the positions of vice president/president and board director during the 2008 EdTA Annual Conference in Chicago.
Joe Norton, who ran unopposed, is the new vice president-elect, and Ben Martin won the race for the three-year board director seat. Norton is the director of education and outreach at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA). He served the past eight years as an EdTA board director, and is currently board treasurer. He will serve as vice president of the governing board for two years beginning in August 2009, and will begin a two-year term as president in August 2011. “My own theatre education provided me with a passion for art,” Norton said. “Now, I have a passion for the educational process to support our art and I speak to that process every chance that I get. I am honored and humbled to have been elected by the membership. I look forward to continuing my service to EdTA as its next vice president.” Martin is the troupe director of Troupe 6761 at Lee’s Summit West High School, Missouri and served on the Missouri chapter board. He also adjudicates main stage shows for Festival. His term as board director begins August 2009. “I’ve been a Thespian, first as a student and now as a veteran sponsor, since 1971, and I’ve gained so much from my membership in this organization,” said Martin. “I hope to use my voice to help EdTA support the efforts of the thousands of teachers and students who are working every day to create theatre programs that will enrich their schools and communities.” (Posted 10/2/08)
Adults who assist Thespian troupe directors and provide other services that contribute to the success of the theatre program in a Thespian school are now eligible to become affiliate professional members of EdTA at a special reduced rate under a new membership option that’s being rolled out at the EdTA Annual Conference this week.
The affiliate professional membership is designed for troupe co-directors, other faculty members who are involved with the Thespian troupe, administrators, and adult volunteers. The annual membership fee is $50, which is one-third less than the standard professional member fee. The full range of membership benefits applies. EdTA executive director Michael Peitz said the new membership option was created in response to requests from existing members. “We’re pleased to be able to make it a little bit easier for the friends of our Thespian troupes to enjoy the full benefit of EdTA membership,” Peitz said. “The individuals who are eligible to become affiliate professional members are doing important work to support educational theatre, and this is our way of recognizing that.” (Posted 9/25/08) PDF version of the affiliate professional membership application
Membership FAQs page
A coalition of the three major organizations representing American theatre educators, including the Educational Theatre Association, is making policy recommendations designed to protect freedom of expression in educational theatre from elementary school through graduate-level programs.
The joint statement from the Coalition for Theatre Education, which includes the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education in addition to EdTA, says incidents of censorship stifle free expression and stunt the educational process. The document calls on school administrators to recognize that professional theatre educators are the individuals best qualified to make play selection decisions, and to establish policies that discourage prior restraint or censorship. The three organizations represent 7,000 theatre educators in American elementary, middle, and high schools and colleges and universities. The joint statement on freedom of expression is the first product of their coalition, which was formed two years ago to provide a forum for discussing issues of shared concern. The statement defines censorship as “external efforts to draw boundaries defining acceptable content” that are undertaken “without a sound artistic or educational purpose.” It sets forth six standards for free expression in educational theatre, the first of which states that school-based theatre programs should provide “diverse productions, teaching activities, and support materials that examine the spectrum of human experience and present a range of points of view concerning the issues and problems of our times.” Scripts and other educational materials “should be selected for their capacity to inform, educate, enlighten, and engage the interest of the school theatre community.” Separate sections contain a set of recommended policy guidelines for administrators and outline the responsibilities of theatre educators. The coalition said it hopes school principals, district administrators, and college and university officials will use the document to establish policies on play selection that will make incidents of censorship more rare. The complete text of the statement and its appendices can be downloaded from the links below. (Posted 9/16/08) Coalition for Theatre Education statement on freedom of expression
Academic freedom and artistic expression
Miami-Dade County Schools play selection policy Back to top of page |