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Defending Your Shows

Includes a Live Web Event on 06/28/2023 at 4:30 PM (EDT)

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In an increasingly fraught time regarding what is taught and presented in school settings, school shows can be prohibited in advance or canceled with plans and even rehearsals underway. This session will explore the range of opposition that can arise, sometimes from the unlikeliest places and on the unlikeliest titles, and discuss how teachers can – and sometimes can’t – fight for work they believe has value for their students and the school as a whole. The workshop will explore both specific case studies and the larger issues at stake, including free speech, copyright, censorship and the value of plays and musicals in the secondary school experience, as well as how to prepare in advance to prevent the risk and brinksmanship that can occur while prioritizing theatre educational experience.

Howard Sherman

Howard Sherman has emerged over the past decade as one of the leading defenders of high school shows that are challenged over content concerns and face censorship and cancellation. He was recognized as one of the Top 40 Free Speech Defenders in 2014 by the National Coalition Against Censorship and received the “Defender” award from the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund in 2015. He is frequently a resource for teachers, parents and students, as well as media outlets exploring the issue of theatrical censorship. Sherman is the managing director of the Baruch Performing Arts Center in Manhattan and has previously been executive director of the American Theatre Wing and the O’Neill Theater Center, managing director of Geva Theater, general manager of Goodspeed Musicals and public relations director of Hartford Stage. Since 2012, he has been the US columnist for The Stage newspaper in London and his freelance writing includes pieces for The Guardian, American Theater magazine, Encore Monthly and Theatermania. His book “Another Day’s Begun: Our Town in the 21st Century” was published in 2021.

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Defending Your Shows - Webinar
06/28/2023 at 4:30 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes
06/28/2023 at 4:30 PM (EDT)  |  60 minutes In an increasingly fraught time regarding what is taught and presented in school settings, school shows can be prohibited in advance or canceled with plans and even rehearsals underway. This session will explore the range of opposition that can arise, sometimes from the unlikeliest places and on the unlikeliest titles, and discuss how teachers can – and sometimes can’t – fight for work they believe has value for their students and the school as a whole. The workshop will explore both specific case studies and the larger issues at stake, including free speech, copyright, censorship and the value of plays and musicals in the secondary school experience, as well as how to prepare in advance to prevent the risk and brinksmanship that can occur while prioritizing theatre educational experience.
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Defending Your Shows - Certificate
Live and Archive Viewing: 1.00 Contact Hours contact hour and certificate available
Live and Archive Viewing: 1.00 Contact Hours contact hour and certificate available Follow the directions to create, download and print your certificate of completion. Check your dashboard at any time to view copies of your completed certificates. Many school districts accept professional learning webinars and courses created by the Educational Theatre Association for continuing education units or other professional development credit. Please check with your administrator.
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