I recently became aware that my high school is thinking about cutting their Theatre Arts program. I wrote them the following letter. If the arts mean anything to you, maybe you could share your experiences with them? Here's the link to their emails:
Ironic motto there, eh?
Members of the Board,
I'll try not to make this too long. I know you're all busy people and I thank you in advance for taking the time to read this.
A lot of my former classmates are buzzing about a rumor that the theatre arts society is potentially being cut. If you'll forgive my bluntness here: I am appalled, for reasons I'll try to explain.
I'll start off by saying that since graduating Paul Blazer in 2007, I went on to study theatre for four years at Morehead State University. I'm currently a working actor in Los Angeles where in only one year I've been in commercials, television, the stage, and music videos. (You can check out www.nathan-wellman.com to see more specific examples.) My love of theater also led to my passion for writing, and i've had short stories published in eighteen different publications, plays performed all over the country, a novel published by Amazon, and screenplays produced by respected people in the industry. I cannot overemphasize how different my life would be if I hadn't been a student of Jane Modlin's theatre classes. I honestly can't even picture what it might look like.
Perhaps even more importantly, I came to Theatre 1 as a shy Freshman who didn't have any friends in basically the whole school. Being given a venue to consistently perform over those four years gave me confidence in myself at a stage in life where, let's face it, confidence is usually in short supply. I've seen it happen in those classes time and time again. Quiet kids who would rather fade into the background are forced to be looked at and acknowledged on the stage, and even though this concept usually terrifies them at first, over time they realize that they do have something to express.
The importance of this program is critical. Not even taking into account the many people I know who've graduated from Paul Blazer and gone on to pursue acting professionally, theatre gives kids the confidence to believe that they have something to say in a world where sometimes it feels like nobody's listening. It breaks kids out of their own shells and gives them the courage to succeed. I wouldn't trade my time at the Blazer Theatre Arts Society for the world, and I beg you not to take that opportunity away from future generations.
Sincerely,
Nathan Wellman BA in Theater, MFA in Creative Writing
SAG-AFTRA Eligible
PS: Thanks for all the snow days.
HI, my name is Bob Rusch and I am friends with Nathan and also the artistic director of SkyPilot Theatre Company in LA (www.SkyPilotTheatre.com) which Nathan is also a member. I am also a professional actor, currently recurring on the show SONS OF ANARCHY. I wholeheartedly agree with everything Nathan has so eloquently written (you taught him well I might add) and say that without my High School theatre program, I have no idea what I would be doing with my life. Just like athletes or scholars, artists sometimes need to be pointed in the right direction to achieve their full potential, and without a theatre program to do this, you might be preventing the rest of us from enjoying the works of the next Robert Deniro, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg or Nathan Wellman. I pray that you reconsider. Thanks for your time :-)
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Bob Rusch
www.nowcasting.com/bobrusch