“June is National Safety Month, so in honor of that, we are listing a few basic areas every single community theatre and high school theatre should prioritize for the safety of their volunteers.”

“I was recently alerted to some controversy happening with a casting decision at a college theatre program, where a faculty member has been pre-cast in a department production alongside students. There are several compelling reasons why this practice should be avoided.”

“Devised works let students have thoughts, ideas, opinions, and creative impulses they might never have been called to stretch.”

“I speak from personal experience when I say there are many different benefits that come with studying theatre, some of which I’ll admit that I didn’t know about myself until I actually went to college.”

“I think about my college years, which could have been spent learning about the subject I loved since I was 8 years old. I could have gone to my college classes excited about it instead of dreading it. I could have looked back on my college years with wistfulness instead of sadness.”

“The handling of the closure has been nothing short of appalling. To give students, staff, and faculty only a week’s notice is not just disrespectful; it is inhumane.”

Colleges “breaking you down to build you back up” are the most ridiculous damn things. It’s cruel, and it benefits no one. Students’ passions are turned into weapons against them. They dread going to acting class. And they’re left with permanent insecurity about their performance quality.

“We are also constantly performing in front of people at our most vulnerable only to receive criticism and then do it all over again. Seriously, what other degrees ask you to reveal your deepest emotions in an 8 am class and then give you a grade on it?”

“This is a plea to theatre professors who have clearly stopped caring about teaching to consider stepping down gracefully, preserving their legacy while ensuring a brighter future for their students.”

“Students at the College of St. Scholastica are refusing to let their beloved theatre program go quietly into the night. Faced with the devastating news of its impending closure due to budget cuts, students have been peacefully protesting in a bid to save a program that has been a cornerstone of the Duluth, MN institution for over 40 years.”

“These degrees teach valuable life lessons that can be used in other careers and realms beyond those of theatre.”

“Going to college for the performing arts can seem all-consuming, but it is not nor should it be treated as such. It is crucial that your training in music, dance, acting, design, etc. be accompanied by a true college experience.”