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Dead White Males: A Year in the Trenches of Teaching

Presented by Sustainable Theatre Project at The Hideout Theatre

August 19-September 11, 2010

Avg. Event Rating (4.3 Stars):
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Janet is a new teacher at Thomas Paine Elementary. She is certified to teach art, though at Thomas Paine, she teaches history. Today is the day she will be given her first evaluation. Evaluating her classroom is Dr. Ozy Mandias, Principal Petlogg and Master Teacher Burns, three administrators determined to undermine the educational setting with semantic educational theory and bumbling attempts at politically correct rhetoric. If this day marks the first test of Janet's ability as a teacher, this school year will test her passion to be one. Janet is assigned a mentor named Doris. Doris has been a teacher of science for some time, despite her certification to teach history. Ms. Woods is another teacher at Thomas Paine Elementary, certified to teach science, yet currently teaching art. The three women, all in different stages of their careers, struggle to keep order in the classroom, composure in administration meetings and ultimately, struggle to keep their jobs. Janet must decide with whom she is allied: The Administration or her fellow teachers. Amidst this turbulent backdrop, how can one young, albeit passionate teacher have any energy left to accomplish her main purpose: teach our children?

• At-a-
  Glance

  • Venue Info

    The Hideout Theatre

    617 Congress Avenue
    Austin, TX 78701

    Full map and directions

  • Admission Info

    Tickets:

    $10-$20

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  • Dates & Times

    Dates:
    August 19-September 11, 2010

    Times:
    

    August 19th through September 11th
    Thursday through Saturday  8PM

    No shows labor day weekend
    Sunday August 29th Sunday Matinee 5PM

    Special Dates

    Thursday August 26h we are offering signers and audio description for all seeing and hearing impaired.

    Friday August 27th we are offering discounted rates for all teachers that want to see the show.

    Friday September 10th we are fortunate to be joined by Dead White Males playwright William Missouri Downs for a talk back after that evening's show. 

  • Accessibility Info

    

    Audio transcription for our Aug. 26th performance

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  • Member Reviews

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    • Event Name: Dead White Males: A Year in the Trenches of Teaching
      "Becareful not to fall into a trap."
      Review posted by: Goldilocks from Texas, Aug 23, 2010
      

      The play? Superb. Fast, witty, smart, and well rehearsed. The cast? Consummate professionals. Each actor fully immersed in the character. The message? Part 1. Teachers must have thick skin, tough... Expand

      The play? Superb. Fast, witty, smart, and well rehearsed. The cast? Consummate professionals. Each actor fully immersed in the character. The message? Part 1. Teachers must have thick skin, tough hearts, tender hearts, and unflappable patients. This is to deal with the parents and administrators alone. Teachers deserve more then they get. Reward them! Part 2. This bashing of the so called right-wing is overkill. Did you know a teenage girl can go to the nurse, ask to be taken for an abortion, and the school has NO obligation to tell the parent? This same teenage girl brings Tylenol to school for a headache and she gets suspended because of some zero-tolerance rule. Any attempt of the right to infuse some of its beliefs and philosophies is only a counteraction to the slide we have taken to the left. Why can't we all just get along? The far right is and can be unbearably narrow minded, while the far left constructs an atmosphere of self indulgent “if it feels good – do it”. We all have to admit that there is a place in the middle that is ‘just right”. Goldilocks. Collapse

    • Event Name: Dead White Males: A Year in the Trenches of Teaching
      "Truth about Teaching"
      Review posted by: Reba Saxon from Austin, TX USA, Aug 22, 2010
      

      The production was tight, energy-driven, cast perfectly. I don’t think I’m being a spoiler to tell you a true story about teaching in public schools today can’t end very well. Teachers... Expand

      The production was tight, energy-driven, cast perfectly. I don’t think I’m being a spoiler to tell you a true story about teaching in public schools today can’t end very well. Teachers straining to remain in love with teaching, buckling under pressure to teach history and science lessons chosen by right- wing fundamentalists, hyper-evaluated by administrators and school board members—all ready to throw the first stone since they are safe. As a former teacher, I can testify: there was nothing made up about this play. See it + send a link about it to all the teachers you know. Special date September 10, the final production, when the playwright William Missouri Downs will be visiting and host a ‘talk-back’ after. Special acting shoutout for Molly Fonseca and Dennis Kelleher Bailey, and director Derek Kolluri for great pacing and staging/design. Full review: rebablog.com Collapse

    • Event Name: Dead White Males: A Year in the Trenches of Teaching
      "Well done, STP!!"
      Review posted by: Anonymous from Austin, TX, Aug 20, 2010
      

      This is a shrewd dark comedy blessed with a strong cast, precise direction, & an inventive set. The script is fantastic--humorous, disturbing, enlightening, engrossing. The cast embraced the... Expand

      This is a shrewd dark comedy blessed with a strong cast, precise direction, & an inventive set. The script is fantastic--humorous, disturbing, enlightening, engrossing. The cast embraced the characters, which were slightly larger than life while still resembling teachers/admins we may have personally known. The set was well-crafted (those chairs-turned-desks were amazing), and the small space was used very effectively. The pace of the show was rapid, which was great, save for a few moments in the beginning when we're trying to get our bearings and the words are flying. I saw the show on opening night, and there were a few minor technical glitches, which will get worked out. They simply stood out because the rest of the show was tight. The direction was great--it's hard to get actors on the same level of "caricature v. believability" for a comedy like this, & it was accomplished here. Regardless of whether or not you're interested in education, it truly is a show you'll enjoy. Collapse

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• Member
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  • Member Reviews

    Add review/comment

    • Event Name: Dead White Males: A Year in the Trenches of Teaching
      "Becareful not to fall into a trap."
      Review posted by: Goldilocks from Texas, Aug 23, 2010
      

      The play? Superb. Fast, witty, smart, and well rehearsed. The cast? Consummate professionals. Each actor fully immersed in the character. The message? Part 1. Teachers must have thick skin, tough... Expand

      The play? Superb. Fast, witty, smart, and well rehearsed. The cast? Consummate professionals. Each actor fully immersed in the character. The message? Part 1. Teachers must have thick skin, tough hearts, tender hearts, and unflappable patients. This is to deal with the parents and administrators alone. Teachers deserve more then they get. Reward them! Part 2. This bashing of the so called right-wing is overkill. Did you know a teenage girl can go to the nurse, ask to be taken for an abortion, and the school has NO obligation to tell the parent? This same teenage girl brings Tylenol to school for a headache and she gets suspended because of some zero-tolerance rule. Any attempt of the right to infuse some of its beliefs and philosophies is only a counteraction to the slide we have taken to the left. Why can't we all just get along? The far right is and can be unbearably narrow minded, while the far left constructs an atmosphere of self indulgent “if it feels good – do it”. We all have to admit that there is a place in the middle that is ‘just right”. Goldilocks. Collapse

    • Event Name: Dead White Males: A Year in the Trenches of Teaching
      "Truth about Teaching"
      Review posted by: Reba Saxon from Austin, TX USA, Aug 22, 2010
      

      The production was tight, energy-driven, cast perfectly. I don’t think I’m being a spoiler to tell you a true story about teaching in public schools today can’t end very well. Teachers... Expand

      The production was tight, energy-driven, cast perfectly. I don’t think I’m being a spoiler to tell you a true story about teaching in public schools today can’t end very well. Teachers straining to remain in love with teaching, buckling under pressure to teach history and science lessons chosen by right- wing fundamentalists, hyper-evaluated by administrators and school board members—all ready to throw the first stone since they are safe. As a former teacher, I can testify: there was nothing made up about this play. See it + send a link about it to all the teachers you know. Special date September 10, the final production, when the playwright William Missouri Downs will be visiting and host a ‘talk-back’ after. Special acting shoutout for Molly Fonseca and Dennis Kelleher Bailey, and director Derek Kolluri for great pacing and staging/design. Full review: rebablog.com Collapse

    • Event Name: Dead White Males: A Year in the Trenches of Teaching
      "Well done, STP!!"
      Review posted by: Anonymous from Austin, TX, Aug 20, 2010
      

      This is a shrewd dark comedy blessed with a strong cast, precise direction, & an inventive set. The script is fantastic--humorous, disturbing, enlightening, engrossing. The cast embraced the... Expand

      This is a shrewd dark comedy blessed with a strong cast, precise direction, & an inventive set. The script is fantastic--humorous, disturbing, enlightening, engrossing. The cast embraced the characters, which were slightly larger than life while still resembling teachers/admins we may have personally known. The set was well-crafted (those chairs-turned-desks were amazing), and the small space was used very effectively. The pace of the show was rapid, which was great, save for a few moments in the beginning when we're trying to get our bearings and the words are flying. I saw the show on opening night, and there were a few minor technical glitches, which will get worked out. They simply stood out because the rest of the show was tight. The direction was great--it's hard to get actors on the same level of "caricature v. believability" for a comedy like this, & it was accomplished here. Regardless of whether or not you're interested in education, it truly is a show you'll enjoy. Collapse

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