Drama Cutbacks Result in Student Protest at Everett High School

Everett High School has presented a lesbian character contemplating suicide, a male student dropping his pants, and a female student speaking the word "sex" as part of its Theater Productions. But Drama classes have been "eliminated for the next school year, and the school's drama teacher has been reassigned to teach eighth-grade science," according to the Boston Globe.

Frederick Foresteire, school superintendent, stated that these plays "bothered a lot of us" and "had references to sex and drinking." However, Drama students at the school say that their productions "teach you how to cope." In response to the Drama cuts, students have collected 228 signatures on a petition "seeking to restore the courses and save other art electives from possible elimination." On June 26th, 20 students, including some not enrolled in drama, presented Foresteire with their petition.

Foresteire claims that as enrollment grows, the school "can no longer afford to offer" classes like drama. 550 freshmen could enter Everett High in the fall, and enough sections of English, math, and science must be available. Foresteire, who has been superintendent for 25 years, said, "With so many youngsters, we have to make sure we have enough teachers and appropriate class sizes."

The decision to cut drama "comes as Everett's star has been rising on the high school drama circuit." Michael McGarty, executive director of the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild, said that Everett has "gotten better and better each year," and that you "really can't focus on the necessary skills in any depth" in an hour long after school club. Foresteire said that he is "impressed with the students' arguments to restore drama classes," and left a possibility for an acting class to be added when the school had a "better handle on enrollment figures."

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