Connecticut High School Bans Student Play on Iraq War

Two weeks ago, audience members packed into an off-Broadway theater here in New York to watch the curtain go up on an unusual production - a high school play about war. The play, called “Voices in Conflict,” was performed by students from Wilton High School in Connecticut. The reason they were performing it on a New York stage instead of the school auditorium? Their high school principal had banned it.

It all started when Wilton High School drama teacher Bonnie Dickinson and her students developed the idea of a play about Iraq. The play uses real testimonials from soldiers, from their letters, blogs and taped interviews, and Yvonne Latty’s book “In Conflict.” Superintendent Gary Richards wrote: “The student performers directly acting the part of the soldiers ... turns powerful material into a dramatic format that borders on being sensational and inappropriate. We would like to work with the students to complete a script that fully addresses our concerns.” The students did change the script, they incorporated his quote in the play.

* Bonnie Dickinson. Has taught theater at Wilton High School in Connecticut for 13 years. She is the director of the play “Voices in Conflict.”

* Jimmy Presson. Wilton High School student. He played Iraq war veteran Charlie Anderson in the play “Voices in Conflict.”

* Courtney Stack. Wilton High School student and choreographer of “Voices in Conflict.”

* Charlie Anderson. Member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. He served in Iraq from March to May of 2003.

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/20/153202