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This book covers a wide range of topics, as the subtitle suggests: history, economics, education, biography. The focus is Lou Volpe, drama teacher of almost 4 decades, who has earned a reputation for creating excellent productions in an otherwise average, if not underachieving, high school. Sokolove interviews current and past students, Volpe's family, school officials, and many others, building an overall picture of how Truman High School's drama program has developed. He follows two particular years and productions closely, from the audition process to final performance.
It's an interesting subject, and I probably would have given it more stars except that Sokolove is also a former student of Volpe's, and inserts himself far too much into the story. Sokolove was clearly very inspired by Lou Volpe in high school, (which is great, everyone should have an inspiring teacher) but....it's very gushy. Minus that aspect, I enjoyed Sokolove's writing, and would be interested in reading something more objective from him.
It's an interesting subject, and I probably would have given it more stars except that Sokolove is also a former student of Volpe's, and inserts himself far too much into the story. Sokolove was clearly very inspired by Lou Volpe in high school, (which is great, everyone should have an inspiring teacher) but....it's very gushy. Minus that aspect, I enjoyed Sokolove's writing, and would be interested in reading something more objective from him.
Interesting Book
Wish I could have the impact of Lou Ville on my students. Enjoyed learning about the teacher, but I disliked the language.
Wish I could have the impact of Lou Ville on my students. Enjoyed learning about the teacher, but I disliked the language.
I am a drama geek. A theatre kid. My mother and I speak in a kind of code made up of references to classic films and musicals. I am such a theatre nerd that it bugged me when Michael Sokolove used the term "soundtrack" when he should have used "cast recording." So this book is right in my wheelhouse.
This book is a wonderful argument for why arts in schools is so important; why art itself is important. Through the arts, we learn about the human condition. Through the arts, we learn to relate to one another on a deeper level. What makes this school theatre program different from others is that everyone is encouraged to participate. At a typical school, the drama kids are the misfits. Theatre is accepting of everyone, and it's also a place where you can portray different personas, so it's a natural place for kids who aren't sure where they fit in to find themselves. The difference here is that at Truman, because of the reputation Lou Volpe has built, the theater kids are also the jocks and cool, popular kids. The significance of this is repeated throughout the book.
What really stood out to me about the program Lou Volpe built is its ability to open the minds of not just the students, but of the community. When I was doing theatre, one of our biggest hurdles was being able to take risks in the material we performed. During one production of A Chorus Line, a patron angrily stormed out because he took offense to the lyrics of one of the songs. We were always worried about choosing a show that would sell more than we were about the challenge or artistic value a piece would offer. We live in a conservative community. But at Truman, Lou Volpe pushes the envelope to astounding success. When one student's father worries about his son playing a gay character, he still comes to the show and is moved by his son's performance. I realize the stakes aren't quite as high for Volpe in that his program is subsidized by the school district and does not rely solely on ticket sales and donations to thrive, but in some ways, the risks are actually greater. Exploring those risks and how Volpe responds to them was my favorite part about this book.
I can't wait to watch the TV show. I hope it isn't Glee-cheesy.
This book is a wonderful argument for why arts in schools is so important; why art itself is important. Through the arts, we learn about the human condition. Through the arts, we learn to relate to one another on a deeper level. What makes this school theatre program different from others is that everyone is encouraged to participate. At a typical school, the drama kids are the misfits. Theatre is accepting of everyone, and it's also a place where you can portray different personas, so it's a natural place for kids who aren't sure where they fit in to find themselves. The difference here is that at Truman, because of the reputation Lou Volpe has built, the theater kids are also the jocks and cool, popular kids. The significance of this is repeated throughout the book.
“At other schools, it’s kind of the misfit kids who do theater,” Courtney Meyer says. “Some of them are strange, and personally, I love strange. I really do. But most of us in Truman theater are—I don’t know what the word for it is—normal, I guess.” Bobby Ryan amplifies her point: “We’re not typical theater kids, and we don’t want to be typical theater kids.”
***
“If you’re in the theater program, you’re changed,” she continues. “You accept. You are exposed to people and ideas that, if you were a close-minded or bigoted person, you can’t be anymore. You change without knowing it or even thinking about it necessarily.
***
"Zach Philippi believes the spirit of the theater program extends into the rest of the school. “I think it sets the tone. Maybe there’s some cases where people get bullied at Truman, but I honestly don’t see it. It’s not considered cool, and people don’t put up with it. To me, it starts with theater. It’s open to everybody. Gay, straight, out, not out. I’ve only gone to one high school, so maybe it’s that way everywhere, but that’s not what I hear.”
What really stood out to me about the program Lou Volpe built is its ability to open the minds of not just the students, but of the community. When I was doing theatre, one of our biggest hurdles was being able to take risks in the material we performed. During one production of A Chorus Line, a patron angrily stormed out because he took offense to the lyrics of one of the songs. We were always worried about choosing a show that would sell more than we were about the challenge or artistic value a piece would offer. We live in a conservative community. But at Truman, Lou Volpe pushes the envelope to astounding success. When one student's father worries about his son playing a gay character, he still comes to the show and is moved by his son's performance. I realize the stakes aren't quite as high for Volpe in that his program is subsidized by the school district and does not rely solely on ticket sales and donations to thrive, but in some ways, the risks are actually greater. Exploring those risks and how Volpe responds to them was my favorite part about this book.
I can't wait to watch the TV show. I hope it isn't Glee-cheesy.
The story was inspiring! I wasn't a huge fan of the writing though. I don't think I'm cut out for this particular kind of non fiction writing.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
When this book was chosen for my Book Club, I was worried more than anything. Non-fiction is not my thing. I find it dull and exhausting. This book is 352 pages. I was horrified that a non-fiction could be that long. However, I'm glad I gave this book a chance. What a gripping piece. So beautifully written that it's sometimes hard to remember this is non-fiction. That these events have actually taken place.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It truly tells a story of a theatre teacher and the way his four decades have changed a school and a town. It seamlessly moves through two years of Lou Volpe's last years teaching and explains the importance of the arts in schools without coming off as exhausting.
If I could just add my favourite quote; "Any system that constricts teachers--holds them to small-bore metrics, punishes them for forces outside their control, discourages their creativity and spontaneity, chips away at their humanity--is a bad system. I don't think Volpe is exactly replicable. But a teacher like him is definitely preventable." And how inspiring is that one quote on the educational system in America?
Superb. Five stars and nothing less (probably just like a Truman Drama under Volpe's direction).
I cannot recommend this book enough. It truly tells a story of a theatre teacher and the way his four decades have changed a school and a town. It seamlessly moves through two years of Lou Volpe's last years teaching and explains the importance of the arts in schools without coming off as exhausting.
If I could just add my favourite quote; "Any system that constricts teachers--holds them to small-bore metrics, punishes them for forces outside their control, discourages their creativity and spontaneity, chips away at their humanity--is a bad system. I don't think Volpe is exactly replicable. But a teacher like him is definitely preventable." And how inspiring is that one quote on the educational system in America?
Superb. Five stars and nothing less (probably just like a Truman Drama under Volpe's direction).
3.75/5 stars.
This book tells an incredible story of an amazing teacher. However, the book jumps around in the story in a manner that I couldn't always follow and the backgrounds of seemingly random people are delved into at random times with no true explanation.
This book tells an incredible story of an amazing teacher. However, the book jumps around in the story in a manner that I couldn't always follow and the backgrounds of seemingly random people are delved into at random times with no true explanation.
RECOMMENDED
I borrowed this book years ago when I first heard about it on NPR, but I never got around to it. Then, I saw that the new NBC show, Rise, was based on this teacher and drama program, so I went and got the book out of the library again, and whoa. I should have read it that first time! It's so well-written and goes way beyond what could have been a saccharine, nostalgic account of a successful theater program. The book talks about the town of Levittown, digging into class, race, and priorities in education. Of course, it's amazing to read about the challenging and boundary-pushing shows that these teenagers put on, but it means a lot more within the context of the town itself. I'm prepared for the Rise series to be a hyperdramatic adaptation, but I am basically here for all things cheesy, so that's okay with me. I'm really glad I read this book before and can appreciate the true story of this public school program.
---
Stephen Sondheim once said, "It never occurs to me to write a song just for the pleasure of writing a song. It has to be an assignment." The Truman actors embrace a similarly resolute approach. At drama festivals, they decline all invitations to play theater games at the lunch table. What they do is eat lunch. Truman Drama is a workplace. You throw off your troubles as best you can, square your shoulders, and reach within. (73)
"When you act, it's like you have so many more ways of seeing, and more parts of you are alive than in real life." (78, student Courtney Meyer)
At a scholarship audition, I watch as [student] Bobby Ryan is asked to talk about the breadth of his community service. He looks genuinely bewildered by the concept. [...] "I'm sorry," he finally says, "I'm not really sure how to answer. I go to school and I do theater and I have a job." (167)
...for all the rich wages earned and the middle-class lives built, any claim that Levittown had to being some kind of utopia was discredited by its glaring defect: a persistent racism. The condition was congenital, present from the moment of conception. And the racism was not benign; it was virulent. [...] When questioned on the policy [of not selling homes to black families], William Levitt weakly insisted that he would love to sell houses to black families, but had "come to know that if we sell one house to a Negro family, then ninety to ninety-five percent of our white customers will not buy into the community. That is their attitude, not ours." (174)
"If you're in the theater program, you're changed," she [Courtney Meyer] continued. "You accept. You are exposed to people and ideas that, if you were a close-minded or bigoted person, you can't be anymore. You change without knowing it or even thinking about it necessarily." (232)
The older [Music Theatre International CEO and co-owner Freddie] Gershon gets, the more attached he is to the scholastic part of MTI. It is both a business for him and a kind of mission. "It means everything to me. Look what's happening in the other parts of their lives. These kids, they text each other. They don't know how to read faces. They don't have antennae. Theater gives them what a computer takes away, what no classroom teacher can teach. They learn to work with other people. They learn patience and tolerance and how to be deferential to each other. They learn to be good citizens. It's unifying. It has an impact on kids that can't be quantified. Educators don't know how to measure it." (240)
I borrowed this book years ago when I first heard about it on NPR, but I never got around to it. Then, I saw that the new NBC show, Rise, was based on this teacher and drama program, so I went and got the book out of the library again, and whoa. I should have read it that first time! It's so well-written and goes way beyond what could have been a saccharine, nostalgic account of a successful theater program. The book talks about the town of Levittown, digging into class, race, and priorities in education. Of course, it's amazing to read about the challenging and boundary-pushing shows that these teenagers put on, but it means a lot more within the context of the town itself. I'm prepared for the Rise series to be a hyperdramatic adaptation, but I am basically here for all things cheesy, so that's okay with me. I'm really glad I read this book before and can appreciate the true story of this public school program.
---
Stephen Sondheim once said, "It never occurs to me to write a song just for the pleasure of writing a song. It has to be an assignment." The Truman actors embrace a similarly resolute approach. At drama festivals, they decline all invitations to play theater games at the lunch table. What they do is eat lunch. Truman Drama is a workplace. You throw off your troubles as best you can, square your shoulders, and reach within. (73)
"When you act, it's like you have so many more ways of seeing, and more parts of you are alive than in real life." (78, student Courtney Meyer)
At a scholarship audition, I watch as [student] Bobby Ryan is asked to talk about the breadth of his community service. He looks genuinely bewildered by the concept. [...] "I'm sorry," he finally says, "I'm not really sure how to answer. I go to school and I do theater and I have a job." (167)
...for all the rich wages earned and the middle-class lives built, any claim that Levittown had to being some kind of utopia was discredited by its glaring defect: a persistent racism. The condition was congenital, present from the moment of conception. And the racism was not benign; it was virulent. [...] When questioned on the policy [of not selling homes to black families], William Levitt weakly insisted that he would love to sell houses to black families, but had "come to know that if we sell one house to a Negro family, then ninety to ninety-five percent of our white customers will not buy into the community. That is their attitude, not ours." (174)
"If you're in the theater program, you're changed," she [Courtney Meyer] continued. "You accept. You are exposed to people and ideas that, if you were a close-minded or bigoted person, you can't be anymore. You change without knowing it or even thinking about it necessarily." (232)
The older [Music Theatre International CEO and co-owner Freddie] Gershon gets, the more attached he is to the scholastic part of MTI. It is both a business for him and a kind of mission. "It means everything to me. Look what's happening in the other parts of their lives. These kids, they text each other. They don't know how to read faces. They don't have antennae. Theater gives them what a computer takes away, what no classroom teacher can teach. They learn to work with other people. They learn patience and tolerance and how to be deferential to each other. They learn to be good citizens. It's unifying. It has an impact on kids that can't be quantified. Educators don't know how to measure it." (240)
A fantastic read about an amazing high school theatre director, Lou Volpe, and his stellar drama program at Truman High School in Levittown, PA that piloted the first school productions of Les Mis, Rent, and Spring Awakening for MTI (Music Theatre International). Lou and Truman Drama were also the basis for the one-season NBC show Rise this past year.
Any theatre lover, especially those who have been lucky enough to have a teacher similar to Lou, will completely resonate with the passion, devotion, and love that Lou and his students have for each other and the work that they put on stage. They are not a theatre program with a huge budget, but their work is challenging, fearless, and moving, and it receives the proper attention it deserves.
A couple sections that explained the history of the town, the diminishing of arts education, and other things not directly about Lou and his theatre students, while well-researched, made the book drag and lose focus at times, which made this a 4 star, rather than 5 star read.
As someone who majored in theatre and is a performer at heart, though it is not my current career, this book made me miss acting so incredibly much and want to get back on stage ASAP.
Any theatre lover, especially those who have been lucky enough to have a teacher similar to Lou, will completely resonate with the passion, devotion, and love that Lou and his students have for each other and the work that they put on stage. They are not a theatre program with a huge budget, but their work is challenging, fearless, and moving, and it receives the proper attention it deserves.
A couple sections that explained the history of the town, the diminishing of arts education, and other things not directly about Lou and his theatre students, while well-researched, made the book drag and lose focus at times, which made this a 4 star, rather than 5 star read.
As someone who majored in theatre and is a performer at heart, though it is not my current career, this book made me miss acting so incredibly much and want to get back on stage ASAP.
What can I say about this book? As a current teacher, and a theater director who just retired after 18 years of directing and almost 50 shows, a colleague of mine gave it to me and said I was Oxford, Ohio's version of Lou. I had never seen or heard of Rise (I don't really watch TV...) until she told me about it. So she got me the inspiration for the show as a retirement gift of sorts.
Reading it now, it might have been too soon. Lou appears to have done everything teachers strive to do: to make a difference in their students' lives. To have a co-worker think that I do that means the world to me. I only hope I have the same effect on my students as he had on his.
But enough about me. This book is more about teaching in a tough community than it is about theatre. Sure, he was remarkable in that realm. And certainly more willing than I to take risks. But what strikes most is his undying commitment, trust, and expectations of high school students, a population underestimated and often unloved.
Sokolove's writing is engaging and reflective. I appreciate his weaving Lou's story with his own. It highlights a key component to a teacher's life: You never know whose life you may touch, and in what way. To me, it is more powerful that this story is told by someone NOT in the program. Of course he touched the lives if students in his program; he also touched the lives of those on the periphery.
Uplifting read as I head into summer to recharge.
Reading it now, it might have been too soon. Lou appears to have done everything teachers strive to do: to make a difference in their students' lives. To have a co-worker think that I do that means the world to me. I only hope I have the same effect on my students as he had on his.
But enough about me. This book is more about teaching in a tough community than it is about theatre. Sure, he was remarkable in that realm. And certainly more willing than I to take risks. But what strikes most is his undying commitment, trust, and expectations of high school students, a population underestimated and often unloved.
Sokolove's writing is engaging and reflective. I appreciate his weaving Lou's story with his own. It highlights a key component to a teacher's life: You never know whose life you may touch, and in what way. To me, it is more powerful that this story is told by someone NOT in the program. Of course he touched the lives if students in his program; he also touched the lives of those on the periphery.
Uplifting read as I head into summer to recharge.