The John Lennon Peace Wall | Prague 2010

The John Lennon Peace Wall | Prague 2010
John Lennon Peace Wall | Prague 2010 | Photo by Deborah S. Greenhut

About Me

United States
Deborah S. Greenhut, PhD, is a playwright, arts documentarian, and educator who began teaching in a one-room school house in rural New England during 1970. These days you can find me collaborating with urban educators and students, seeking new ways to make education artful. I have consulted on management skills and communication arts in 44 of the United States and 5 provinces in Canada. I believe that people learn more effectively through drama-assisted instruction, and I exploit the Internet to deliver it. The views expressed here are entirely mine and not those of any other institution or organization.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Lessons about Freedom: Box by Fred Shahadi

What do a slave named Box and four modern  stowaways from Haiti have in common? Think out of the box and go Off-Broadway to see the play, Box, no playing at the Midtown Theater at 163 West 46th St., NYC to understand how the imagination feeds our desire for freedom.

Excellent acting by Kevin "Dot Com" Brown of 30 Rock, Lawrence Saint-Victor, Remy on Guiding Light, Brandon Alexander as Box, Ayinde Howell, of the web series, "Status Kill," and Rashad Sensai Edwards, who just wrapped three films and makes his Off-Broadway debut in Box. Produced by Stuart Films, LLC, and Browntown Entertainment Inc., this play is an excellent, filling evening. An excellent reflection on the meaning of freedom.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

How to Talk to Your Kids About Galileo

Sure, science can be confusing. Reducing it to soundbites won't help to clear it up. Want to learn more about the voting down of Galileo? Try these links:

PBS , Wikipedia, The New Yorker.

The Inquisition is over. We need to listen to the scientists. Your teacher serves a purpose.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Ann Coulter says teachers are useless--Was that balanced coverage by Fox News?

Perhaps Fox News and Friends will need to rethink its "balanced coverage" motto if they don't invite a school teacher to rebut Coulter's remarks about kindergarten teachers. See the video. Or perhaps Coulter will volunteer to spend a day managing a kindergarten class according to the rules. Most of us learned in kindergarten that we shouldn't, uh, demonize people just to win an argument.

Give Gretchen her due this morning. She didn't let the malignant remark slide, but it still might be a good idea to check in with a person who does the job.

Even Thomas Jefferson thought an educated citizenry was important.

New Photos for Across the Ages: Audra Carabetta

See stills for a beautiful dance called, "Roots," as performed in Cambridge, Massacusetts last fall by ATAD as choreographed by Audra Carabetta.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Pinkalicious: The Musical--Pink is not just for girls!

You might think that a play that obsesses about pink would be a princess-only event, but you'd be wrong. Vital Children's Theatre gets it right in New York City with the musical production, Pinkalicious,  which argues in bodacious fashion that everyone--including Dads and Brothers--can love the color! This production deserves its (so far) three-year run. Great production values and choreography compliment the stereotype-busting story. Pink is in--Just in time for the start of school at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center on 60th Street in New York City.

Friday, September 2, 2011

Elder Women Stay Strong

Cheers to Diana Nyad and the many women returning to professional challenges after 50--
A website for the prime of your life: BravaBody !

Whatever Happened to Positive Images for Girls?

Well, at least the "I'm too Pretty T-shirt" is coming off the racks at J.C. Penney, but--CLICK!--it's more than a little troubling that the retailers' buyers did not figure this out until people complained:
For those of you who think it's too supid to focus on these incidents, please do your homework. The long-term consequences of ignoring the women's movement for equity have cost us a presidential candidate and equal pay. Women need to collaborate more and keep doing their homework--Intergenerate!--We need to watch what's happening to the generations that follow and do something about it.

Don't be part of the backlash that discourages women from going to school. Did you miss the Gloria Steinem bio, In Her Own Words, on HBO? Do we all need to become bunnies again to get the point?