Are you ready for the Freddys?

Emmaus , Freedom and Parkland high schools Thursday topped the list of nominees for the Freddy Awards, with each getting 16 nominations for its musical theater productions.

[New York Actor]

Good opportunity for the kids. But looks like the same schools seem to be nominated all the time. What is the process on judging the performance? What credentials do they have?

[Freddy]

No, I'm not ready.

[drama queen]

Who does judge the performances? Is it necessary to make this a competition?

Parkland's Les Mis was wonderful but I bet the other shows were equally good to parents of those thespians too.

[advntregrrl]

In general, I think it is good for the kids who are involved.
On a side note, it is funny how Ed Hanna of WFMZ is so besides himself during Freddy 'season'. Even Jacier busted on him this morning's news and Ed is not even on in the morning.
Good luck to the nominees!

[Roadkill]

Can anyone tell me why they call this the "Freddy" awards? Thanks.

[Christina]

I think freddy is the ghost of the State Theatre.

[RideEmCowboy]

I hope the State Theatre has seen the error in their ways, and finally cleaned up the Freddys for this year.

Schools who take the work of parents or worse, hired professionals, and then represent that work as being by students, need to be disqualified.

It amounts to plagiarism, and we have high school principals not only supporting plagiarism, but they, themselves, are an active participant in the plagiarism.

This is why the same high schools keep making it to the top of the list. Whereas, schools that actually have plays/productions entirely done by their students, just can't complete, and never make the list.

[RideEmCowboy]

drama queen wrote:

Parkland's Les Mis was wonderful but I bet the other shows were equally good to parents of those thespians too.

Parkland is amongst the worse offenders.

Parkland will hire a professional wardrobe company to supply the costumes for their plays.

Nothing really wrong with that. Parkland has the surplus tax payer money to afford it.

However, when it comes to the Freddys competition, Parkland represents the costumes as being student made. Therefore, the play qualifies to complete for a Freddy.

That is where things go wrong; very wrong.

Shame on Parkland. Shame on the State Theatre. Shame on all the others too.

[Informed]

RideEmCowboy wrote:

<quoted text>
Parkland is amongst the worse offenders.
Parkland will hire a professional wardrobe company to supply the costumes for their plays.
Nothing really wrong with that. Parkland has the surplus tax payer money to afford it.
However, when it comes to the Freddys competition, Parkland represents the costumes as being student made. Therefore, the play qualifies to complete for a Freddy.
That is where things go wrong; very wrong.
Shame on Parkland. Shame on the State Theatre. Shame on all the others too.

Nice theory but false. No tax money pays for the Parkland theater program. It is entireley self supported. Obviously the District supplies the facilities and the faculty but the program pays for the materials for costumes, sets, production rights etc. from the sale of tickets, fundraisers, ads in the program.

Parkland handles costumes and sets no differently than any other school. Students and parent volunteers make what the can and rent what they can't.

Last year Whitehall won for best costumes when they rented most of them. They honestly acknowledged this. For that I give them credit. This is a State Theater issue - not a problem with the schools. The schools just try to put on the best show they can. The State Theater turned this into a competition.

[Hornet Pride]

Prediction: Emmaus will win best production. Their show was excellent but more importantly, itis their turn in the politically correct world of State Theater judging.

[RideEmCowboy]

Informed wrote:

Parkland handles costumes and sets no differently than any other school. Students and parent volunteers make what the can and rent what they can't.

Thanks for proving and supporting my point.

Again, the problem is when they rent costumes, and then turn around and claim they were student made.

That's plagiarism.

Claiming someone else's work, as your own.

The Parkland Principal had the duty to withdraw Parkland's participation in the Freddy Awards, and the Parkland Principal failed, totally, in exercising his duty.

And just because other schools cheat too (as you pointed out Whitehall is amongst them), and commit willful plagiarism, does NOT make it right.

The State Theatre has a duty to step up, and disqualify schools who cheat.

The Freddy Awards, are suppose to reward STUDENT WORK and STUDENT EXCELLANCE. It really needs to return to that goal.

[Dwight]

It seems like this whole thing is basically a way to make the State Theater $$$$$. The awards are truly meaningless, and the value of it would do nothing on a resume of a potential actor / actress. It is ashame that people take it so serious

[Informed]

RideEmCowboy wrote:

<quoted text>
Thanks for proving and supporting my point.
Again, the problem is when they rent costumes, and then turn around and claim they were student made.
That's plagiarism.
Claiming someone else's work, as your own.
The Parkland Principal had the duty to withdraw Parkland's participation in the Freddy Awards, and the Parkland Principal failed, totally, in exercising his duty.
And just because other schools cheat too (as you pointed out Whitehall is amongst them), and commit willful plagiarism, does NOT make it right.
The State Theatre has a duty to step up, and disqualify schools who cheat.
The Freddy Awards, are suppose to reward STUDENT WORK and STUDENT EXCELLANCE. It really needs to return to that goal.

All schools use a mixture of rentals and student made costumes. If all schools that rented any costumes would withdraw, then there would be no award.

Your standard of "student made only" fails to recognize the reality of high school stage production.

[advntregrrl]

Wow, I thought Ed Hanna was way too into this but it seems, from these posts, that he is not alone.

[Hornet Pride]

advntregrrl wrote:

Wow, I thought Ed Hanna was way too into this but it seems, from these posts, that he is not alone.

Ed's kid goes to Emmaus and is active in theater.

[drama queen]

Sounds like Cowboy is not only ill-informed but has that disease called I'm jealous of Parkland.

If the schools were inilegible for the awards, the State Theater wouldn't be awarding them. Bogus argument meant to stir up trouble. Emmaus and Parkland had fine productions this year. I wish all the schools well but hey, it probably is Emmaus' turn to win.

[LV reader]

drama queen wrote:

Sounds like Cowboy is not only ill-informed but has that disease called I'm jealous of Parkland.
If the schools were inilegible for the awards, the State Theater wouldn't be awarding them. Bogus argument meant to stir up trouble. Emmaus and Parkland had fine productions this year. I wish all the schools well but hey, it probably is Emmaus' turn to win.

I believe you are on target. Cowboy has an opinion that is driven by some sort of envy.
As a Parkland taxpayer I am surprised to hear that the school doesn't fund the musical production. I'm sure it costs a couple of bucks to outfit the sports teams. I hope that similar funding is alotted to science clubs, the band/orchestra and the thespians.

[advntregrrl]

Hornet Pride wrote:

<quoted text>
Ed's kid goes to Emmaus and is active in theater.

Ahhh, now I get it. I just thought it was his second love- second only to the Weather, of course!
I'll have to watch closer now and see if he props Emmaus.