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Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater
Unavailable
Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater
Unavailable
Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater
Audiobook10 hours

Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater

Written by Michael Sokolove

Narrated by Mark Deakins

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Soon to be a television series titled "Rise," starring Josh Radnor, Auli'i Cravalho, and Rosie Perez —the incredible and true story of an extraordinary drama teacher who has changed the lives of thousands of students and inspired a town.

Why would the multimillionaire producer of CatsThe Phantom of the Opera, and Miss Saigon take his limo from Manhattan to the struggling former steel town of Levittown, Pennsylvania, to see a high school production of Les Misérables?

To see the show performed by the astoundingly successful theater company at Harry S Truman High School, run by its legendary director, Lou Volpe. Broadway turns to Truman High when trying out controversial shows such as Rent and Spring Awakening before they move on to high school theater programs across the nation. Volpe's students from this blue-collar town go on to become Emmy-winning producers, entertainment executives, newscasters, and community-theater founders.

Michael Sokolove, a Levittown native and former student of Volpe's, chronicles the drama director's last school years and follows a group of student actors as they work through riveting dramas both on and off the stage. This is a story of an economically depressed but proud town finding hope in a gifted teacher and the magic of theater.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 12, 2017
ISBN9780525589594
Unavailable
Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater
Author

Michael Sokolove

Michael Sokolove is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and the author of Hustle: The Myth, Life, and Lies of Pete Rose. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife and their three children.

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Reviews for Drama High

Rating: 3.9324351351351354 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's hard to imagine that there will ever be a better trip through high school than this, as seen through the eyes of a former student of "Volp", a remarkable drama teacher in a rundown Pennsylvania town. Harry S. Truman High is where Broadway plays go to be auditioned for high school suitability, in the amazing hands of a life-changing theatrical producer masquerading as a teacher. The author takes us through a timely play about sexual abuse and the musical Spring Awakening, with a troupe of students who might be ordinary in any other context. There are athletes, stoners, nerds - all are encouraged and all revel in the magic synergy of the temporary family that grows from such an experience. The reader's only regret is that there is not a Volp at every school in the world. The author, born and raised in Levittown, PA, is so insightful about his town and how he rose from it and escaped, and he ruefully contrasts his family's life in upper class Bethesda, MD, with those who stayed. Sociology + Theatre = an unforgettable book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received this book as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.This book caught my eye because I was a theater kid in high school. The head of our drama department had a very particular idea of what shows were worthwhile and appropriate for high schoolers to perform. Partway through my own high school career, she finally started to open up about which shows to put on. I was fascinated by the idea of a teacher so eager to bring the best of Broadway to his students. I would have loved to be in a program like this in high school. The fact that this one takes place where it does makes it even more interesting. My main complaint about the book is that it all feels a bit incomplete. It's a biography of the teacher, a history and sociological look at the town, and a memoir of the drama department all in one, but I don't feel like we ever get the full picture on any of these things.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I could not put this book down! Sokolove tells the story of Truman High's drama department. The school is in Levittown, PA, an area not known as a cultural mecca, yet Lou Volpe has managed to create a high-profile drama program that draws students of all types who love him and learn to love acting. For 40 years, Volpe produced edgy plays and musicals at Truman, drawing praise from the likes of Cameron Mackintosh, creator of Les Mis on Broadway.Sokolove was a student of Volpe's so he provides an insight that compares and contrasts Volpe, the program, and Levittown itself over 30 years. The book is a fascinating look at what was once a blue collar town, its mores and values, and how it all affects the young students.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Levittown, Pennsylvania was never part of upscale Bucks County, but it was sa place here hard working families could buy a house in the 1950's could buy as modest house and own a piece of the American dream. By the 2010, that dream has severely worn at the edges with globalization eroding the solid working class jobs and community cohesion that once existed. The area now could best be described as hardscrabble.Do what makes famed Broadway producers, writers and directors make the long trip from Manhattan to see high school productions of their plays and musicals at local Truman High School? It's a remarkable teacher named Lou Volpe who has taken an under funded theater department and turned it into a national award-winning powerhouse. Along the way, his working class students have moved on after high school to become Emmy Award-winning producers, newscasters and community theater founders - a track record that more affluent schools would envy.Told with heart by Mew York Times writer, Michael Sokolove, who attended Truman High School himself, and had Lou Volpe as a teacher, this book shows the power of an engaged and dedicated teaher to change the lives of those around him.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It is a very rare opportunity to repay a teacher who positively changed your life and the lives of many others. Michael Sokolove does this and more in his engaging and heartfelt book. Lou Volpe taught Sokolove in a high school English class and ultimately encouraged his writing skills. Volpe went on to become a much revered Theater director and drama teacher in a town where culture and the arts did not typically excel. Over the course of his tenure, he took students of various backgrounds and interests and changed their lives onstage. This book gives a background of his successes and life as well as follows several of his final productions. The book is so well-written and Volpe so realistically and lovingly portrayed that I was devastated to read about his last high school production. I hope that this book is routinely read not just by drama teachers but by every teacher who wishes to make a positive impact on their students.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    "Drama High" is the story of an amazing and dedicated theater teacher in Levittown, Pennsylvania. This book is a must-read for anyone who doubts the value of arts education in high school. As a high-school teacher and as a former member of several high-school pit orchestras, I wanted to love this book about high school dramatics. I liked, at times I liked it a lot, but I didn't love it. Why? The author needs more of a through-line, a steady tightening of the tension to make the book hold together and more compelling. In the book, Mr. Sokolove not only reviews the highlights of the teacher's (Lou Volpe) career, but also traces the development process of two controversial productions, shows that push the boundaries of high school drama but which speak to the kids involved.Here is the mistake, I think: Mr. Sokolove should have followed only one of the productions to its triumphant end. He could then use the natural progression in mounting a difficult show as his main plot, spinning sidebars about Mr. Volpe's remarkable career and highlighting the student actors. Then, when the tension mounts as the premier approaches, so does the tension in the book. This would have made the book more compelling reading.Nevertheless, if you want to see why arts education is so important in high school, you must read this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you're interested in theatre (especially if you performed in theatre in high school, this is a very interesting book. I think those interested in theatre who never performed will find the behind the scenes look at one high school very interesting.My high school had resources to spare, but the author did a great job of explaining what a high school can do without those resources. The drama program he writes about is one of the best in the country, in spite of the lack of resources. Mr. Sokolove's inspiring book lets the reader see how much can be done with talent and effort.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love theater and was happy to delve into this book. I enjoyed reading about the history of the drama teacher but didn't need so much history about the town and each student. I was most interested in how Volpe was chosen to do the first high school productions of Broadway plays and how he adapted them for high school audiences. This was mostly in the last few chapters of the book and is fascinating reading for any theater buff.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Sokolove goes back to the town he grew up in to profile a drama teacher that made the theatre program of a blue-collar high school into one that is nationally known. He touches on the value of arts in school, history of Levittown, PA, the highlights of Lou Volpe's career, and the workings of 2 productions.I wanted to learn more of how Volpe inspires his students and what he does differently from other inspiring teachers, but didn't come up with much. I was hoping for more information on his production choices and adaptations as well. Drama High was a fast read, but not terribly compelling. I liked this one, but didn't love it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I don’t use similes very often, but I can’t help comparing DRAMA HIGH to an onion. There are some tears, but that’s not the reason. Like an onion, it has many layers, all combining to produce the singular product.The top layer is the story of Harry S Truman High School in Levittown, Pennsylvania, particularly the theater department, possibly the best in the country. While many schools had drama clubs that did not attract many students, especially not the popular ones, such as the athletes, Truman’s Drama Club drew students from all groups–the academics, the athletes, and the artists. Almost half the students at Truman took at least one of the three theater classes before graduating. Most high school productions are those that have been playing for decades. At Truman, the program goes for the plays that have relevance for today’s society even if they may appear to be less safe and more edgy. It provides the students with a degree of sophistication above that of their contemporaries from most other high schools. Sir Cameron Mackintosh has brought Broadway dignitaries to see its shows and had it pilot Broadway blockbusters adapted for high school actors. The Drama Club did not have much financial backing, but presented five Main Show performances at the International Thespian Festival (the shows were Telemachus Clay, Equus, Pageant, The Rimers of Eldritch, and Good Boys and True). It was the first high school to produce Rent, Les Miserables, and Spring Awankening, all for Music Theater International. Obviously, it is not a typical high school Drama Club.The next layer is Lou Volpe, the teacher. Sokolove wrote “Everyone in life needs to have had at least one brilliant, inspiring teacher.” For the students involved in the theater program at Truman, Volpe is that teacher. With the support of the administration, he is able to help the students become extremely talented actors even though most had never been able to afford acting, voice, or dancing lessons. The book tells both his professional and personal stories. As I write this, I am aware that he has not read the book. Michael Sokolove, a Truman graduate, followed him for two years to get the background for DRAMA HIGH. He notes that Volpe did not want to see the book until the hard cover edition came out. My copy is an uncorrected proof.Sokolove brings the entire process necessary to produce a high school play to light as he describes the numerous steps from choosing a play, casting, rehearsing, setting it up, and actually putting it on. The third layer is psychological. We learn the stories of the students, how they react to life and to the plays, and how Volpe knows when to step in and when to let the students find their own paths, discovering their skills and aspects of themselves they hadn’t recognized or appreciated previously. As one student, Courtney Meyer, observed, “If you’re in the theater program, you’re changed. 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.” From a sociological perspective, Levittown was hit hard by changing economic times. Chicago Steppenwolf Theater’s artistic director Martha Lavey stated “To be born into privilege is to be given the tools to replicate that privilege” regardless of the children’s intelligence or ability. Levittown was originally built as a planned community built in 1952. On the whole, the residents were middle class with some professionals mixed in. As time went on, local steel mill closed, the neighborhood deteriorated, and the income level dropped. At Truman, many families rely on food stamps, Head Start, and free lunch program. The students no longer looked toward a future of going to college and getting good jobs. Life became stagnant. The students did not perform well on standardized tests compared with those in other schools. The education layer is also very important. Visitors to Truman were greeted with trophy cases for athletics teams as well as lists of colleges graduates attend and the amounts of the scholarships they receive. Today almost everything is measured by its economic value. Nobel Prize winning Economist Joseph Stiglitz said, “All markets are shaped by laws and regulations, and unfortunately, are laws and regulations are shaped in order to create more inequality and less opportunity.” The book discusses the importance of the arts in the lives of students and how current philosophy has moved to teaching for the test rather than encouraging creativity. He notes that the poorest schools are the ones hit hardest by this. Nearly thirty percent of California public schools have no arts programs. While math and science do get priority, English is also an important subject in that it is used as a measurement. Sadly, the Common Core set of standards used in forty-six states and the District of Columbia, require fourth grade students to devote half their reading to non-fiction. By the senior year, it has jumped to seventy percent. Non-fiction includes maps, train schedules, and recipes, subjects which will not help students hear about other ideas and experiences. The effects and benefits of arts programs cannot be measured by standardized tests.In some ways, DRAMA HIGH is similar to the popular television show, “Glee,” except the students do not insert their personal lives into the program nor are they the victims of bullies. The star in one play might be in the ensemble or working stage crew in the next. Newcomers could get major roles. They don’t have the classy costumes and were focused on one play the entire semester. There was a Sue Sylvester-type character at one time who told a star wrestler that he had to chose between the team and the play. Even when Volpe arranged rehearsals so the student could do both, the coach refused to budge. This is the first book review for which I sent the draft to people because I was so sure they would love the book. I’ll be sending it to all my theater friends.I received this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I’ve been very torn about “Drama High.” There is a great deal I enjoyed about the book, and in many ways, it felt like a book tailor-made for me. From the scrappy underdog stories of the students to the portrayal of the inspiring (and refreshingly low-drama) Lou Volpe to the focus on education and the arts, this book seemed designed to appeal to me on a number of levels. As a former drama coach and high school theatre geek (as well as a current teacher educator), I relished having the opportunity spend time with Volpe, the drama teacher who is the book’s focus, and the students who he works with and inspires to achieve greatness. Volpe’s accomplishments, which range from teaching Emmy-winning producers to serving as a kind of high school lab theatre for Broadway musicals preparing to offer school-versions, are made all the more remarkable because of the challenging environment of Truman High School and economically-depressed Levittown. Additionally, I was intrigued by the depiction of Volpe as a level-headed, dedicated, and empathetic educator. Too many teachers (both real and fictional) that inhabit popular culture and the public consciousness seem to rely on flash and stunts to motivate students or suffer from a martyr complex that dictates that they must sacrifice everything for the good of their students. Instead, Volpe (and Sokolove) offer another and better (at least in my mind) model of what it means to be a true educator. Flash and shock are replaced by steadfastness and commitment, as evidenced by Volpe’s decades in the classroom, and while sacrifice in teaching, as in any worthwhile endeavor, is inevitable, Volpe does not appear to do so to the extent that causes him to burn out. In this sense, Volpe is the portrait of an excellent educator and a real person.The descriptions of Volpe’s directing and interacting with students are by far the best parts of the book, and the obvious affection and respect that Sokolove has for his subjects are evident in his writing. Even though the organization of these sections can seem disjointed (for instance, the way Sokolove ends some chapters is abrupt and unsatisfying), the raw excitement of the students and Volpe that Sokolove captures in his writing helps compensate for any structural missteps. At its peak, “Drama High” is a compulsive read that makes it easy to become immersed in the world of drama at Truman High.However, the book falters when Sokolove leaves Truman, Volpe, and the students and attempts to connect their narrative to a larger context. The most egregious example of this occurs in the chapter on Mariela’s struggles as she wrestles with portraying the mother in Good Boys and True. Sokolove uses this specific example as an entry point for his argument that the arts are an integral part of education. The sections on Mariela’s learning challenges and the confidence she gets from theatre are effective and would be more than enough to convince the skeptics reading the book. However, Sokolove then pivots to address the educational landscape in general, including the cuts in funding and time allocated to the arts because of a renewed emphasis on testing and test scores and because of the Common Core State Standards. The 14 pages devoted to this topic shouldn’t seem overly long given that they are in a book with over 300 pages, but they did feel shoehorned in and they also seemed unfocused. The mix of anecdotes culled from other sources, information regarding the CCSS (which Sokolove somewhat misinterprets), statistics from reports and research, and other sources make these 14 pages seem like an interminable and disorganized, if passionate, slog. The other tangents are similar in length, and all disrupt the flow of the unfolding (and much more interesting) narrative of Volpe, Krause, Bobby, and the other students.All in all, “Drama High” is an engaging, if flawed, look at a truly dedicated and gifted educator. Although the book would have been strengthened by a greater sense of focus and by crisper organization, the parts that are successful allow readers to be in the moment with Volpe and students. Getting a chance to witness their struggles in rehearsals and the celebration that ensues during their triumphs makes up for the weaker parts of the book, and this allows readers to experience the power of arts education in a way far more convincing and meaningful than any list of statistics or abstract arguments against standardized testing ever could be.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The author returns to his high school in Levittown, Pennsylvania to get the story on Lou Volpe, the drama teacher to whom Broadway turns when they are trying out controversial shows for their high school theater programs.Volpe is an inspiring teacher who challenges and gets the most from his students in this blue collar town. And surprisingly, many of the school’s macho football players choose drama over sports because of the superb reputation of Volpe’s theater program and the opportunity to star in plays with adult roles and themes.In addition to Volpe’s personal and professional story, the book also stresses the importance of the arts in education. So much research reinforces the cognitive benefits of creative thinking and how it expands the brain’s capabilities. It’s sad that when funds are low, the high school music and drama programs are the first on the chopping block.We probably all have had a teacher who made a difference in our life. Lou Volpe made a difference in the lives of many.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I adored this book. I was a high school drama rat back in the day (80s) and was pleasantly surprised by how many memories were evoked by reading about the triumphs of hard luck town's superior drama program. I loved my drama teacher as much as Volpe's students loved him, but reading this made me so envious. Who knew there were high school theater competitions? The narrative goes a little of course when the author rails about the evils of testing and the common core, but overall this was a highly enjoyable read.