“Spring Awakening” Part of Winter Recess at Proctors

Posted by Gail M. Burns - February 2010

Controversial SPRING AWAKENING Takes Mainstage During Weeklong Salute to Capital Region Educators

Schenectady, NY — Broadway’s most talked about new musical, SPRING AWAKENING, is also one of its biggest Tony Award® winners in years. The show will play from the mainstage for Proctors WINTER RECESS
salute to educators, and will give them lots to see, talk about, and
share with students once back in the classroom. Educators are
eligible for special discounts to attend the show The New York Sun has hailed as “The most thrilling rock musical of the last decade.”

SPRING AWAKENING has stirred Broadway like no other musical in years. The show depicts the unforgettable angst that intersects the passage from youth to adulthood with power, poignancy and passion. The play’s directness, depictions of sex and frank language can be a challenge for some, but its authenticity, spirit and ability to spark seminal debate on difficult-to-broach topics are undeniable.

WINTER RECESS: Opportunity to Learn and Socialize Among Peers

As a special tribute to professional educators and all they do for the
region’s schools and communities throughout the year, Proctors, NYSUT and Schenectady are rolling out the red carpet to Educators and their families with A+ events. The fun begins on Saturday, February 13 and runs through Saturday, February 20.

WINTER RECESS is chock a bloc with family friendly activities,
entertainment, dining discounts, shopping promotions, and special
events throughout the city of Schenectady – all week! The weeklong
celebration also includes two theatre camps for children.

“It seemed only natural to facilitate attendance to SPRING AWAKENING by educators,” says Proctors Education Director Christine Sheehan.
“These professionals often are bellwethers of changing social trends
– even as they witness and deal with the impact of changing mores and behavior each day in the classroom.”

On one level, SPRING AWAKENING draws us into a haunting love story
between two young people: they find each other, fall in love, and
passionately yearn to be together despite a system that might
ultimately defeat them. Above all, this is their story. At the same
time, we find ourselves spectators in a cautionary tale about what can happen in the absence of adult guidance, compassion and courage.

SPRING AWAKENING entertains and lifts the spirit with its unique set,
energetic cast, and authentic score. But it also provokes thought and
opens the door to conversations between parents and their sons and
daughters and teachers and students. Just as important, the show
draws attention to some of the many pressures placed upon teens to
both grow and develop as individuals even as they are required to
respond to the societal demands to conform.

VIPS Get the VIE

WINTER RECESS is open to educators, district employees and their
guests. The Recess bell welcomes teachers, secretaries, professors,
cafeteria workers, bus drivers, administrators, maintenance workers,
paraprofessionals and crossing guards. Private school and home school educators also are welcomed.

To qualify for WINTER RECESS, all participants are required to sign up
for the VIE (Very Important Educator) Pass – their personal key to
activities and discounts throughout the week.

All Public School educators and employee will receive their VIE passes
directly from NYSUT in the mail this winter. Specially designated
locations at Proctors and the Schenectady Chamber of Commerce will
have maps and a schedule of WINTER RECESS events. These range from wine tastings, ice skating, performances, storytelling, African dance and drumming, floral design workshops, dining discounts, spa and salon packages to hotel discounts and special events. The list continues to grow as WINTER RECESS approaches.

Private school and home school educators also are invited to register
for a VIE Pass online at www.proctors.org/winter_recess) and to get
their VIE at Proctors Box Office between 10 AM- 6 PM, February 15 –
19. All other WINTER RECESS guidelines apply.

Teamwork, Team play Makes Annual Rite of Recess

“This is an event we work toward for 11 months of the year,” says
Christine Sheehan, Proctors Director of Education. “Creating the
impact of WINTER RECESS takes the coordinated efforts of scores of
people and businesses throughout the area. It’s a labor of love to
honor those who do so much for our region and our schools.

“This year, we have an opportunity to heighten the excitement for
participating educators with discounted tickets to SPRING AWAKENING – one of Broadway’s biggest Tony Award® winning shows.”

Sponsors Rally to Honor Educators

WINTER RECESS takes place in multiple locations throughout
Schenectady. These include restaurants, hotels, retail locations and
entertainment facilities. In fact, many city organizations have come
together to support this innovative salute to teachers and other
school employees.

Don’t Delay; Register Today

According to Proctors Education Program Manager, Jessica Gelarden, a key facilitator of the WINTER RECESS event, “the number of stores,
business, and lodging venues participating in WINTER RECESS continues to increase. We urge everyone to visit the Proctors’ WINTER RECESS webpages (www.proctors.org/winter_recess)
to sign up early for the exciting annual event.”

An enthusiastic Sheehan adds: “The sponsors of WINTER RECESS are
mindful of the stress that the economy has placed on our schools and
our educators. WINTER RECESS enables us to share evolving
developments within Schenectady and to provide welcomed value – by offering more to do at carefully managed price points targeted for
educators. We also hope that WINTER RECESS will provide some sorely needed fun!”

Ongoing Commitment

Proctors remains committed to providing innovative opportunities for
transforming teaching and learning through the arts with a variety of
programs that integrate the arts into school curriculum, build
community partnerships, foster creativity and promote a lifelong
appreciation for the arts.

Proctors aspires to provide for the needs of our community through a
dynamic education program for young people, with a particular focus on school partnerships and the underserved. In addition to offering
children’s performances, Proctors collaborates with teaching artists
and teachers to develop and implement effective programs that improve academic performance, teach discipline and create an overall
appreciation for the arts.

For More Information

SPRING AWAKENING will be included in offerings associated with the
upcoming WINTER RECESS (February 13 – 20), sponsored by Proctors, the City of Schenectady and NYSUT to honor NYS educators and the work that they do. NYSUT is a federation of more than 1,200 local unions, each representing its own members. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA). NYSUT is also part of organized labor – the AFL-CIO – and of Education International, with more than 20 million members world wide.

To discover more about WINTER RECESS or how your school or
organization can become involved with educational initiatives at
Proctors, visit www.proctors.org or contact Education Director
Christine Sheehan (csheehan@proctors.org; 518.382.3884, ext 112) or Education Program Manager Jessica Johndrew Gelarden (jgelarden@proctors.org), ext 150) or subscribe to Proctor’s Education email list.

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