Respuesta del destinatario
Respuesta de Associate Dean Heather Landes
Associate Dean Heather Landes
23 abr 2014
The ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is a place that encourages the expression of diverse opinions and values. We annually produce more than 700 concerts, recitals, productions, lectures, workshops and exhibitions. Our stages offer performances ranging from concerts that celebrate masterworks for the symphony and the traditions of American band music to choral concerts that celebrate faith and the spiritual traditions of our society, along with contemporary musical theatre and opera. It is in this spirit that we are currently presenting the musical Rent on our Lyric Opera Theatre stage.
Earlier today, a petition was posted on change.org requesting that Arizona State University “retract Dr. William Reber’s forced resignation from Arizona State University.” This petition contained many inaccuracies, the most significant of which are that Dr. Reber has resigned from Arizona State University and the implication the university is engaged in arts censorship.
Dr. Reber made the decision to step down from his administrative role as director of the Lyric Opera Theatre program voluntarily, and we respect his decision. He remains a faculty member of the ASU School of Music, where he has served the students of ASU for more than 23 years and will continue to do so. Our school and our students have greatly benefited, and will continue to greatly benefit, from his creative spirit, his commitment and his love and passion for music.
The ASU Lyric Opera Theatre program remains committed to presenting challenging, difficult and vibrant work, but we also respect that the audience has a right to choose what they come to a theatre to see. Earlier this month, an internal communication breakdown led to the presentation of a scene from Rent that included age-inappropriate material during the Arizona All-State High School Music Festival. The concert program contained no warning about the content that was presented nor was an announcement made from the stage giving the audience an opportunity to opt out of that portion of the event.
Leadership in the arts requires both artistic vision and difficult work. It also requires the willingness to take responsibility for how that work is presented and communicated. This incident was important enough to the school and its relationship with the Arizona community that Dr. Reber felt he needed to accept responsibility, and he has chosen to use this as a teaching opportunity for his students about the role and responsibility of an arts leader, not just to the organization he leads but also to the community at large.
SIGNED: DR. WILLIAM REBER and DR. HEATHER LANDES
Earlier today, a petition was posted on change.org requesting that Arizona State University “retract Dr. William Reber’s forced resignation from Arizona State University.” This petition contained many inaccuracies, the most significant of which are that Dr. Reber has resigned from Arizona State University and the implication the university is engaged in arts censorship.
Dr. Reber made the decision to step down from his administrative role as director of the Lyric Opera Theatre program voluntarily, and we respect his decision. He remains a faculty member of the ASU School of Music, where he has served the students of ASU for more than 23 years and will continue to do so. Our school and our students have greatly benefited, and will continue to greatly benefit, from his creative spirit, his commitment and his love and passion for music.
The ASU Lyric Opera Theatre program remains committed to presenting challenging, difficult and vibrant work, but we also respect that the audience has a right to choose what they come to a theatre to see. Earlier this month, an internal communication breakdown led to the presentation of a scene from Rent that included age-inappropriate material during the Arizona All-State High School Music Festival. The concert program contained no warning about the content that was presented nor was an announcement made from the stage giving the audience an opportunity to opt out of that portion of the event.
Leadership in the arts requires both artistic vision and difficult work. It also requires the willingness to take responsibility for how that work is presented and communicated. This incident was important enough to the school and its relationship with the Arizona community that Dr. Reber felt he needed to accept responsibility, and he has chosen to use this as a teaching opportunity for his students about the role and responsibility of an arts leader, not just to the organization he leads but also to the community at large.
SIGNED: DR. WILLIAM REBER and DR. HEATHER LANDES
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