Dr. William Reber is not to blame for the recent "risque" performance and should not "take responsibility" (Landes P5) as an "Arts Leader" (See Update)

The Issue

Recently the cast of RENT at Arizona State University's Lyric Opera Theatre was asked to perform for a high-school music festival showcasing the many different ensembles ASU has to offer. The creative team behind RENT decided to perform the iconic table-dancing sequence: "La Vie Boheme", a song that truly captures the essence of the free-spirited artist. In recent coverage, the media has depicted this performance as "lewd" and "risqué." Many parents of attending students have even gone as far as to call the performance of these young, aspiring artists "pornographic." As backlash from the performance, Arizona State University's head of the Lyric Opera Theatre of 23 years, Dr. William Reber, has resigned. This extreme act is an outrage and an insult to artists everywhere. Live theatre in a contemporary musical theatre setting can (and should) be raw, thrilling, and edgy. An artists' job is to deliver truth to their art and push the boundaries, creating new works and destroying the rules that hinder their freedom of expression. As a result of this creative, soul-bearing, artistically enriching performance, a member of ASU staff who was not directly involved is punished. It is important that ASU's Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts, ASU President Michael Crow, and Associate Dean of Music Heather Landes be made immediately aware that the artists and art-supporting citizens of Arizona, the United States of America, and the world will not stand for this decision. Our goal is to get as many signatures as possible by May 10th, so please sign and share this petition as much as you can. Dr. William Reber deserves his position reinstated in full and ASU should take steps to ensure that those not interested in experiencing live theatre be educated on the "risks" of being an audience member.  

Thank you,

Evan Tyler Wilson

ASU Lyric Opera Theatre Alumni

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Evan Tyler WilsonPetition Starter
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This petition had 2,685 supporters

The Issue

Recently the cast of RENT at Arizona State University's Lyric Opera Theatre was asked to perform for a high-school music festival showcasing the many different ensembles ASU has to offer. The creative team behind RENT decided to perform the iconic table-dancing sequence: "La Vie Boheme", a song that truly captures the essence of the free-spirited artist. In recent coverage, the media has depicted this performance as "lewd" and "risqué." Many parents of attending students have even gone as far as to call the performance of these young, aspiring artists "pornographic." As backlash from the performance, Arizona State University's head of the Lyric Opera Theatre of 23 years, Dr. William Reber, has resigned. This extreme act is an outrage and an insult to artists everywhere. Live theatre in a contemporary musical theatre setting can (and should) be raw, thrilling, and edgy. An artists' job is to deliver truth to their art and push the boundaries, creating new works and destroying the rules that hinder their freedom of expression. As a result of this creative, soul-bearing, artistically enriching performance, a member of ASU staff who was not directly involved is punished. It is important that ASU's Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts, ASU President Michael Crow, and Associate Dean of Music Heather Landes be made immediately aware that the artists and art-supporting citizens of Arizona, the United States of America, and the world will not stand for this decision. Our goal is to get as many signatures as possible by May 10th, so please sign and share this petition as much as you can. Dr. William Reber deserves his position reinstated in full and ASU should take steps to ensure that those not interested in experiencing live theatre be educated on the "risks" of being an audience member.  

Thank you,

Evan Tyler Wilson

ASU Lyric Opera Theatre Alumni

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Evan Tyler WilsonPetition Starter
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The Decision Makers

Associate Dean Heather Landes
Associate Dean Heather Landes
Responded
“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”
President Michael Crow
President Michael Crow
President Michael Crow (Admin)
President Michael Crow (Admin)
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Petition created on April 23, 2014