An Opportunity to Shine

This is another in the string of letters about the bull I went through as a theater arts student. The reference to “Blackboard” ia about an online learning environment.

You can never know if I’m in the right here unless I turn around and become a successful writer. Then, how many successful writers have they put into the field?

Mr. (Supervisor of Undergraduate Studies),

I’d like you to see the quality of play that is considered unacceptable for an in-class reading in our department. (The writing teacher) went so far as to delete this play from blackboard so that the other students could not see it or make comments. 

Note that this play is a first draft, and the goal was to represent the events as accurately as possible while maintaining comedy. The secondary goal was to provide adequate opportunities for the student body. You’ll note that there are opportunities for light, sound, choreography, and music composition. I would also like to state that this draft was turned in during the third week of the fall semester giving ample time to have it polished and ready for the end of spring.

In short, I gave (the university) an opportunity to shine only to have it thrown away like filth without justification or hesitation. I took the comments you made in 200 about the selfishness of my generation to heart wrote what I thought would better the school and the student body and for my labors received a set of insults that wounded me more deeply than if your play writing teacher spat in my face.

Richard Leland Neal

12/02/2008