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----------------- APRIL 4, 2009
It's been a long time but we're happy to update you on what's been happening with Class Act. The film is now available on Snagfilms.com, Jaman.com, and itunes.com. Class Act will also make its cable TV premiere on Ovation TV. Stay tuned for upcoming air dates. OCTOBER 16, 2007
We are pleased to announce the release of CLASS ACT on DVD! You can order the DVD online directly from the distributor, Arts Alliance America (www.artsalliance.com), here on the CLASS ACT website and on the web at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & FYE to name just a few. You can also rent the DVD at Netflix (www.netflix.com). We're sending out a special thank you to all of you who participated in the making of this film and to those of you who made it possible. Now let's GET THE ARTS BACK IN THE SCHOOLS! ----------------- APRIL 10, 2007
It's been an incredible experience to work on this project. Three years ago, when producer Heather Winters and I decided to make a movie about our favorite teacher from Miami Beach Senior High School, drama teacher Jay Jensen, I never in my wildest dreams thought we'd make a movie about the crisis in arts education in America. Then again, I never thought I'd visit my alma mater -- a massive, urban, diverse school located in South Beach --and find that the 24/7 drama program no longer existed!!! Traveling across American has been both inspiring and incredibly depressing. On the up-side: there still are dynamic, dedicated teachers like our Mr. Jensen giving kids a creative workout, day in and day out! On the dark side, we live in a completely inequitable society and this is reflected in our public K-12 system. Millions of kids go to school everyday and are not getting a complete education that includes the arts - drama, music, dance and visual arts. Heather and I are determined to join the teachers, administrators, and non-profits who are determined to stop at nothing less than the arts for all kids. We're hoping that CLASS ACT will get this message across America. ----------------- MARCH 31, 2007
Welcome to the first posting on the CLASS ACT blog.
I'm Sara Sackner, the director of CLASS ACT. This first entry is dedicated to my favorite teacher and the star of CLASS ACT, Jay W. Jensen. Jay passed away in February and it's a big loss not only for producer Heather Winters and me, but for literally hundreds of Jay's students and friends. Jay was one-of-a-kind and his memorial at the University of Miami last month was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Jay had produced the entire show! A crowd packed the Ring Theatre and Donna Shalala, President of U of M and a dear friend of Jay's, opened with warmth, humor, and appreciation. From there, singers, musicians, student readings and rememberances, a cantor, a priest, a slide show, clips from CLASS ACT were shared by all. It was an epic, glorious tribute with much laughter, many tears, and absolute gratefulness for having a teacher in the world like Mr. Jensen. After the service, sportscaster Roy Firestone came up to me and said, "If Jay were here, he would have said -- Perfect! I loved it! But...don't you think it could have been a bit longer?" ----------------- |
