Drama 3 Play: Roe

Roe, by Lisa Loomer
Directed by Heather Lanza 
Stage Managed by Anna Wheeler

Performances Dates/Times:
Weds Nov 16 @ 7 PM
Thurs Nov 17 @ 7 PM
Fri Nov 18 @ 2 PM and  7 PM
Sat Nov 19 @ 7 PM

Location: PPAS Mainstage in the Auditorium

All ticket sales and donations support the PPAS PTA.

Synopsis: Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion, is still fiercely debated over forty years later. In this incisive play, acclaimed writer Lisa Loomer cuts through the headlines and rhetoric to reveal the divergent personal journeys of lawyer Sarah Weddington and plaintiff Norma McCorvey (“Jane Roe”) in the years following the fateful decision. In turns shocking, humorous, and poignant, ROE reflects the polarization in America today while illuminating the heart and passion each side has for its cause.

Stagedoor Manor Scholarships

Stagedoor Manor is the preeminent theater camp in the United States. Located in the beautiful Catskill Mountains, in Sullivan County, NY, Stagedoor has available several FULL SCHOLARSHIPS to attend their program next summer (2023).

What: Full scholarship to attend Stagedoor Manor.

Where: Loch Sheldrake, NY (2 1/2 hrs north of NYC).

When: Session #3, July 24th, to August 13th, 2023.

Who: High school musical theater students, grades 9 – 11.

Deadline: December 15th, 2022.

Notification of Acceptance: February 10th, 2023.

Learn About Iran Protests

From our partner, Waterwell:

Last month, the morality police forcibly arrested Kurdish woman, Mahsa (Jina) Amini, for supposedly wearing her hijab “incorrectly.” Days later, after suffering through a 3-day coma, Jina died under the custody of the police. The details about her cause of death are still being investigated but this news sparked outrage amongst the Iranian people.

Heartbreakingly, a teenage protester, 16-year-old Nika Shakarami has also been killed while protesting for Jina and the right’s of other Iranian women. Many young people and protestors have sadly been severely injured or killed, as the Iranian government attempts to stop the protesting. 

Here is a news article by Bassé Digé, an Iranian woman, which further contextualizes the events with a cultural and personal lens.

Below is a list of people you can follow to STAY INFORMED. And, continue to SHARE the content and use hashtags #MahsaAmini and #NikiShakarami.

It is especially important to do so because authorities in Iran have shut down most access to the internet and social media.

@arianmoayed 

@masih.alinejad 

@nazaninboniadi 

@lsarsour 

@golfarahani 

@justinaofficial

@shadiismyname 

@iamnazaninnou

#WOMAN!LIFE!FREEDOM!

Curriculum Night

The PPAS Academic Team is excited to present the PPAS Academic Curriculum Night to all parents on Thursday, October 6th at 6:00 PM.  We are welcoming parents who would like to come to the building in person (note the NYCDOE policy requires any non-student person entering a school building to be fully vaccinated, so please have proof of vaccination if you choose to come in person). 

In person participants can meet some teachers face-to-face and see some of our facility that your child comes to every day.  Note that as per DOE policy teachers may choose to participate remotely – those teachers will be presenting from a remote location that will be projected on a large screen.

For parents who choose to participate remotely, we will have Zoom links so that you can fully participate in the presentations and Q and A session.

We will record all Zoom presentations and archive them for viewing at later times.  This is particularly helpful for those of you who have more than one child at PPAS!

Curriculum Night will be structured by grade level. Each High School grade will have a presentation, and there will be one presentation for the entire Middle School.

For in-person participation, parents will meet in a dedicated space for their child’s grade level presentations and Q and A at PPAS – 328 West 48th Street.

For remote participation, parents will view presentations on Zoom and will be able to participate in the Q and A by using the chat option in the Zoom room.

We will be sending out grade-level Zoom links next week prior to the Thursday evening presentations.

Drama Productions

Our first rehearsal projects of the year for both MS & HS have already begun their auditions and callbacks!

The first HS rehearsal project will be Roe by Lisa Loomer. It will be Directed by Heather Lanza and Staged Managed by WDP’s very own senior, Anna Wheeler!

The MS Musical will be Royal Blood with book by Kevin Townley and Music & Lyrics by Josh Franklin. This is a brand new musical, and the students will have the opportunity to work alongside the writers as they continue to tweak and improve the piece.

Royal Blood will be directed by Kyle Pleasant, Music Directed by Marissa Davis, and Stage Managed by Kaelin Fuld.

Financial Aid Night

Next Wednesday, September 28th, at 8:30 PM, we are delighted to welcome to PPAS Ed Zamora, the Director of Principia Prep, an organization created to educate parents and students about the college financial aid and admissions process.  Ed’s “College Aid Presentation” will cover the college financial aid process and various important items to consider while applying to college at a time still influenced by the pandemic, including the below: 

-New Changes to the Fafsa form

-Changes to the Federal loans

-Loan Forgiveness

-The New York Excelsior Scholarship Program 

-State Financial Aid Changes

-The Impact of Early Decision and Early Action on Financial Aid

-New Deadlines for the College Process 

***Please feel free to send questions to info@principiaprep.com before the program begins on Wednesday. He will be happy to address any questions you have at that time. *** 

In order to attend this zoom webinar, you MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE BY CLICKING ON THE BELOW LINK:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bFZaX-P1RyaSwW5aeOFgrw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

ONE FINAL NOTE:  In order to get the most out of Ed’s presentation, we encourage you to review the Financial Aid presentation the PPAS College Office made to many of the families this past spring. In particular, we would like to call your attention to slides 3-8, which will give those who need it a basic groundwork in the FAFSA process; what it is, deadlines, etc.

We look forward to seeing you next week in this first of several PPAS College Nights we will be offering to you this fall.  Hope to see you there!

The PPAS College Office