UK Indymedia | Anna Scher Theatre Protest Tonight 20/12/03

Anna Scher Theatre Protest Tonight 20/12/03

The Notorious Heckler | 20.12.2003 13:02 | Education | Indymedia | London

Protest Tonight outside the Anna Scher Theatre (Reclaim our Theatre) 6.30/9.00pm

Calling all activists who protest against discrimination of any type, we need your support tonight outside the Anna Scher Theatre 70/72 Barnsbury Road nr Chapel Market Islington N1. This protest is against J.P. Steven Dawson the bloke who thinks he's God almighty on the board of directors, He has tried to tie the hands of a well loved and respected drama teacher who has done this type of work for 35 years, there are many people we see in programmes now that were educated by Anna Scher I will name but a few as the list is endless. Martin and Gary Kemp, Dexter Fletcher, Sonia Saul, Gillian Taylforth, Susan Tully, Patsy Palmer, Linda Robson, Kathy Burke and Phil Daniels.
Tonights protest is due to Steven Dawson being there and our direct action is against the present board of directors who have basically tied the arms of Anna Scher but informing her that she cannot return to the theatre she founded 35 years ago unless she signs some bullshit document with numerous clauses attatched, the major one is that should Anna Scher wish to teach a certain lesson to her students, she must first ask the permission of the current director Andy Smith who then has to telephone Steven Dawson to find out if Anna Scher can teach the lesson.
Steven Dawson A.K.A. GOD is a bloody joke, which circus act is he from? This miserable excuse of a man is being allowed to get away with discrimination against a wonderful woman that goes around the world doing peace drama workshops, bringing Jew and Arab together, Catholic and Protestant, black and white, and for 35 years Anna Scher ran her theatre with a policy that there would be no place for discrimination in her theatre whatsoever. Now Dawson and Co have dumped her into the street, making demands that are simply just not what the theatre is about and I call on anyone who hates the sight of greedy lying self centred pompus twats like Steven Dawson, if anyone can attend give Patrick a call on 0797 3536 682, it's time to reclaim our theatre, hope to see many of you there? After the protest there is a party going on at the Eton Mission, Hackney Wick E9 many of you already know about it, it's a fund raiser for disabled people who are always discriminated against, so I hope to see many of you there too.

Patrick

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

There's more crime in the suites than crime on the streets

20.12.2003 15:35

Discrimination is rife in the 21st Century, people always busted on the streets and never in the suites. A crime has been committed at the Anna Scher Theatre, the victim of this ugly crime is none other than the greatest drama teacher of all time (ANNA SCHER) the perps of this disgusting crime are none other than the board of directors ruled over by by their lord and king STEVEN DAWSON, which circus act did he come from, he's obviously a clown of one sort or another. Discrimination of any type, against anyone should never be tolerated NEVER EVER. Who do you think you are Dawson God almighty? How can you actually live with what you've done? Just because someone becomes ill with depression doesn't give you the right to discriminate against them, don't you read the figures 6 out of 10 people in their life time will at some stage have a nervous breakdown and become ill through depression, let's hope your next in line so you can see for yourself how ignorantand arrogant you really are, the rest of the board must all be puppets with you holding the strings (The wolf in sheeps clothes) Your greed for power is amazing you really are a complete fool to think that you'll discredit Anna's good name and you might have been able to gag Anna from speaking out but you can't stop her dedicated supporters and friends and once people realise that your no more than an evil minded parasite intent on destroying a well loved teacher by the majority that have studied under her yes there are a few stragglers who have no idea what your actually up to you power crazy maniac. Each day more patrons are walking away from what in due course will say NOT THE ANNA SCHER THEATRE I'd expect a call from Michael Caine in the next couple of weeks as well as the other patrons, I will enjoy watching you hang yourself with the rest of those muppets who call themselves members of the board. Who elected you to be lord and master or have you just caught a piece of corporate madness, you must be insane if you actually believe for one minute that those of us who truly are Anna Scher's best friends will walk away from her, every day more and more people are getting behind Anna fighting the injustice of what you think you can get away with well your in for an almighty shock because individuals will be handing out information to parents and members, no actually I will be handing them out, so if you go after anyone it should be me, and I unlike your puppets on the board have no strings. To everyone who's called me on my phone we're meeting at Lark in the Park pub, Copenhagen Street which is off Barnsbury Road Islington N1.

Patrick.

P.J.

re Anna Scher Protest

23.12.2003 21:03

My name is Neil Maskell and I attended Anna Scher's for eleven years 1987-1998. I was saddened to hear about Anna's situation and would have attended the protest had I known about it in time. I am forever indebted to Anna, without her I would never have had the opportunity to become an actor, without her teaching I would never have been capable. It is beyond comprehension that she has been treated so badly, however, I do not believe that the tone of this article helps her cause in any way. Describing someone, in print, as a twat is fine in a humorous piece about a hated public figure but appears bitter and irrational when arguing a serious point. At Anna's there was never any censorship whilst working in improvisation but when the group spoke to each other about issues that concerned them they spoke respectfully even during heated debate. This article does a disservice to Anna and her philosophy. I do not believe that she would approve of it. In future a sensible approach to this important campaign is preferable both to me and, I'm sure, to all of those who have been inspired by Anna's teaching.

Neil Maskell
mail e-mail: aimeemaskell@yahoo.com

Who are they trying to kid?

24.12.2003 03:37

Anna Scher became Ill in 1999 and didn't fully recover until 2002.

It's Obvious as to why she isnt wanted back in her Theatre.

Some Greedy B'stard has realised how he can Monopolise from Anna's Name and Method.

You have been sussed you greedy B'stard

Anna Scher will be back in her Theatre before April 2004, If not I'll eat my Shirt

If not Will there be a Theatre?

David Foster

David Foster
mail e-mail: jmorten7@aol.com

anna will be back

10.01.2004 14:21

Hi my name is Humphrey Odunwo and i have been attending AnnaScher theatre and i am about to start my second year on the 18th of january and if Anna Scher gets removed it will never be the same again think about it im only 15 and there are many other student younger and older than me that will be very dissapointed im sure especially younger children it is also to me very upsetting and its been making me very angry i may not know
Anna scher all that well but the amount of times she has teached me i can say that she is very encouraging ,helpful,&loving and even though she went away at times i always knew that she help me since my time at Anna scher so in a polite way im saying please,please,please,please,please,please dont remove Anna Scher from here beloved theatre

humphrey odunwo
mail e-mail: iyomide@hotmail.com

IT'S OFFICIAL Anna Scher is to be reinstated IT'S OFFICIAL

14.01.2004 00:52

Anna will be back!
teaching at the ANNA SCHER theatre. *IT'S OFFICIAL*

lisa
mail e-mail: LegionsofFans

I'm sorry for Anna Scher

16.01.2004 23:24

Before I left london for Liverpool, I attended Anna scher's thursday morning classes.
I knew most of the people who went there, David Foster, Graham Fletcher Steve Creighton but to name a few. Although I was weaker than I was a year or so ago ( I mostly attended via walking sticks) Anna made me feel welcome although she hadn't known me so long. I felt that i found a friend in Anna and the people that gave up their thursday morning to be with her. I understand depression because i was there myself, and it is a horrible, horrible place to be in.
But Anna has overcome this, and I'm happy for her.
Although depression is very much always going to be there, she handles it well.
But Anna faces her toughest challenge yet... I find it cruel that people can do this to her, it's like throwing her out of her home..and a home she built.
I wish her every success in reclaiming her theatre.

Thank you Anna, for helping me.

Chris Steven Christou,
Independant filmmaker

Chris Steven Christou
mail e-mail: creativeindependence@yahoo.co.uk

NOT IN MY NAME !

17.01.2004 21:23

There are certain comments which have my name to them, which are insulting and threatening, I want to make some things clear here and now, I am not the person who posted up these remarks concerning the former Chairman of the board of directors at the Anna Scher theatre, I do not condone the use of aggressive threatening or insulting words or behaviour, Anna Scher asked many of you who attend the theatre to keep this a peaceful protest and campaign, I can understand how passions run high for Anna and some of you feel so strongly about her treatment by the board that in your anger stuff was posted up insulting the boards Chairman, please refrain from using my name further or in the future, if you do not have the guts to stand up and speak out in your own name please don't discredit my name. Anna can win this and she won't need the use of any form of aggression to do it. If you can't stand up and campaign with Anna Scher properly then don't stand up at all.

KEEP THE PEACE

Cyber Master
mail e-mail: Notorious.Heckler@btopenworld.com

The Independent View

18.01.2004 21:51

Congratulations "Not In My Name" Militant parisites only have their own agenda at heart and not Anna's, so well done for standing up and speaking out in truth. As for the rest of us A.S. members old and new I think it is quite shamefull that in a country of free speech (the hell it is) that no one from the A.S. has mentioned or discussed with us all what is going on. I was at class last week and it was obvious that many were anxious and wanting to talk openly about the current and future situation at A.S., but it was buisness as usual and no one spoke out, I find this a stange contrast to what is promoted at A.S., the keyword being RESPECT, but to be honest all I ever see at A.S. is a bunch of ego's with their own interests at heart, therefore its all a farce, even the festival of plays, for which the rewards are token. I have seen Real talent at A.S. over the years, sadly these talents go unoticed. Many plays have been written, some brilliant and worthy of further attention, but the system runs like a hamster wheel and good plays are trodden down.So the point is that A.S. has been stuck in a time warp, run down and as faded as the pictures of all the stars that attended there way back in the 70's that are proudly paraded at the entrance to the theatre. So I have opened my eyes and woke up and smelled the coffee and I think if any of you out there know what I'm talking about will agree that 75% of the people who attend A.S. think by joining its a mealticket to stardom, only to discover once their Ego's have deflated that A.S. is only interested in running itself to pay the bills. Anna Schers is meant to be a community theatre, yet is neither serves or benifits the community, as no shows are performed for the public ,in or out of the theatre. Anna Schers is not a acting school either as you are not taught any skills in acting, all lessons are based on improvisation only and as a result it has become a therapy theatre for people to express their true selves, which can be very straining when having to deal with people who like the sound of their own voice. I shall not be attending A.S. anymore, to be honest I knew Anna and she is a really nice person, but I dont think her return will change anything at the Theatre for the members,life will carry on as usual,because there never was any vision there to begin with. The likes of Linda Robson and Co were already talented the first day they all walked into Anna Schers and they were all just lucky enough to have a lucky break, it was not down to teaching, it was down to confidence and fate. And there have been thousands more since then, who have walked through A.Schers doors, only it shut on them a long time ago, due to lack of vision.

Anna Schers is now left to fate also.

Regards
Wise Owl

Wise Owl

DONT IT!

26.02.2004 15:12

Dont it make your brown eyes blue

The Great Anna Scher Theatre Rock N Roll Swindle!

25.01.2005 18:59

What's the matter with you all down there in the exiled class, are you all blind that you cannot see who Anna's favourites are? Can you not see that for the fiver you pay you only get to perform an impro for about 2 minutes if your lucky.
Every week its the same old story, talking about the theatre up the road, the fact is Anna really has outgrown that theatre and really needs a bigger space seeing that over 80 of you attend her class each Friday night which the other place couldn't fit you all in so would that mean that if Anna did get her so called theatre back would you all be able to attend or would you be thrown to the wolves?
Clearly several actors who now also direct have viewed the class and each and everyone has walked out because they have had to watch everything that Anna has said, when all they really wanted to do was to view a few people to see if they could be used in their next movie which was the case last year for Ray Burdis who did Operation Goodguys and was intending to use several members of Anna's class in his next project which won't happen now due to all the talking going on concerning the Barnsbury Road theatre.
When will you people wise up to the fact that you won't get anywhere doing that class on a Friday night? When will you realise that to become an actor you have to work hard/rehearse and study which a 2 minute impro doesn't give you so who wants to be an actor then?

Interested in being a real actor?

Then email

whistleblower2005@myway.com for details on joining a proper class and agency which will do all it can to train you and find you work.

The Whistleblower

PS Forget protesting it'll get you nowhere and you won't obtain acting work tying yellow ribbons round the entrance of 70-72 Barnsbury Road or holding placards supporting someone who doesn't want to deal with lawyers but continues to chat about Ghandi who actually was a lawyer by profession.

If your ready to join a real acting class then email

whistleblower2005@myway.com

The Whistleblower
mail e-mail: whistleblower2005@myway.com

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