Justice Rally for Anna Scher on Friday 25th June 5.30 - 6.30pm outside the Anna Scher Theatre, Barnsbury Road, Islington, London N1
As the public may be aware of the situation surrounding the founder of the Anna Scher Theatre and her continued struggle for justice, there will be a rally/demo on Friday 25th June outside the theatre which still bears her name from 5.30pm.
Anna for those who haven't known about her struggle with the board of directors came about after Anna Scher became unwell back in 1999 with clinical depression, the board stated back then that they would employ someone to take care of the theatre in her abscence and her position as director of the theatre would be there for her once she'd recoverd.
The board then decided to employ Andy Smith to run the theatre full time and drop Anna altogether, and not one member of the theatre were told of this change which has led to former friends falling out and setting up two camps, those in favour of the theatre on Barnsbury Road and the other for Anna.
A life times work which belonged to Anna was then dumped into the refuse bins in the street, items including poetry, plays and scripts performed by members and former members of the theatre, memories which Anna held dear dedicated to all the hard work done by her students who she had taught for over 30 years was simply thrown in to the rubbish.
There have been several attempts by the board of directors to overturn support for Anna in the last couple of years, using tactics worse than any scoundrel would be proud of they've done their very best in using Anna's former illness to frighten parents with children who train at the theatre into thinking that a depressive illness is contagious, they then issued Anna with an ultimatum last year stating that if she did want to return to teach at the theatre, she would have to sign a 73 point plan with several conditions imposed, one of these conditions was if Anna Scher wanted to teach a particular subject in her classes, she would first have to approach the then director of the theatre (ANDY SMITH) who would then have to contact the chairman of the board Steven Dawson to get the go-ahead for the lesson.
How could someone who is neither a teacher in drama or a quailified psychiactric consultant (STEVEN DAWSON) make comments concerning another persons health or decide what should be taught to students at the theatre and what should not?
The theatre itself was set up by Anna to give those who couldn't afford to pay the high fees for places at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and other such places a chance to be creative, kids from the run down council estates, with little or nothing going on for them other than hanging around street corners, and there have been many who have come from the gutters and made professional people of themselves due to Anna's work in the community and at the theatre, people like Kathy Burke, Linda Robson, Phil Daniels, and hundreds of others who are well known names on our TV screens.
At the end of last year Andy Smith resigned as well as one or two of those who formally worked in the office these people being involved in making telephone calls to various members of Anna's refresher classes claiming that the class was cancelled for various reasons, all untrue of course, but this was how far the board of directors were prepared to stoop to prevent Anna from teaching at the theatre.
In 2001 Anna Scher was given a clean bill of health by quailified medical professionals, yet this wasn't enough for the board as they had decided undemocratically that Anna was no longer needed for the theatre which they had other plans for to make the community theatre in a term fee paying stage school which would deprive the less well off from sending their children there and the only way to get a place was to audition for it and if you weren't up to scratch you'd be shown the exit doors.
This wasn't the type of theatre Anna wanted as in her own words, theatre is for everyone to enjoy no matter your background or class status, its not just a place for the rich or over priviledged and that is why Anna is so vigorously campaigning to return to the theatre she founded so many more disadvantaged children and adults get the oppertunity to learn, perform and be creative.
There is also the question over the motives of the board as to why they will not acknowledge any letter written to them by members past and present as to why they do not want Anna back teaching in Barnsbury Road, could it be that they wish to turn the theatre into a profit making theatre or increase their over inflated pay packets each year? Not one of those on the Anna Scher board of directors resides in Islington, none one of them is a teacher and not one of them is a medical professional so why are these people on the board allowed to make opinions on another persons health or how a class should be taught?
At one point the current acting chairwoman (PAMELA TAYLOR aged 73) on the board suggested that Anna should retire seeing that she is 59 years of age, now this must be some kind of joke, clearly old Pammy is well beyond retirement age and should be down collecting her weekly entitlement at her local post office, Anna may well be 59 years of age but she'd put many of us to shame with her warm up exercises before the class really starts swinging and there are many of us who attend her classes who feel like we've just completed an areobics lesson, Anna is energetic, a fabulous dancer, singer and teacher and many of us have been with her since childhood.
We know Anna's teaching method works, if it didn't then why are her classes full each and every time she takes a lesson, the only crazy people around right now must be the ones on the board of directors as to give up on such a successful teacher like Anna is beyond belief.
The inside of the Barnsbury Road theatre looks more like a place where black masses take place than a theatre to be creative in and on Friday evening 25th June there will be a justice rally in support of Anna outside the theatre between 5.30 and 6.30pm so if anyone from the samba bands are availible to give a boost to this demo can they kindly e-mail
community.action@btinternet.com if they have an hour to spend drumming up resistance to the board of directors?
Look forward to a large presence on Friday evening as an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere so if anyone can come along please do so and their may well be an after party at the Lark in the Park pub with bands and other performers situated on Copenhagen Street N1
EVERYONE WELCOME.
P.S. Come along in what you like, be it an executioner or devotees of the black masses for fun and games.
Anna for those who haven't known about her struggle with the board of directors came about after Anna Scher became unwell back in 1999 with clinical depression, the board stated back then that they would employ someone to take care of the theatre in her abscence and her position as director of the theatre would be there for her once she'd recoverd.
The board then decided to employ Andy Smith to run the theatre full time and drop Anna altogether, and not one member of the theatre were told of this change which has led to former friends falling out and setting up two camps, those in favour of the theatre on Barnsbury Road and the other for Anna.
A life times work which belonged to Anna was then dumped into the refuse bins in the street, items including poetry, plays and scripts performed by members and former members of the theatre, memories which Anna held dear dedicated to all the hard work done by her students who she had taught for over 30 years was simply thrown in to the rubbish.
There have been several attempts by the board of directors to overturn support for Anna in the last couple of years, using tactics worse than any scoundrel would be proud of they've done their very best in using Anna's former illness to frighten parents with children who train at the theatre into thinking that a depressive illness is contagious, they then issued Anna with an ultimatum last year stating that if she did want to return to teach at the theatre, she would have to sign a 73 point plan with several conditions imposed, one of these conditions was if Anna Scher wanted to teach a particular subject in her classes, she would first have to approach the then director of the theatre (ANDY SMITH) who would then have to contact the chairman of the board Steven Dawson to get the go-ahead for the lesson.
How could someone who is neither a teacher in drama or a quailified psychiactric consultant (STEVEN DAWSON) make comments concerning another persons health or decide what should be taught to students at the theatre and what should not?
The theatre itself was set up by Anna to give those who couldn't afford to pay the high fees for places at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and other such places a chance to be creative, kids from the run down council estates, with little or nothing going on for them other than hanging around street corners, and there have been many who have come from the gutters and made professional people of themselves due to Anna's work in the community and at the theatre, people like Kathy Burke, Linda Robson, Phil Daniels, and hundreds of others who are well known names on our TV screens.
At the end of last year Andy Smith resigned as well as one or two of those who formally worked in the office these people being involved in making telephone calls to various members of Anna's refresher classes claiming that the class was cancelled for various reasons, all untrue of course, but this was how far the board of directors were prepared to stoop to prevent Anna from teaching at the theatre.
In 2001 Anna Scher was given a clean bill of health by quailified medical professionals, yet this wasn't enough for the board as they had decided undemocratically that Anna was no longer needed for the theatre which they had other plans for to make the community theatre in a term fee paying stage school which would deprive the less well off from sending their children there and the only way to get a place was to audition for it and if you weren't up to scratch you'd be shown the exit doors.
This wasn't the type of theatre Anna wanted as in her own words, theatre is for everyone to enjoy no matter your background or class status, its not just a place for the rich or over priviledged and that is why Anna is so vigorously campaigning to return to the theatre she founded so many more disadvantaged children and adults get the oppertunity to learn, perform and be creative.
There is also the question over the motives of the board as to why they will not acknowledge any letter written to them by members past and present as to why they do not want Anna back teaching in Barnsbury Road, could it be that they wish to turn the theatre into a profit making theatre or increase their over inflated pay packets each year? Not one of those on the Anna Scher board of directors resides in Islington, none one of them is a teacher and not one of them is a medical professional so why are these people on the board allowed to make opinions on another persons health or how a class should be taught?
At one point the current acting chairwoman (PAMELA TAYLOR aged 73) on the board suggested that Anna should retire seeing that she is 59 years of age, now this must be some kind of joke, clearly old Pammy is well beyond retirement age and should be down collecting her weekly entitlement at her local post office, Anna may well be 59 years of age but she'd put many of us to shame with her warm up exercises before the class really starts swinging and there are many of us who attend her classes who feel like we've just completed an areobics lesson, Anna is energetic, a fabulous dancer, singer and teacher and many of us have been with her since childhood.
We know Anna's teaching method works, if it didn't then why are her classes full each and every time she takes a lesson, the only crazy people around right now must be the ones on the board of directors as to give up on such a successful teacher like Anna is beyond belief.
The inside of the Barnsbury Road theatre looks more like a place where black masses take place than a theatre to be creative in and on Friday evening 25th June there will be a justice rally in support of Anna outside the theatre between 5.30 and 6.30pm so if anyone from the samba bands are availible to give a boost to this demo can they kindly e-mail
community.action@btinternet.com if they have an hour to spend drumming up resistance to the board of directors? Look forward to a large presence on Friday evening as an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere so if anyone can come along please do so and their may well be an after party at the Lark in the Park pub with bands and other performers situated on Copenhagen Street N1
EVERYONE WELCOME.
P.S. Come along in what you like, be it an executioner or devotees of the black masses for fun and games.
e-mail:
Comments
Hide the following 10 comments
Re: Pamela Taylor
21.06.2004 15:29
If indeed this woman is actually that age then what the hell is she doing telling people that Anna Scher should retire for when she herself is 14 years older than Anna?
Maybe she's a little mixed up in the head and needs to see her own GP to get herself some PROCYCLIDINE tablets as thats what they give to people who've parkinsons disease.
From reading the article it looks to me like they want to do away with the place as a community theatre and turn it into a fee paying stage school as when I was last there all the pictures in the frames with Anna and her various friends were covered up with large posters and on one the new director employed by the board (ANDREW HARRIES) is trying to get a hundred quid out of anyone who wantsd to audition for a Shakespearian play if I'm not correct maybe he'd like to come on here and explain what he means by members or anyone else for that matter have to pay a hundred quid to get a place in the play if thats not trying to weed out the less confident performers and have a elite school where only the cream get in then I don't know what is?
Most of the members know that the best form of acting is improvised work this is well known as one member of our class did both Trigger Happy TV series one and two with Dom Joly and everything in it was improvised, I hope that member comes here and has his say on this as he's slowly drifted back to the old theatre in Barnsbury Road with all the other traitors so come on Patrick why have you sold out on Anna and gone back up the road where they discriminate on the grounds of another persons health?
Come on say something here as to why you've decided to return to the theatre in Barnsbury Road and why you've sold out your friend Anna Scher to a bunch of bigots?
A better actor than you
If You Say So !!!
21.06.2004 19:56
Anna has a saying which you seem to be able to follow for some unknown reason, obviously you can't hear as Anna mentions it every week "LISTENING WITH EYE CONTACT" and there's this little sing song we do in class where the chorus go something like this:
The rule, we've only got one rule, we've got a golden rule and that's to respect one another.
You don't seem to have captured the idea of what that song actually means, you should go up to Anna and ask her about it? You just might learn a thing or two.
The board discriminated against Anna on the grounds of her health, while Anna was away the board brought in Andy Smith to hold the fort until Anna could return, they then changed their minds and gave Andy Smith a contract to run the theatre full time and finally the board then decided it was time for Anna to go.
Unfortunately Anna was up for a fight, she wanted back into her spiritual home, the theatre she had founded, the theatre in Barnsbury Road, the building that bears her name and has done for more than two decades yet you with the above comment concerning Pamela Taylor are playing right into the board of directors hands, your giving them ammunition to fight back with, they'll be able to tell the press that all of us who support Anna in her campaign are only yobs looking for trouble, remember the press may be your best friend one day, then the next your worst nightmare come true so like Anna says keep it peaceful especially on Friday evening 25th June otherwise you may be the one that brings shame on our tutor Anna.
Anna also teaches us not to have big ego's, you seem to have one bigger than Canary Wharf Tower, so as my greatest talent is learnt from the best teacher to have ever taught me in a lesson, the undisputed Lennox Lewis of drama teachers the unstoppable Anna Scher, I'll say this, DON'T TALK ABOUT HOW GOOD YOU ARE, SHOW US INSTEAD.
Let's keep this rally like the last one at the Business Design Centre where Pam Taylor and Co stabbed Anna in the back and secretly re-elected each other back on the board, so if you really want to pick a fight, pick a fight with them.
Finally just like everyone else that does classes at the Barnsbury Road theatre, I like doing plays, I enjoy getting into festivals, I enjoy doing plays with others, but while this fight between Anna and the board go on, I ain't learning anything, and for me to be the best I can be I need to be doing lessons all the time and I'm not having much of a lesson when I'm with a 70 strong class and there are many who agree with me and that is the reason we go to the theatre in Barnsbury Road not because we're traitors and again you should sit down and have a chat with Anna over this to see what she has to say about it as your not helping Anna in any way you'll just loose her students from her classes who'll be fed up with people like you and go back to Barnsbury Road to learn to act.
Patrick (The Notorious Heckler)
e-mail:
notorious.heckler@btopenworld.com
Re: Anna Scher and the justice rally
23.06.2004 10:11
We also have information that a children's class will be taking place at the same time as the Justice Rally outside, members of the Guardian Angels feel that those coming out of their class may feel intimidated by the crowd across the road from the theatre.
We feel that we wouldn't be doing Anna Scher and her campaign any favours as our organisation is well known for keeping the peace, resolving violent confrontations and assisting the victims of violence, the press if anyone did become negative in their attitude towards anyone coming out from the Barnsbury Road theatre would have a field day with a headline "ANGELS FOR HIRE" even if we were not.
The Guardian Angels have an unblemished record since we first started patrolling the London Underground back in 1989.
We may all feel supportive of Anna Scher personally, but as an organisation we cannot be seen to be partisan to one group or campaign.
Due to one of our full time members also being am member of both theatre's we'd be putting him in a sticky situation, and seeing the various negative comments placed up on a web site in the past concerning members of the board and staff at the theatre in Barnsbury Road we feel there may be an element that will attend just to stir up trouble, causing intimidation on those leaving their class which we cannot condone in any form whatsoever.
Due to this being a private issue between the Friends of Anna Scher Campaign and her supporters and the board of directors of the theatre, we feel it wouldn't benefit anyone in both camps if we were in attendance.
We apologise to Anna Scher as from a personal point of view we feel she has been treated unfairly by the board of directors and seeing as we haven't been connected with the Islington area in over three years it would appear to local residents that there must be some form of trouble brewing if the Guardian Angels turned up at this event.
We ask all those who support Anna's aims to be peaceful in their protest and not disgrace Anna's good name and reputation in the community.
We hope this rally goes well and that the public and members of Anna's class keep the peace outside the main theatre?
On behalf of the London Guardian Angels we wish you all a safe peaceful protest.
Dreddzone
London Guardian Angels
e-mail:
uk@guardianangels.org
Homepage:
http://www.communigate.co.uk/london/gauk
ANNA SCHER SHOULD STAY IN EXILE
30.06.2004 00:38
FFS WHAT IS GOING ON, HER CLASSES ARE GETTING SMALLER AND WILL GET EVEN SMALLER.
WHY CANT SHE DO ACTING CLASSES ON A FRIDAY AND DO THE PEACE THING ON ANOTHER NIGHT.
PEACE PROTAGONISM IS A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
ALAN
HARRY KRI(SCHER)NER
01.07.2004 23:33
bb
You Know Where The Exit Is ???
05.07.2004 11:36
I'm not particularly religious, I used to be when I was much younger and foolish, then I opened my eyes and saw religion for what it really is, BOLLOCKS...
In the bible you read mostly of lies, deceit, betrayal, conformity, racism, trechery, Suicidal Maniacs, murder and death, new born babies put to death due to a jealous king (Herod)
Philistines crushed to death in a temple caused by a blind man named Samson after the Philistines took revenge on Samson for beating them all up, being a flash git because God was supposedly with him which made him even more brave, well where was God when the Philistines gouged out his eyes then?
Is it any wonder why we have suicide bombers these days when this interpretation of the bible where Samson cries "Let me also die with the Philistines" he proceeds to push the structure holding the temple up and the building falls in crushing himself and all the Philistines present for any maniac who's read it and feels an injustice has been done to his people and his nation will assume he or she has the right to commit suicide and kill everyone around them?
There is also a passage which goes something like this "And God gave his only begotten son to come and save the world from its sin" Well did God want to redeem himself over drowning everyone when he secretly told Noah to build an ark for himself and his family and bring only two of each kind of animal/beast on board the ark, well why did all the other animals have to die then if it were as the bible states the people who had become wicked?
Was God a bit of a joker as it states in the bible that pigs were considered unclean to eat yet they seemed to have survived the flood haven't they?
How many of you went to see the Mel Gibson movie about Jesus Christ where it made it look like the Jewish people were the most evil people on the planet, having handed Christ over to the Romans to be crucified, telling lies, jealous that Jesus could organise a bigger gathering of people than those in the temples, money changing hands, conspiring to have another human being murdered/betrayal by one of Jesus's own crew who later hanged himself as he'd finally gotten a conscience.
Oh for fuck sake wise up will you there are loads of similar passages in the bible with the above going on from start to finish if you don't conform you'll end up in the firery pits of Hell is that what God's all about or some prat that wrote his own interpretation of it all, the remainder of Jesus's disciples interpretation of what they thought we should be told?
How many kids have been either abused phyisically or sexually by the clergy over many years apart from the one's that have come to light?
How many dodgy ministers have there been claiming to be doing the work of the lord, taking 15% to 20% income of each member of the congregation each Sunday claiming its for the benefit of their church and yet we see those same ministers wearing the best designer suits and driving the latest model of car? (TALK ABOUT RUBBING OUR FACES IN IT) and those handing out their hard earned wages obviously have the brelief that they'll be able to buy their way into Heaven (HOW BLOODY STUPID CAN YOU GET?)
Every Sunday morning at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park you can view the muppets arguing who's God is better than who's so is there more than one God then?
It bloody well seems so seeing I viewed two rival factions a few weeks ago one group saying our God loves us more than your God and the other group saying "Our God is stronger than yours what the fucking hell is going on?
The Hari Krishna hand out food to those who are homeless and so do the majority of the other religious faiths but that's "CHARITY" you don't need to be religious to do that anyone can do it if they really want to.
If being religious did any of us any good why are there sceptics who read everywhere that a suicide bomber has just blown 30 or 40 people up believeing it brings them nearer to God?
For those who commented about Anna Scher's class and how its going for fuck sake say something or find the exit.
The Notorious Heckler
The Undisputed Lennox Lewis of Teachers- Anna Scher
05.07.2004 14:39
ANNA SCHER JUSTICE RALLY (Friday 25th June)
Never Mind Who I Am
Harry Kri (SCHER) na
19.07.2004 18:23
ANNA SCHER JUSTICE RALLY 9Friday 25th June)
Fuck Religion
The Great Anna Scher Theatre Rock n Roll Swindle!
25.01.2005 23:37
The truth is they should call the theatre "We're glad she's bleedin gone theatre" as every week it all spiritualism which many of you are not botherd about anyway, so why do you all constantly put up with it?
Anna for years has had her favourites, they are the one's who get to do lots of activities in her classes while the rest of you pay a fiver so Anna can go on trips around the world to see her friends like Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela who we know did 25 years in a South African jail and to be honest we feel that the prison system works in South Africa because Old Nelson never re-offended after his release.
Why are you all paying a fiver to do around a 2 minute impro where you don't even get the chance to tell a story?
If those of you really want to be actors then you really are in the wrong place and you should be considering contacting
So do you want to continue being used or do you really want to act?
INTERESTED?
Then email
The Whistleblower
e-mail:
whistleblower2005@myway.com
My Say on the matter
02.02.2005 11:38
That said however, Anna Scher came into my life when i was just a child and My Brother and Myself attended her first teaching classes in a small place in prebend street packington estate.
Now its common knowledge that Anna and myself never saw eye to eye but it never meant i never liked the woman both Anna and Charles i have always regarded as great friends.
My main problem with this whole situation is that the Theatre still remains in her name when she clearly has no say or part of the place this has to be altered IMO.
Anna I will give you and Charles a bell to chat about this and hope you are both well under the circumstances.
Everyone who attends Annas new session at The Blessed Sacrament Church in Copenhagen St
if you feel there isn't enough time for acting tell her i always did and remind her less isn't more when you are paying for the time to act and don't get a chance.
Chris Wille
e-mail:
cfwille@wight365.net