Betsy DeVos: The Musical!
Theater teacher Quinn Strassel has seen first hand the impact that Betsy DeVos has had on Michigan’s public schools. And so he decided to fight back, by writing a musical. Strassel grew up and attended schools in Ypsilanti, MI, where he was schooled in the theatrical arts by teacher Diane Hill. Ypsilanti’s acclaimed theater program no longer exists—under Michigan’s “schools of choice” policy, the subject of episode #68, school districts compete against each other for students and the funding that comes with them, and working class districts like Ypsilanti have not fared well. But enough with the bleak back story! Diane Hill, now an award-winning actress, plays the part of Betsy DeVos in Quinn’s musical. Jennifer was lucky enough to get to be in the audience when Quinn staged a reading. In the latest episode of Have You Heard, you get to listen in on Betsy DeVos!: the Musical! and hear Quinn talk about his effort to make a serious point by getting us all laughing, Note: Quinn is currently raising funds to stage a professional, fully realized production next summer leading into the 2020 election. If you want to support his efforts, click here.
Betsy DeVos: The Musical! – Have You Heard