Johnson: Teachers who dare are taught a political lesson
March 11, 2006, Rocky Mountain News

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The foolishness these past weeks over classroom comments by Overland High School geography teacher Jay Bennish was never about the children.

It was barely about indoctrination, or about presenting both sides of an issue.
No, folks, the Jay Bennish affair was all about politics. It was all about retribution for the young man's prompting his advanced-placement students to take a long and critical look at the actions of the Bush administration.

I fairly laughed at the way the apologists for the noncritically thinking Republicans nearly swallowed their neckties because Jay Bennish dared compare the president to Hitler.

It was all a setup - from the way sophomore Sean Allen recorded his teacher, to the way he and his dad forwarded it to a conservative columnist, and then to talk-radio host Mike Rosen. If they didn't like it, how about just expressing their outrage to Cherry Creek Schools administrators?

In 2006 America, if you're a teacher and you blast George W. Bush and his policies - and they have you on tape! - fully expect Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly and the governor of Colorado to come for your backside.

No matter that in that very same classroom on the same day you fully challenged your students to rebut your position, to prod them into thinking critically for themselves about what you have said, an exercise that clearly is not in vogue in America among adults these days.

No, criticize current administration policies and they're going to label you an American leftist, or pinko, or some kind of communist or revolutionary terrorist.

Here is how you know the supposed Jay Bennish outrage was nothing but partisan hand-wringing: In the Colorado state Senate on Thursday, a bill was introduced that would let school districts fire teachers who fail to present both sides of an issue. Forget, for a second, how such a thing would be enforced.
And guess the political party affiliation of the two senators who introduced that nonsense.

Here is everything you need to know about the Jay Bennish affair: Come Monday, he will once again walk into his classroom. And his students - perhaps with the exception of one - will cheer wildly.
And as we flail about, nationally and locally, over Jay Bennish, another Colorado teacher is being sent packing for yet more stupid, nonsensical reasons.

What happened to Tresa Waggoner, a Bennett School District music teacher, ought to sound a shrill alarm for every teacher in America.

Her supposed sin was introducing her first-, second- and third-grade students to opera by showing them a bit of Faust, a staple from the school library.

She showed a clip of the video last fall to teach the children about bass and tenor voices, the use of props and "trouser roles" in opera ahead of an upcoming Opera Colorado performance in Bennett.
Superintendent George Sauter on Thursday told her she would remain on paid leave of absence until her contract runs out in August and would not be allowed to return to the classroom.

On Friday, Tresa Waggoner was brokenhearted.
She taught some 500 kids in the Bennett district, from high schoolers to first-graders. She is a gospel recording artist. She loves music. She loves sharing that love with children even more.
"I would never hurt a child," she said.

A lot of people say Bennett, a town of 2,500 about 25 miles east of Denver, is just an oddball little burg, citing last year's debate there over whether Mormons are actually Christians. The Mormons, it seems, were building a temple in nearby Strasburg.

But Tresa Waggoner, in an interview, did not blame the town. At a Feb. 16 school board meeting, more than 53 people appeared in her support, compared with only six who opposed her, she said.
Bennett, she said, has been wonderful to her.

Some folks think the real reason Waggoner became a target was more because of the school's Christmas play than her playing 12 minutes of Faust.

Karen Grossiant, who resigned as Bennett mayor after Tresa Waggoner was placed on leave - saying it was "the last straw" - acknowledged as much.

The true problem: Waggoner did not put Christian songs in the play. This outraged some townsfolk. She had to go.

"I did the same concert a week later in my own church with Christian songs," Tresa Waggoner said. "But in a public school, you really can't do that.

"I was told by some that the school for the last 30 years did Christmas music. They were outraged. But they never came to me."
They "hung me out to dry," she said.

What she will do next, she doesn't know. The district is paying her through August, which she says is a waste of taxpayers' money, considering they are also paying the substitute who is replacing her.
"I don't know if I will ever be able to get another teaching job," Tresa Waggoner said. "I'm taking it day by day.

"I still want to teach. I think that is what God put me on this earth to do. I am a good teacher. I know there is a place for me."

These things are rarely about the children.

Bill Johnson's column appears Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Call him at 303-892-2763 or e-mail him at johnsonw@RockyMountainNews.com.

Teacher reinstated
Bennish told to heed district policies on controversial topics
By Kevin Vaughan And Ivan Moreno, Rocky Mountain News
March 11, 2006

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Overland High School teacher Jay Bennish was reinstated Friday, clearing the way for his return to the classroom Monday with an unspecific set of directives and an admonishment to follow district policies on the teaching of controversial subjects.

Bennish, under fire for a Feb. 1 classroom lecture that included a comparison of President Bush to Adolf Hitler and other politically charged statements, will be watched closely by administrators, said Cherry Creek Schools Superintendent Monte Moses.

"Some think Mr. Bennish should be fired," Moses said. "Others think he should be praised. In my judgment, the answer is neither. Jay Bennish has promise as a teacher, but his practice and deportment need growth and refinement. He's been given this message and the directive to comply with district policies."

Moses, citing state law, declined to detail any specific action taken against Bennish.
Shortly after Moses' announcement, Bennish said he was "excited" to be headed back to the classroom.
"I'm very excited to continue encouraging students to think critically, to encourage democratic values in our society, and to promote social justice, as I always attempted to do," he said.

The student whose recording sparked the uproar said he had no regrets but that he had been hurt by the episode.

"I'd do it all over again a million times because I definitely think it was the right thing to do," said Sean Allen, 16, just before going on KHOW's Caplis & Silverman show Friday afternoon.
And while he said he is "confident" that the school district had made the right decision, he said he continued to be bothered by questions raised about his motive and about whether he altered the recording in some way - allegations that hurt "really, really deep down."

Bennish, 28, has taught social studies since the fall of 2000 at Overland, 12400 E. Jewell Ave.
But on Feb. 1, Allen recorded part of his class, much of it focused on Bush's State of the Union address the night before. During that lecture, Bennish said that some of Bush's comments reminded him of Hitler, questioned U.S. drug and foreign policy and asked students whether they could see that capitalism was a system "at odds" with compassion.

After Allen and his father gave the recording to a nationally syndicated columnist and a talk radio host, the district concluded that Bennish violated the policy requiring balance in the presentation of controversial subjects.

Friday's end of the investigation ended 10 days of intense scrutiny and debate about Bennish's comments, about free speech in the classroom and about the place of talk radio in American society.

How big has the Bennish story been?

Even President Bush weighed in on Friday, in comments at the National Newspaper Association conference in Washington. Asked whether people should have the right to free speech in the classroom, Bush said that people should be able to criticize him "all they want - and they do."

"Look," Bush said, "there are some certain basic freedoms that we've got to protect. The freedom of people to express themselves must be protected."

He said there should be only limited restraint on speech - "if, for example, someone is inciting violence, or the destruction of property, or public - causing somebody harm. But the idea of being able to express yourself is a sacred part of our society."

Bennish arrived at the district's administration building, 4700 S. Yosemite St., a few minutes before 2 p.m. and was immediately mobbed by reporters and photographers.

Nearby, a group of teenagers yelled, "Oh my God, it's that guy!" as a smiling Bennish walked into the administration building.

Bennish and his attorney, David Lane, met behind closed doors with Moses and other administrators. In the meeting, Moses gave Bennish a copy of the investigation findings, as well as a list of recommendations and suggestions.

Then Moses stepped into a conference room to face reporters and television cameras.
Moses repeatedly declined to say whether Bennish violated the district's policy on teaching controversial subjects. But he also said he would not rescind the district's earlier conclusion that Bennish had done so, and he reiterated on a number of occasions that the district was taking steps to make sure the teacher followed policy.

"The district values the principles of free speech and academic freedom, but expects them to be applied within the context of district policy, professional ethics, and common sense," Moses said. "As our policy states, 'Like any freedom, academic freedom carries responsibilities. It is not a license for abuses. It may not serve as a cloak for indoctrination.' "

Moses said he regretted that the episode hadn't been handled differently - that the district hadn't been given the chance to fully investigate Bennish's talk before it blew up into a national story.
But he also reaffirmed the right of students to record what goes on in classrooms.

"I think as a public institution, we have to recognize that anything we say, anything we do, is always open for review," Moses said. "So we won't be doing anything to restrict that or say you can't do it."
While Moses spoke, Lane stood off to one side and Bennish lingered just outside the door in a hallway.
Lane said he was satisfied with the outcome of the investigation.

"This has been a learning experience for everyone - not just for the district, but for Jay, as well," Lane said.

He also said that Bennish's "teaching style will perhaps be, as some would say, a little more fair and balanced."

Bennish then stepped into the room, spoke briefly about his joy at being returned to the classroom, and declined to say whether he violated policy. Later, walking to his car with reporters, Bennish thanked his supporters and worried that other teachers will be faced with a situation similar to his in the future.
And although Bennish said he hopes to "move forward as a united country and not a divided country," he said that classroom discussions and what teachers say will be affected by what happened to him.
"Unfortunately this is going to have a chilling effect on teachers all across the country, and I think that this is an issue that people will have to continue to deal with in the future," he said. "I think that this is certainly going to inhibit classroom discussion across the country."

Asked if he regretted comparing Bush to Hitler, Bennish smiled and said, "I think next time I would've said Mussolini. Maybe he wouldn't have gotten me in so much trouble."

What's next
" Jay Bennish will return Monday to his classroom at Overland High School, 12400 E. Jewell Ave., in Aurora.
" Overland Principal Jana Frieler is expected to make a brief statement Monday morning. She declined to comment Friday.

Decision reaction

"While teachers have the right to express personal viewpoints and opinions within the context of good judgment and the maturity of students, they also bear the responsibility to be as objective as possible and to present different sides of an issue fairly."
Monte Moses Cherry Creek Schools superintendent

"When you are standing in front of a group of students, . . . you are on the spot, and needing to think quickly. And there are going to be times when you make mistakes, and teachers do that."
State Rep. Nancy Todd Arapahoe County Democrat and former Cherry Creek social studies teacher

"I will continue to try and improve myself as a teacher, to be the most effective teacher I can be, and encourage students to think critically about issues that affect our society and our world."
Jay Bennish Overland High School teacher

Copyright 2006, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.

Overland student to switch schools
By Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain News
March 11, 2006

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Sean Allen is satisfied with the decision by Cherry Creek Schools to allow Jay Bennish back into the classroom, but he won't be among the controversial geography teacher's students.In a radio interview Friday afternoon, the 16-year-old sophomore made famous by his decision to record Bennish's lecture questioning the policies of President Bush said he will transfer out of Overland High School.

But the media-savvy teen remained steadfast that he did the right thing. "This sparked a national debate that is really getting kids to question their teachers, and hopefully a lot more of this will happen - a lot more tape recording of teachers who are definitely in the wrong," Allen said before going on the Caplis & Silverman show on KHOW-AM (630). "I believe teachers should have nothing to hide," he said.
Allen said Bennish was clearly foisting his own political beliefs upon his students. He also said he would have done exactly the same thing had Bennish been praising Bush. "Indoctrination is indoctrination is indoctrination," Allen said on the radio show.

Allen described Bennish as a "good geography teacher" - if he'd stick to the curriculum. And, during a break in the taping, he showed a shade of empathy for Bennish, who has been on paid leave since the controversy erupted. "There is a point where I feel bad for him," Allen said. "He's apparently gotten death threats, but a lot of the things he has done are completely, 100 percent childish."

Allen praised the school district for taking an extended amount of time "to fully investigate the situation."
Despite his apparent comfort in the limelight, Allen admitted being "overwhelmed" by the politically charged firestorm he created and said the past nine days have changed his life. He said he is still receiving positive and negative e-mail messages. He said he feels threatened by many of the negative ones that have trickled in through his MySpace.com Web site. He said he was approached by some Bennish supporters at a restaurant Thursday and was confronted "in a threatening manner."
"Between now and when this whole thing started, I had some scary times and scary moments that have made me question going back," he said.

Allen said he reported some threats to Aurora police.
Allen hasn't gone back to Overland since his recording was aired on The Mike Rosen show on KOA-AM (850) a week and a half ago. Allen said he'll begin classes next week at Cherry Creek High School - maybe.

"If I have any fears whatsoever that someone's going to corner him in the bathroom, he's not going," said Sean's father, Jeff Allen.
On the radio show, Jeff Allen said he never anticipated his son's MP3 recording would provoke such a huge response.
"Sean and I had no clue it could possibly get to this level," said Jeff Allen, 50. "That was never, ever our intention. I heard on one of the talk shows Sean and I are right-wing nuts and this was our chance to get our 15 minutes of fame. You can have it right back."

During Friday's radio appearance, Jeff Allen tapped the table when Sean Allen persisted in debating Bennish's attorney David Lane on whose First Amendment rights were violated. Lane was also on the show, but not in the studio.

"Move on. Move on," an exasperated Jeff Allen said. When his son put forth his position, a grinning Jeff Allen quickly transformed into the doting father, awed by his son's public speaking and debating skills.
Sean Allen said he now considers the matter "closed."

He wants to focus on things other than the next round of media appearances. The budding stand-up comic wants to write more comedy sketches as well as suspense-filled fiction. And he may add some political writing to his repertory.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/education/article/0,1299,DRMN_957_4532693,00.html

Senate kills proposal for firing teachers
By April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News
March 11, 2006

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A proposal that would make it easier for school districts to fire teachers who don't give students both sides of an issue got the boot in the Senate on Friday.
The amendment targeted the controversial action of Overland High School teacher Jay Bennish.
Bennish came under fire and was put on a paid leave from Cherry Creek Schools after he gave a classroom lecture in which he questioned U.S. foreign policy and President Bush, comparing Bush's statements to speeches made by Adolf Hitler.
He was reinstated Friday.
Democrats called the amendment, proposed by Sen. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, a knee-jerk reaction to a single classroom lecture.
Although they struck down the amendment, senators gave initial approval to the original bill, SB 176, by Sen. Nancy Spence, R-Centennial. It clarifies grounds on which a school district may deny, revoke or suspend an educator's licenses.
Lamborn said Bennish's critical comments about Bush gave rise to his amendment.
He argued a tougher state statute is needed to give school districts more leeway to terminate a teacher who has a pattern of not presenting both sides of an issue.
"I believe in the future Cherry Creek should be more free to dismiss someone who consistently doesn't present a balanced viewpoint," said Lamborn, who is running for the 5th Congressional District seat.
Democrats, who have an 18-17 majority in the Senate, disagreed and noted that school districts already have policies requiring balance in teaching controversial issues.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -4 P.M. FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2006
Contact: Tustin Amole, Public Information Officer, 720 554-4436

Upon completion of a thorough investigation regarding a complaint about comments and actions by Mr. Jay Bennish, he has been reinstated into his teaching position at Overland High School. The reinstatement is effective Monday, March 13, 2006.

Some think Mr. Bennish should be fired. Others think he should be praised. In my judgment, the answer is neither. Jay Bennish has promise as a teacher, but his practice and deportment need growth and refinement.

Mr. Bennish, like all teachers, is expected to follow the letter and spirit of policy IMB, Teaching About Controversial/Sensitive Issues. The district values the principles of free speech and academic freedom, but expects them to be applied within the context of district policy, professional ethics, and common sense. As our policy states, "Like any freedom, academic freedom carries responsibilities. It is not a license for abuses. It may not serve as a cloak for indoctrination."

The policy goes on to say, "Each teacher has the right and obligation to teach about controversial issues." While teachers have the right to express personal viewpoints and opinions within the context of good judgment and the maturity of students, they also bear the responsibility to be as objective as possible and to present different sides of an issue fairly. The Cherry Creek School District reaffirms its values in respect to fair-minded presentations, and will be unwavering in their actualization. The district's policy conforms to federal and state law, and it is a primary instrument for protecting free speech and academic freedom in our schools.

Our policy has been in place for many years. During that period, a multitude of controversial and sensitive issues have been skillfully addressed by Cherry Creek teachers with the support of the administration and community because of the willingness to present different perspectives in an intellectually honest way. This tradition has evolved not by accident, but as a result of deliberate efforts by teachers and administrators, and it is the one we expect Mr. Bennish to follow.

The mission of the Cherry Creek School District is "to inspire every student to think, to learn, to achieve, to care." It would be impossible to realize the mission without discussing controversial subjects on occasion - in fact it helps engage student interest - but the topics must be presented in a tactful and balanced manner so that students can readily develop their own values, attitudes, and personalities.

We will use this event as an opportunity to reinforce district expectations to all teachers, and to ensure that district curriculum guidelines are followed in every classroom. Controversial issues are to be addressed as they pertain to the attainment of specific course objectives. This approach makes the material relevant within the scope of the curriculum, and ensures that students and teachers stay focused on the primary content for the particular subject and course.

The Cherry Creek School District prides itself on addressing concerns and complaints forthrightly and openly. These issues are best resolved in face to face meetings between the teacher, student, and parents, and if still unresolved, with building administration, and ultimately district administration if needed. As we move forward, we pledge to be expeditious, fair, and professional in addressing any concern or complaint brought to our attention, and hope to have the cooperation of families in that endeavor.

District officials have been in regular contact with the family of the Overland student who made the original complaint and recorded the tape that many have heard and discussed. The district is working with the family to assist the young man in making a positive re-entry into school, whether it be at Overland or another school.

The controversy is regrettable in many respects, with strained relationships and upsetting emotional impact. But seen in another light, it has been a civics lesson for students and adults alike. Despite the disagreements that surround the incident, virtually everyone believes that controversial subjects should be taught in our schools, but always in a professional and objective way.

The students, parents, and staff of Overland High School have expressed many different viewpoints, but remained supportive of one another. I thank them for demonstrating we are, above all, a learning institution.

To inspire every student to think, to learn, to achieve, to care

http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/bennish/bennishStatement.doc

However, the Editors of Rocky Mountain News believe that Jay Bennish is a danger to the children:

Unsatisfying end to Bennish affair
What was the punishment?
March 11, 2006

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Given the legal difficulties in getting rid of incompetent teachers these days, Cherry Creek officials may have gone as far as they dared Friday in disciplining Overland's Jay Bennish for his political rants in the classroom. Even so, Bennish's return to school Monday ought to trouble district parents, in part because it isn't clear that he really intends to change his ways.
"Jay Bennish has promise as a teacher," Superintendent Monte Moses said in a two-page statement, "but his practice and deportment need growth and refinement."
Yes, that's one way of putting it. And how will Cherry Creek ensure his "growth and refinement"? The public doesn't know because the district won't say, citing confidentiality in personnel matters.
But the disciplining of Bennish also goes to the heart of how the district maintains its own teaching standards. Does the public really have no right to some appreciation of how, in this case, that is going to be done?
Will Bennish's class be monitored on a regular basis by Overland's principal or another district official? Will he be mentored by a senior teacher of widely recognized talent? Is there training he will have to undergo?
Or is he being released with a reprimand and his promise to be a good boy?
Cherry Creek not only failed to reveal the nature of its oversight of Bennish - or even if there will be any, since there obviously wasn't any in the past - it also continued right through Friday to present his offense as mainly one of lack of balance. District officials refused throughout the controversy to assert publicly and forthrightly their clear legal right to tell any teacher to stop wasting precious class time on a fringe theory or viewpoint - even if other perspectives are provided.
The district's inexplicable reticence played into the hands of Bennish's attorney, David Lane. Late in the week, for example, Lane asserted that his client is unrepentant but will reform his ways by "giving both sides more contemporaneously. When he gives the yin, give the yang right then and there - don't wait a day, don't wait an hour, don't wait a week. Put it all out at the same time."
By this standard, a teacher could offer a unit on whether the Holocaust occurred -after all, some people claim it didn't - so long as he provided a sufficient counterweight to such outrageous views.
Listen to the Bennish recording. It exposes a teacher who doesn't merely fail to provide "balance." Bennish - a teacher of "promise," remember - deals solely in caricature, boilerplate and black-and-white imagery. He mangles fact after fact (no, the Jews in what became Israel did not assassinate the British prime minister, to cite just one of numerous stumbles). He can't even serve up a measured, sophisticated case for his own radical views, let alone offer a fair counterweight.
But the next time he compares President Bush to Hitler, or declares capitalism in conflict with humanity, it will be enough for him, apparently, to provide students with an equally sophomoric understanding of an opposing view.

Somehow we are not reassured.
http://search.rockymountainnews.com/sp?aff=&keywords=Jay+Bennish

Colorado Music Teacher Defends Screening of Faust Video
By Vivien Schweitzer
February 3, 2006

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Tresa Waggoner, the Colorado music teacher whose attempts to introduce local children to opera drew a storm of criticism, has decided to take legal action after being forced to take administrative leave from the Bennett School.

As of January 30, following a meeting with school officials where she was told she "was not a good fit," she has been put on paid administrative leave pending an investigation. Waggoner told PlaybillArts today that she doesn't "want to be made the sacrificial lamb" and risk ruining her teaching career.

The controversy began after Waggoner, who teaches elementary, middle and high school students at the K-12 school in a small town about 25 miles east of Denver, tried to pique the curiosity of the first, second, and third graders in one of her classes about opera. She chose a video of Gounod's Faust (which she found on the classroom shelf) to teach the children about bass and tenor voices, the use of props, and "trouser roles" in opera.

The latter, she says, led to accusations that the married mother of two was a lesbian promoting homosexuality; the plot of Faust, where the title character sells his soul to the devil to recapture his youth, led to her being labeled a devil worshipper.

The uproar began about a week later, when Waggoner was contacted by a mother asking why her daughter had watched a video on the devil. Waggoner believes that the incident was a catalyst for parents to express their frustration about the school's December 9 annual concert. According to Waggoner, the parent said, "I don't understand why you wouldn't let the kids sing Christmas songs, but you'll show them a video on the devil." Ironically, Waggoner says, she had chosen a diverse repertoire for the concert in order to avoid offending the community's non-Christians.

Parents were given a copy of the video, but not told that their children had only been shown about ten minutes of it; they then "demanded nothing less than her termination," Waggoner said.

Waggoner is the liturgist for the Brighton Presbyterian church, which she attends weekly; the minister and congregation have defended her as a "woman of God." She added: "It's unbelievable that people think I'm a devil worshipper! But we are talking about very ignorant, conservative people. You say 'homosexual' and they are up in arms!"

Waggoner is particularly frustrated, she said, that the school didn't stand up to the minority of parents who demanded her dismissal, pointing out that only 11 out of 200 students had been pulled from her classes. She has received numerous letters and phone calls of support from teachers, students, and parents. Following the incident, however, scheduled performances by Opera Colorado at the school have been cancelled.

"I want fight for what's right," Waggoner said. "The biggest travesty is the childrens' education." When initially asked what they knew about the opera, she said, her students said, "fat women screaming," "people yelling in Viking hats," and "I hate it." After seeing the Faust video, "they got excited by opera, but now they associate it with a four letter word," Waggoner said.

Branded a devil worshipping lesbian, Tresa Waggoner knows why God doesn't belong in school; Queerday.com, February 07, 2006:

Tresa Waggoner, the Colorado music teacher who tried to introduce her students to opera and wound up forced to take administrative leave, is taking legal action against the Bennett School. Teaching at a K-12 school 25 miles east of Denver, Waggoner chose a video of Gounod's Faust, from the classroom shelf, to teach about bass and tenor voices, the use of props and trouser roles in opera. The latter resulted in the married mother of two accused of being accused of being a lesbian promoting homosexuality to school, and her choice of Faust got her labeled as a devil worshipper.

Wikipedia: Breeches - or Trouser's - Role
A breeches role (also pants role or trouser role) is a role in which an actress appears in male clothing (breeches being tight-fitting knee-length pants, the standard male garment at the time breeches roles were introduced). In opera it can also refer to any male character that is sung and acted by a female singer. In the case of a woman playing the role of a young man, the part is often filled by a mezzo soprano or contralto.

The operatic concept of the breeches role assumes that the character is male, and the audience accepts him as such, even knowing that the actor is not. By contrast, a female opera character who dresses in male clothing to deceive other characters - that is, who plays a woman pretending to be a man (e.g. Gilda in Rigoletto) - is not considered a breeches role.

Because non-musical stage plays generally have no requirements for vocal range, they do not usually contain breeches roles in the same sense as opera. Some plays do have male roles that were written for adult female actors, and (for other practical reasons) are usually played by women (e.g. Peter Pan); these could be considered modern-era breeches roles. However, in most cases, the choice of a female actor to play a male character is made at the production level; Hamlet is not a breeches role, but Sarah Bernhardt once played Hamlet as a breeches role. When a play is spoken of as "containing" a breeches role, this does mean a role where a female character pretends to be a man and uses male clothing as a disguise, the reverse of its usage in opera.

History
When the London theatres re-opened in 1660, the first professional actresses appeared on the public stage, replacing the Shakespeare era's boys in dresses. To see real women speak the risqué dialogue of Restoration comedy and show off their bodies on stage was a great novelty, and soon the even greater sensation was introduced of women wearing male clothes on stage. Out of some 375 plays produced on the London stage between 1660 and 1700, it has been calculated that 89, nearly a quarter, contained one or more roles for actresses in male clothes (see Howe). Practically every Restoration actress appeared in trousers at some time, and breeches roles would even be inserted gratuitously in revivals of older plays.

The most common kind of breeches role in the 17th century is one where a woman character puts on male disguise in order to overcome some obstacle to marrying her lover.

Some critics, for example Jacqueline Pearson, have argued that these cross-dressing roles subvert conventional gender roles by allowing women to imitate the roistering and sexually aggressive behaviour of male Restoration rakes, but Elizabeth Howe has objected in a detailed study that the male disguise was "little more than yet another means of displaying the actress as a sexual object". The discovery of the character's real gender on stage often involved a discovery of her breasts, and there are many references in prologues and diaries of the period to the fascination of seeing the actress' buttocks, hips, and legs, normally hidden by a skirt, outlined by the male outfit. The epilogue to Thomas Southerne's Sir Anthony Love (1690) suggests that it doesn't much matter if the play is dull, as long as it offers a view of the famous breeches actress Susanna Mountfort's (aka Susanna Verbruggen) legs:

You'l hear with Patience a dull Scene, to see,
In a contented lazy waggery,
The Female Mountford bare above the knee.
Breeches roles remained an attraction on the British stage for centuries, but their fascination gradually declined as the difference in real-life male and female clothing became less extreme. They played a part in burlesque, and are traditional for the principal boy in pantomime.

Opera
Historically, the list of roles that is considered to be breeches roles is constantly changing, depending on the tastes of the opera-going public and the choices of the opera director. In early Italian opera, many leading operatic roles were assigned to a castrato, a male with a very strong and high voice. These roles were to be played by men. As the practice of castrating boy singers faded, the roles drifted into the trouser mezzo-soprano arena, for only women were trained to sing that high. (See Xerxes below.)

Currently, many of these roles are being reclaimed by men. As the training and use of counter-tenors becomes more common, there are more men with these very high voices to sing these roles. (They are not as powerful as a castrato, but they are not castrated either.) Some composers, such as the late Benjamin Britten, have begun writing roles for counter-tenors. Oberon in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream is a great example, but many mezzos have sung this role also, making it also a trouser role.

Casting directors are left with odd choices. Consider the role of the young Prince Orlofsky, in Die Fledermaus. Both men and women commonly sing the role. When played by a mezzo, the prince looks like a woman, but sounds like a boy. When played by a counter-tenor, he looks like a man, but sings like a woman. This disparity is made even clearer if, as in this case, there is also spoken dialoge.

There is a closely related term called a skirt role. This is a female character to be played by a male singer, usually for comic or visual effect. These roles are often ugly step-sisters or very old women, and are not as common as trouser roles. Britten's Madwomen in Curlew River and the witch in Hansel und Gretel are examples.

Operas with breeches roles include:

Berlioz's Benvenuto Cellini has the pants role "Ascanio"
Donizetti's Alahor in Granata: the role of Hassem
Donizetti's Anna Bolena: the role of Smeton is sung by a mezzo-soprano
DvoYák's Rusalka: the role of the Kitchen Boy
Gounod's Faust: Siebel is sung by a mezzo-soprano
Gounod's Romeo and Juliet: Stefano is sung by a mezzo-soprano
Handel's Xerxes: the title role Xerxes is played by a mezzo-soprano
Haydn's La Canterina: the role of Don Ettore
Englebert Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel: Hansel is sung by a mezzo-soprano
Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro: Cherubino is played by a mezzo-soprano
Jacques Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann: Nicklausse is sung by a mezzo-soprano
Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier: Oktavian is sung by a mezzo-soprano
Verdi's A Masked Ball: Oscar, Gustavus III's page, is sung by a soprano

References
Howe, Elizabeth (1992). The First English Actresses: Women and Drama 16601700. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pearson, Jacqueline (1988). The Prostituted Muse: Images of Women and Women Dramatists 1642-1737. New York: St. Martin's Press.

7-year old Autumn Ashante is not immune from attack either:

BETTER OR VERSE
By DAVID ANDREATTA Education Reporter, NY POST

LINK

YOUNGSTER'S BLACK-POWER POEM RILES SCHOOL
A 7-year-old prodigy unleashed a firestorm when she recited a poem she wrote comparing Christopher Columbus and Charles Darwin to "pirates" and "vampires" who robbed blacks of their identities and human rights.

Hundreds of parents of Peekskill middle- and high-school students received a recorded phone message last week apologizing for little Autum Ashante's poem, titled "White Nationalism Put U in Bondage."

"Black lands taken from your hands, by vampires with no remorse," the aspiring actress and poet wrote. "They took the gold, the wisdom and all the storytellers. They took the black women, with the black man weak. Made to watch as they changed the paradigm of our village.

"Yeah white nationalism is what put you in bondage. Pirates and vampires like Columbus, Morgan and Darwin."

Autum was invited to speak at the Westchester schools on Feb. 28 by Melvin Bolden, a music teacher at the middle school who advises the high school's Black Culture Club and is a member of the Peekskill City Council.

Autum, whose résumé includes several television appearances and performances at the Apollo Theater and the African Burial Ground in Manhattan, told The Post that her poem was meant to instill pride in black students and to encourage them to steer clear of violence.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with my poem. I was trying to tell them the straight-up truth," Autum said. "I'm trying to tell them not to fight because they're killing the brothers and sisters."

Autum, who is home-schooled in Mount Vernon and speaks several languages, prefaced her performance at the high school with a Black Panthers' pledge asking black youngsters to not harm one another.

It did not sit well with parents.

In a telephone interview with The Post, Bolden said Autum has been "unofficially" banned from performing in a district school again and that school officials would review transcripts of future speakers.

"It's unfortunate, because some teachers said they wanted this little girl to explain the things she said to their students, but some parents don't want her on school grounds," Bolden said.

"(The poem) might have been a little too aggressive for what the middle-school kids are ready to handle," Bolden added.

Kimberly Greene, a mother of children in the high school and middle school, said she was shocked when she got the recorded phone message.

"If there are people who are upset about what she said, the schools should have talked about and analyzed it rather than send a message to everyone saying this little girl was offensive," Greene said.

Autum's father, Batin Ashante, said he can't believe the fuss over his daughter's poem.

"She's a little girl who does poetry about real things. She doesn't do poetry about cotton candy," Ashante said. "She's a serious little person."

david.andreatta@nypost.com