By Adam Sieff and Esther Zuckerman
The Edinburgh project that sent hundreds of students to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland to perform before public audiences during the summer has been âpermanently canceledâ due to âfiscal and logistical reasons,â program coordinator and English teacher Eric Schrode announced in an e-mail to more than 50 former program participants and parents last Friday.
âIt is with disappointment and regret,â Schrode said in the e-mail, âthat I write to you to announce that the Edinburgh project has mounted its last productions and would no longer be part of the Harvard-Westlake landscape.â
Schrode said that he had been in discussions with Head of Harvard-Westlake Jeanne Huybrechts and President Thomas C. Hudnut regarding the continuation of the program.
However, when reached for comment, Huybrechts said she was âsurprised and shockedâ that Schrode had announced the cancellation.
âWe had been discussing the future of the program for some time, and we were even scheduled to meet on Tuesday,â she said.
The program last year involved 81 students, a large undertaking that included the transportation of scenery, instruments and technical items to Scotland. One of the program coordinators, Will Adashek â01, was also unaware of the cancellation.
âIt was surprising,â Adashek said, âbut at the same time, the program is such a huge undertaking that a lot of factors need to be in place in order for everything to work out as planned.â
âThe decision was entirely Schrodeâs,â Huybrechts said. âWe are totally supportive of Edinburgh continuing as it has in the past or as a scaled down version of what it has been in the past.â
Schrode declined to comment on the deliberations.
âWhen push comes to shove,â Schrode said, âthe decision was mine.â
