Children and Art

Happy Memorial Day to you all!

The end of the school year has come unbelievably fast (hence my delay in posting). We have 4 days of school left – hurrah! Then begins the crazy summer o’ travel. I just added another trip to the roster. I’ll be going to San Diego for a training conference for a class I just agreed to teach. It actually seems like an interesting program – it’s designed to encourage the students who get lost in the middle to go to college, particularly those who would be first generation college students. It’s going to make for a crazy year next year (5 preps, not counting advisory or the musical), but interesting.

In Advanced Drama, we had an exciting wrap up to the year. My friend Heidi brought one of her May Term classes of college students to conduct small-group workshops with my students. That was followed by their class joining ours for the first part of our Drama Day field trip. We went to see “The Miracle Worker”, the “Five Guys Named Moe”. In between shows, we went to the mall to get lunch. The shows were great, and even better, so were my students! The worst that happened is a group of them got bored and had me paged over the mall’s PA system. A choir teacher a few years ago took a group of students out to lunch on a field trip and two of them were arrested for possession after being search for shoplifting – I panicked about similar stupidity, but then again, I know these kids and my faith in them was rewarded. We even arrived at the second show a good hour before curtain and my kids kept themselves entertained by playing “Red Rover” on the field in front of the theater. Aw, cute.

I bid farewell to that class on Thursday, since that was really our last official session. We did the formal positive letters to each other, and I gave each of them a drama masks pin and a class photo (thanks to Shutterfly). They were very sweet. Many of them hugged me and said “I love you”. Heaven help me, I love them too. This really was a good year.

Learning to be Silent

I can't quite believe it, but we have finished our shows for the year. Last week my Advanced Drama kids performed for the school Shakespeare Festival, which marked the end. Now all that's left is 5 weeks of school, 3 concerts, 2 awards nights, and 1 assembly. It is going to go so fast!

Have I mentioned my summer plans yet? I applied for a grant from the NEH to attend a summer institute program for teachers at Smith College. Thanks to that grant, I get to spend an entire month "summering in the Berkshires"; that is, studying Macbeth and Julius Caesar through Shakespeare and Company. Hurrah!


In other news, Janelle, Kelley, and I are planning our trip to New York as well. We've got a hotel, plane tickets, and yesterday I bought tickets to "The Drowsy Chaperone". At a good price, too. Also on my list is:
Slava's Snowshow
Sweeny Todd
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Bridge and Tunnel
[title of show]
Threepenny Opera


So there should be some good blogging topics this summer. I plan on posting during the Shakespeare institute, since I figure it will be a fruitful time for ideas. In the meanwhile, I can't seem to go without working on shows, so currently I am browsing possibilities for next year's musical. I wish Janelle and Kelley were a little more obsessive, so they could join me in my madness. They are pretty compliant, which is nice for collaboration, and I understand why they are not as into it as I am. Kelley's got her husband and daughter, and Janelle's pregnant with her first. I know their home lives come first, which is fine. I figure I'll indulge my time while I am free to do so. Yesterday, a group of teachers on a committee at school went south to Happy Valley to observe a middle school there. I met the theater teacher, and we got to talk for a bit. It was really nice to have someone to talk to who is just as interested in and knowledgeable about musicals as me. It's the lot of theater teachers, I think, to be a bit isolated in their subject areas. It's a shame we don't get the chance to collaborate/visit more.

That school had a tiny theater, though. Their current production has 16 people in it. 16! So tiny!

TTFN

Me

If you can't get enough of my life....

http://beentherereadthat.googlepages.com/

(Mostly lists so far. We'll see how it developes.)

We Dance!

And another show done!

Yes, after a crazy week (year?), our production of “Once on This Island” was a smashing success. Here’s the rundown:

Monday – During classes I worked with my techies to hang the curtains from the catwalks above our cyc. The curtains are courtesy my parents/IKEA, and did a wonderfully job covering the ugly design of that part of the stage. After school - double dress rehearsal. We ran the show twice through, then dismissed the cast to go get some sleep. Most of them at this point were sick, so the sleep was critical, particularly given the early morning to come. Once the cast was gone, I stayed with a few of the faithful students to finish painting the set. We wrapped up at about 9:30pm, after Kim pried a paintbrush from my hands and refused to let me touch up the mural any more. She’s a great stage manager.

Tuesday – Remarkably, I woke up on time (4:30am). I arrived at school at about 5:30 am, and the students likewise came early. We had a terrific time with the Fox news people, who featured us on their morning show between 6:00am and 8:30am. Then followed a morning performance for elementary school kids, photo call, a break for lunch, and an afternoon elementary school show. The casts did quite well with those performances, and the kids seemed to love it. After school, we gave some notes to the casts, then Janelle insisted I go home. Home! By 5:00pm! It felt… weird.

Wednesday – Assembly for our school in the morning. It was just a teaser – so I stopped the show about 15 minutes from the ending, at a cliff-hanger moment:

Ti Moune dances for Andrea and Daniel
Andrea: (to Daniel) Well, it’s very clear/she’s in love with you./Daniel, if you care,/if you care at all,/you must tell her-
Ti Moune: What is it?
Me: (walking out on stage as the actors freeze in place) If you want to know, come see the play tonight, tomorrow ni-
Audience: BOO!

They booed me! It was outstanding. Other teachers told me they heard conversations all day debating what Andrea’s news was. Excellent.

That evening was officially opening night. 350 people, $1500 net profit, and a decent performance. I was happy. I also fell asleep literally in the middle of eating dinner.

Thursday: Last performance for Cast A. The entire cast did marvelous! They even earned a partial standing ovation. I was thrilled with them, and they were ecstatic. 500+ people, $2245.

Friday: Final performance. So good! A great turn out, and a full standing ovation afterwards. A lot of tears and hugs and flowers and cheering and such. My family came to see the show, as did some of my friends, which was wonderful. I haven’t heard the official tallies yet, but hopefully tomorrow.

I love my kids. That’s the ultimate sentiment I felt this week.
Tomorrow: cast party, techie show, and we begin strike. Whoo!

You'll See

Ahh.

I feel better. After church today, I kicked into gear and finally did some much-needed housework. Five loads of laundry, two loads of dishes, a good vacuuming, and a bit of organization later, and I am feeling much more at peace with my apartment. I am by no means done (you should see the pile I have to iron), but it sure feels good.

Last week, I worked from 7:30am to 10:00pm each day except Friday. I would have done the same on Friday, but the school won’t let me. The set is almost finished, and the dress rehearsals on Friday went pretty well. It was actually rather fun. We did loose a lead (every dang show!), but thanks to double-casting, that’s causing no real stress. No arrests – she just had a conflict with a rehearsal and had to make a really touch decision. As Janelle pointed out, we’re really acting better for her in the long run if she learns from choices like these now. So we stuck to the rules we had established from the beginning, and she lost her part to attend the other commitment.

Tomorrow is our last chance to rehearse before the news broadcast and the elementary school shows on Tuesday. Tomorrow’s also the beginning of 4th quarter at school, which seems so secondary right now. Four of my classes are changing, so I hope I get some understanding students. They will have to be patient with me this week.

I am going to have a bit of supper now, then off to bed. I’ll try to keep you updated on the show as next week progresses!

Make Them Hear You (reprise)

Yes! I am repeating a post title. I feel it's justified, though, given a) my much improved mood and b) one of the causes of that upturn.

After another hard-to-sleep night (thoughts of the show just kept running through my mind. Even once I feel asleep, I just dreamed about the play - we moved the show outside, and I was distressed about getting the sound to work over the wind, blocking on a hill, etc.), I woke up tired, naturally. Towards the begining of the day, though, the sound guy from the district came to check out our system. Dear Janelle took my class, I pulled my techie Josh out of class, and we went to the booth with Jerry. He spent about an hour with us, repairing microphones, agjusting frequencies, and teaching both of us how to actually work the soundboard beyond the basics. The results? At rehearsal today we heard everyone, and I didn't even have to be up in the booth! Ah - glorious!

Other happiness included getting the props I ordered from Oriental Trading, having a mom bring back finished scarves AND volunteer to sew even more, and in general having a good day.

I have found my optimism again, thank goodness. I just hope it sticks!

Make Them Hear You

I do this every year.

Two weeks to showtime, ten rehearsals left, and I am stressed.

On one hand, we are actually ahead of schedule. Kelley, Janelle, and I wound up delivering our "guilt-the cast" speeches yesterday ("We've put so much into this show"..."How dare you waste our time by not knowing your part"..."You will be on stage in two weeks, not us"...etc.). I realized afterwards that we delivered the speech a week before normal. That's probably a good thing.

My dear mother also fielded my usual "It's never gonna happen!" venting phone call ahead of schedule, as she pointed out today.

Basically, I am just stressed. It will come together - it always does. I just need to trust my cast to pull it together... and figure out how to add three more hours to the day. Mmm. That would be marvelous. Did any of you (besides my sister) watch that show "Out of This World"? I have always envied Evie's ability to freeze time. Oh, for that power! You can keep your mind control or ability to fly - give me more time!

I do this every year. Nope, remembering that doesn't help.

Ev'rybody's Gotta Be Somewhere

Photos!

Andy, Dad, and I at Sunset









California Cauliflower











Dad and I at the Farmer's Market










The ceiling at Cantor's Deli











Dad enjoying Cantor's Menu









Dad and I on the terrace at the Getty










Artwork to inspire my set











Andy outside his old preschool











Venice Beach Artwork

Sleep Tite

Hello again, O Faithful Readers!I apologize for my long absence. Most of you are quite aware of my schedule, so I hope you will excuse me. I thought I would post a run-down on the last month, though:

1. Went to LA with my parents and brother. Outstanding trip, especially the Getty, which has become one of my top 3 museums - great collection, excellent layout, very pleasant. This trip provided a much-needed escape from the state. I'll post pictures as soon as I upload them.

2. Hosted a benefit concert for my school in conjunction with one of the school's business
partners. It went... it went. The performers were pretty good, but mostly this was just one more task to get through for me. Definitely the lowest on my show-priority list. Speaking of...

3. The Relief Society play was this week. It's over, so hurrah. While I am looking forward to having my Tuesday nights back, and while I am already enjoying my now-free Saturdays, it was an interesting experience to work with adult actors. Given all of the last-minutes adjustments, the performance actually went rather well. Apparently, the stake president even got teary – a sign of spiritual success, I guess. Personally, I’m just glad it’s done so I can focus on “Island”.

4. “Island” is going pretty well. Our set is underway, most of the special effects are worked out, Monday we go off book, and I spent tonight knitting frog fur. Yes, frog fur. Let’s just say it’s an experiment. Oh, and our show’s going to be on the news. It’s odd, but of all of the stress of shows, the thing I’m most worried about is having to be at school by 5:30 am one morning in order to do this news broadcast. Huh. In any case, I am please to report that so far the only arrest to interrupt rehearsals actually wasn’t one of my actors. Which brings us to

5. Kelley (the dance teacher) and I got in a little scuffle with a crazy, stoned high school kid named “Curly Sue” who crashed our rehearsal on Wednesday. The short version of the story is that the guy made a break for it after shoving Kelley around and calling us both… well… use your imagination. Pretty much any swearing you can think of, he used it. As he ran across the parking lot, Kelley and I chased him until an awesome ninth-grader tackled the druggie in a Superman-esque leap. We wondered what took the detective so long to respond to our requests for help until we learned he was breaking up a fight and arresting a different kid at the time. Ah, spring.

So there’s a quick run down on the major events of the last month. I’ll try to get back in the habit of posting, especially now that I’m down to one show. In the meanwhile, happy March and watch out for curly-haired, stick-wielding strangers.

Incidentally, if any of you are aware of any teacher-education programs that include courses on self-defense, let me know. It wasn’t covered in my degree, although it has proven useful. :)

Diva's Lament

Another found picture:

When I took my job at school here, I found two giant (6' diameter) coins backstage. No one's claimed them thus far, so when we needed to build a clock for our fall play, I decided to paint over one of the coins.
My techie protested vehemently. For reasons I cannot fathom, Techie practically threw himself between the coin and my paintbrush, arguing that it was sacrilegious to paint over a president. I finally managed to talk him away from the coin by promising that I wouldn't touch the other one backstage. This did not stop him from grieving over the passing of the coin, as seen here.

Farewell, dead president coin, you served us well.

Wickeder

I just uploaded some images from my camera and found this picture. Last semester, we held a performing arts assembly. The choirs sang, the dancers danced, my kids did "Rapunzel Uncut", the band performed, and we found we had 15 minutes or so to fill. Kelley volunteered to dance, so Janelle and I decided to combine our talents and do a little something from Wicked. And, as any of you who know me are well aware, I can't resist an occasion to dress up. So here we are just after our performance of "What is This Feeling?"

(Which, incidentally, is one of the braver things I've done in my life. To speak in public is one thing, but for me to get up on stage in front of 1400 people and sing? Yikes. But I did it, by golly!)

Something There

On Wednesday this week I accompanied a group of students from my school to the high school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast”. I have been hearing raves about this high school’s musicals for a while now (incidentally, I never even hear about the straight plays. I assume they do them, but the fact that no word of it carries down is one of the reasons why I am not inclined to do an after school non-musical – they’re just not as popular), so I went with high expectations.

They did… okay. Some of the set was nicely designed, and the singing was pretty good. I was delighted to find we are not the only school who has mike problems. Their orchestra did well for a tricky show, but it confirmed my choice to avoid live accompaniment as long as possible. I guess I was expecting more given their reputation. I’ve been out of touch with high school performances, so I may be too harsh. I did rejoice a little (silently) that our “Seussical” was just a good, though. Our choreography was definitely better, thanks to Kelley’s phenomenal work.

Perhaps I am too critical of shows. My students enjoyed it – they praised it nicely in class the next day. The thing is, I stopped being able to simply sit back and watch a play a long time ago. When I see a play, my mind races. I am constantly 1) scanning the production for ideas to use in the future and 2) thinking about what I would do differently. It’s enjoyable for me, but I am not so sure about those who ask me what I think about it.

Ultimately, I decided we won’t be doing “Beauty and Beast” anytime soon. It’s just not a great show. The dialogue is stilted, and there’s not much room for development or new interpretations. I mean, there’s only so many ways an actor can become a teapot on stage. And when the costumes take away most physical choices an actors makes, it becomes a show about the costumes, rather than the characters. There’s just no way to do that show without spending a fortune. If I were going to do a Disney show, I’d much rather do “Lion King”. Of course, I’d love to direct “Aida” as well, but somehow I don’t see that one getting approved by our principal. Drat.

I enjoyed seeing my former students on stage again, though, especially in a show that I wasn’t involved with. I felt a rather parental-like surge of pride whenever they came on stage, which was a little odd. Oh, and I had a current student up there, too, although I never noticed him. My dear stage manager volunteered to do tech work on their show, so he moved some set pieces on and off and worked their fly system a bit. When I told him after the show that I didn’t see him at all, he did a little happy dance. I loved it – he bought a long sleeved black shirt just so he could wear the proper techie uniform. He was all decked out in black, right down to the piece of duct tape over the logo on his black baseball cap. My little techie’s growing up! And my conversation with him about his work after the show is an archetype of what I love about this age. I’ve watched him become a techie, rather than having him come to me ready-made. Who’d have thought I’d love teaching junior high? But, you know? I do.

Prayer of the Comfort Counselor

Well, "Island" is cast. And it was a tough one! We held three days of call backs this week to pick the leads, after a few days of workshops and a long Friday of auditions. We told the kids we would post the list on Thursday. They took that to mean 7:30 am, when the students are allowed in the building. Except Kelley, Janelle, and I were still casting at that time. Actually, it was just about at 7:30 that we made our decisions. The problem is that we still needed to type the list - which involves sorting and checking all of the names of everyone who audtioned (148, by the way). So, as a crowd gathered outside my closed classroom door and began to pound on it ("We know you're in there!"), Kelley, Janelle, and I decided to meet during 6th period to finish the list and post it. I wrote a note on a piece of paper and opened my door just enough to slap the note on the front of it and slam it shut again. As I walked back over to Kelley and Janelle, we heard a collective "Argh!" from outside. It was actually pretty amusing. For us, anyway.

So we finished the list and posted it just before the last period started. Screams, tears, hugs, et cetera flooded my room. I think my favorite reaction was Cody. He ran into my room. From the hallway I heard him scream "I love you Miss W.!" and next thing I knew, he had thrown his arms around me in a bear hug. That's the kind of casting I like. What I hate are the students like the one I found an hour after school got out, crying in the hallway. I tried to talk to him, explain things a little, but he just seemed embarased that he couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks.

The thing is, I've been there. I know what it's like to not be cast, or to not get the part you want. So when I cast a show, I empathize with these kids - I know what they're feeling. I try to remember that I lived through it, and if they ever want to do any kind of theater, they need to experience rejection. Still, I want to make them all feel like Cody. My high school theater director used to post lists on a Friday, and he would always have a substitute that day - he would have three days before having to see any of the actors who auditioned. College was just as distant, and other theater companies "posted" with phone calls to the actors. I don't know what it's like for my kids - to have their directors right there when they see the list. I don't know if talking to the upset students helps or just makes them feel worse. I hope it's a good thing to have the three of us around.

In any case, the long part (for now) is done. Janelle, Kelley, and I went to lunch on Friday (end of the quarter - so it was a teacher work day) and worked out a rehearsal calendar. A smart move we made was delaying the first rehearsal to Tuesday. We have time to plan, and the kids have time to calm down. Another good idea we've developed is creating section leaders. We're appointing students for each area (1 for each set of leads, 1 for the dances, and 1 for each section of the chorus) - they will be the ones who take roll, track behavior problems, and communicate with the cast groups. Hopefully, this will help us keep a better eye on our 148 students.

I am excited, though. I've been looking forward to this show for a while, and it's nice to get it officially underway.

A bientot!

In a Little While

Sorry for the delay. While I have had a hiatus between shows, things have still been busy. It's concert season at school - I've had a concert to supervise stage crew during every Wednesday this month. It's been fun to see the students perform in such different capacities, but I'm ready for a break.

I'm watching "Once Upon a Mattress" as I type this. While I am thrilled to see musicals making a comeback, this one has been sliced down for TV and seems to be targeting the 10-year-old girls. The costumes are fun, and I like the castle set; but this show is definitely better on stage. Still, exposure is exposure, right? And I am still offering extra credit to my students for watching.

I am enjoying the supporting cast, too. Tom Smothers is charming as the king, and Carol Burnett plays well for the camera. Denis O'Hare is old enough to compliment Tracy Ullman as Winifred, but he also plays Dauntless with a cute naivete. Plus, Matthew Morrison is just plain yummy. I miss the depth you get in the fuller version, though.

While we're on the topic of movie musicals, I should say a word about Rent. I didn't like the added sexuality (as if the play doesn't have enough as it is), but I think I liked the show overall. I don't think it will make any new fans, either, but for what it represents in a revival of the movie musical. I hope "Producers" is decent enough to pull in more than the Mel Brooks/Broadway crowds.

Speaking of Mel Brooks, do you know what his latest project is? A Broadway Musical version of "Young Frankenstein". Yup. That's right - Hollywood's attraction to Broadway has nothing on Broadway's infatuation with Hollywood. Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, The Producers, Mary Poppins, Tarzan, The Wedding Singer... the two coasts are getting closer and closer together....

Another Day

And another show down!

The elementary school performance went splendidly. The audience, all 850 of them, was fully engaged and responsive for the entire show!
Thursday night had a typical weeknight audience - quiet and smaller, but they still enjoyed the show. The actors were a little thrown by the difference between that audience and the kids of that morning, so the show itself was shakier. They pulled themselves together, though, and we had a near-perfect show on Friday.

Overall, we made about $1200 dollars, which after deducting the cost of the show, brings in about $550 profit. I was happy, though, that the quality of the performances has really gone up, while my nerves during shows have calmed. It seemed, well, doable in a rather simple way, if doing a show can ever be simple.
No one else dropped out, although two of them came close at the last minute. The lights worked, my actors were loud enough to be heard (glory be!), and everyone seems happy with it. My kids even got me a lovely bouquet of roses and kept it a secret! There was an "incident" our school detective took care of, which only reinforced my growing support for sterilization as a legal consequence. I'll tell you about this particular incidence of stupidity sometime, perhaps. Other than that, it was a pretty smooth run.

After the show, I had about ten hours to rest before conducting auditions for the Relief Society play. Those also went well - we had 20 show up, and 20 parts to cast for. Now they just need to all show up to the read-through on Wednesday....

It's Only a Play

Dearest readers,

Well, it's hell week - hence my infrequent posting. The Advanced Drama play opens in two days. On Thursday, we perform first for the elementary schools, then in the evening for families, etc. And again in the evening on Friday.
Last Friday, my wonderful students came in on a day off to rehearse. It was rather fun, actually. The costumes are from various time periods and countries of origin, but colorful, characteristic, and fun. The shows are funny, and all of us now know the hustle. A-wa-hoo.
Mmm... Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire commercial on tv....

Anyway, I am in post-painting, pre-show tiredness. I have been reading the twelfth book of "A Series of Unfortunate Events", but I keep dozing off.

Here's two odd things about the play: 1) My actors are indeed better this year than before. They seem more focused and dedicated. This I love.
2) Producing plays seems to be getting easier. Time and energy-consuming, yes, but somehow less taxing overall. Things are just running... smoother.

Okay, bed soon. After "Arrested Development".

Fingers crossed for the play this week!

Run, Freedom, Run!

Well. I had hoped that with our fall play being a class production, I wouldn't run into what has become expected - kids dropping out of the show. In fact, every play I've done at KJHS, I have had at least one actor (in a minor or major lead) miss a show. Alas, this time is no different. In fact, we're well on our way to a new record of leads dropping out.
The first, the evil stepfather, I forgive, since he handled it rather responsibly. He realized about a week after I casted the show that it would be too much for him to handle his class load and memorize lines, so he dropped the class. Fine. I moved the male understudy into that part, and he's been doing wonderfully.
The second, the Godfather, I have to forgive. He dropped out a month into it because of religious reasons. His father objected to the implication of magic in the play, so this student dropped his part. Harder to replace, since I'm short on guys anyway, so the female understudy is now this character. Oy.
I thought I was in the clear. Two leads out, and relatively early, too. I was wrong.
I learned today that one of my narrators ran away from home over the weekend. When she is found, she will not be coming back to our school.
I don't mean to sound unconcerned. I actually am worried about her safety, but I also tend to be rather...focused... as the show draws closer.
I do have two weeks to get the part covered, so I think I'll have an actress with a smaller part take the narrator's on in addition to her own.
I just hope everyone else is in for the long haul, and I don't have to do any more part shuffling. Two weeks. We can do it.
(knock on wood)

And All That Jazz

Hello from a 26-year-old!

Yes, another birthday has come and gone. As one friend said, "Huh. I guess you're still young enough to want to celebrate those." Yes I am!

Trip update:
Last weekend I went to Chicago with mia familia. The excuse was Dad's AAO meeting. What a great town! The weather was gorgeous, excellent museums (especially the Art Institute), a great aquarium, and a giant chrome bean. We had some wonderful food, saw Wicked (which was excellent, by the way. I had no idea Ana Gasteyer could sing so well! I actually liked this production better than the one in New York), and shopped, of course. Tres amusant!

I eased back into school this week, thanks to UEA. That's the annual teacher's convention for our state, which is always conviently scheduled at the start of hunting season. Utah does have its own culture, it seems. In any case, we had Thursday and Friday off school. And I have kept busy.
Thursday: Janelle and I went to the convention to get free stuff. We spent the morning browsing the vendor booths. Best one? Staples. A whole canvas bag of office supply goodies (Janelle and I are both office supply junkies).
After that, we grabbed lunch at Mocha Salsa, then went to her house for a beauty session with her friend Christine. Janelle did her nails, and I dyed my hair. Exciting, since I have never done that before. I did get "Midnight Black", but my hair only went a couple of shades darker, which my mother will be happy to hear. I actually kind of like it. I can see how hair dying gets addicting.
After an hour or so in a bookstore, I went to an institute class with my grandmother.
Friday: I taught a workshop on drama in the classroom at Westminster College, thanks to an invite from my friend, Heidi. That afternoon, Heidi and I met with our writing group to swap some new pieces and continue work on our "Edgy-cators" show. Then I went home, cleaned my apartment, and watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Janelle and Christine.
Saturday: I slept in, did my elliptical routine, and went shopping for props (including Rapunzel's hair, a giant book of fairy tales, and paint for our set). I spent the night watching Blue and painting the book of fairy tales.

I'm having fun, luckily, even though October is zipping by.

Toodle-oo, my friends. I'll post some Chicago pictures when I get them uploaded. For now, here's my favorite shot of the trip (taken by my Dad):

TTFN!

Only in New York

5 shows in 2 days, baby!
Last Friday I flew to NYC to see mon ami Jason and, of course, to see shows.
Thanks to a prolonged wait at the baggage claim, and a slow A train to town, I arrived with just enough time for us to toss my suitcase in his room and dash off to see Wicked.
Pretty good show! It was terribly satisfying to finally know the whole plot of the show, instead of just what I could piece together from the CD and the book it was based on.
I liked the show far better than I liked the book. The music is just wonderful. The gal who played Glinda did a great job. Ben Vereen is a relic (not necessarily in a bad way), and Rue McClanahan gave a fine example of the Rex Harrison school of "singing". The best part was how they weaved the references to the original "Oz" in. I am looking forward to seeing it again next weekend.

After the show, we grabbed a falafel from a hole-in-the-wall next to the dorms and decided to take advantage of being in a big city, and went to a midnight showing of Proof. It took us a wee bit to find the theater, but we only missed the first minute or so. The movie was actually rather faithful to the play. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Fine acting, good script (of course!), and it reiterated to me why I love films so much - they are just so much more intimate than theater (ironic, I know).

We slept in the next morning, then walked around NYU. Such a great campus! Then we changed for the opera and headed to the Met at Lincoln Center. They were doing La Boheme with sets that almost made me cry with happiness. It was so fantastic. That is, however, what you get when you hire Franco Zeffirelli to design them. Seriously, though. Sets to make me cry.

After the opera, we had dinner at the Gray Dog Cafe, next to the dorms. We shopped at the best-named bookstore ever (see photos below). I was good - I only bought 3 books. Which was remarkable, given the price. Then it was off to "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee".

Putnam County was hilarious! They had an excellent set-up in the lobby. The cast was outstanding. I enjoyed seeing a show in a smaller space, too. The show lacked the spectacle of "Wicked" and other multi-million dollar shows, but in some ways it was a better production. Not to be cheesy, but it had more heart. Plus the fact that I could easily name students of mine to match each and every character on stage. If you get a chance, go see this show. Or you'll just have to wait until I have my community theater and I direct it. :)

Because we weren't tired enough, we actually went to another movie that night - Serenity. I was worried at first about falling asleep, but this movie was so great. I have to say the best part, as with "Lord of the Rings" was seeing it with fans. They lost all restraint and reacted quite vocally the second half of the movie. My two favorite moments were 1) when the fans vocalized the full gamut of emotions ("Gasp!" "Awww!" <> <>) at the sight of two key characters "getting it on" and 2) The guy who said "Oh, s***!" loudly at the sight of the Reavers, so caught up was he in the action on screen.
Aside from the fans, it really is a good movie. Proved even more so by Jason's enjoyment of it without ever having seen an episode of "Firefly".

We slept in again the next morning, then got a mandatory breakfast of bagels, lox, and cream cheese, and shopped Soho. Back to the dorms to get my bags, and off to the airport.

As a final piece of advice to you, let me caution this: When flying out of New York, be sure to check not only your flight time, but the airport as well. Because going to JFK when your flight's out of Newark is a costly mistake. You can imagine the scenario, but I will tell you this: the guy at the movie was not the only one who swore this weekend.

Au revoir, mes amis!

I Want to be a Part of It

Pictures from the trip:
1. Jason at the NYU library
2. Me at the opera (avec gloves and glasses!)
3. The two of us outside Lincoln Center
4. The best name for a bookstore ever!

The Book Report

After a long process, Tom's book has been published. It's not widely circulating yet, but hey, it's online!

http://www.byubookstore.com/ePOS/this_category=93&store=439&item_number=1-56684-627-7&form=shared3/gm/detail.html&design=439

Here's a picture of the two authors:

Spread a Little Sunshine

Happy Saturday to you all!

Things have been crazy here. I've casted the Advanced Drama play for the fall. I think it turned out well, too. I tried to get a balance of talent with those who need/deserve larger parts than they've gotten in the past. These are such fun kids, I'm really looking forward to seeing how their characters turn out.

I had a chance to go on a business trip to LA this week. I went with some other faculty members from my school to tour some Urban Learning Center-based schools in downtown LA. They were fascinating! They are doing such cool things there. We can back with tons of ideas, and a fantastic new energy for change at our school. The next step is to figure out 1) our immediate and long-term goals and 2) how we break the news to the rest of the faculty, particularly those who are... resistant to change.

The surprising thing about this trip was my realization that if my school was truly committed to making the changes we talked about, I would actually be okay about staying put. For a while. If I can travel in the summer, I would really like to be a part of reforming our school. Our principal seems enthusiastic, too, about buffing up our growing reputation as a performing arts school. He even mentioned the idea of Kelley, Janelle, and I going to New York to observe school programs there.

I'll stick in some photos from the trip, although I won't be in any of them, since I was the one behind the camera.

I'll give you a full report of the shows I see next weekend in New York.

Until then, TTFN!

LA Trip Photos

A mural at Foshay Learning Center











Beach time!












Here's JP showing off one of the awesome hallways at Foshay Learning Center. They brought in the artist who does the House of Blues to help with the painting.

Three Little Maids from School Are We

Greetings, dear readers, after far too long of a neglectful period on my part. I do apologize. I have been rather wiped out in the evenings lately, thus my apparently abandonment.

School has begun again! This marks the beginning of my 3rd year at KJHS, and I am happy to report that I am glad to be there. Difficult as it is at times, I do like my job.

I have been given more drama classes this year than before, and they are all packed with students. I am teaching the usual Advanced Drama class (year long, 43 students), two 8th grade Intro-to-Drama classes (a quarter long, about 35 students each), and a ninth grade Drama 1 class (semester-long, 37 students). My other two classes are new to me and to the school. They consist of about 35 7th graders (And how I detested them at first. There are clear reasons why I got a secondary certificate and not an elementary certificate. I am liking them better now, but I still miss abstract thought!). Those classes are also a quarter long, and focus on reading and writing skills.

It's quite the change in my schedule. Four preps is a lot (five if you count my advisory class); however, it's nice to find that a pattern for my curriculum has developed for my Drama 1 classes. I know pretty much what I want to teach then and when, which does cut down on my mental prep time, if not on the preparation of materials.

Tuesday I will hold the auditions for our Advanced Drama play this fall. Given the size of the class, I choose to do two shorter plays in order so everyone could have a part. I also thought it might be fun to try some children's theater with my students, so we'll be doing "Twinderella" (the story of Cinderella and her long lost twin, Bob), and "Rapunzel Uncut" (the "real" story). We have two evening performances scheduled for November, but I wanted to try something new. So, I sent out invitations to our final in-class dress rehearsal to two elementary schools. They've replied and we will have an audience of about 800 1st-6th graders there! I'm not convinced our principal understood what I was proposing when I asked him if I could do such a thing, but he always enjoys anything that makes him look good, so hopefully that won't be too much of a problem. I should probably warn him about the size of the crowd, though....

My own theatrical needs are soon going to be delightfully satisfied, as well as my travel needs. In about a week, I'll be going on my first business trip. My school has won a hefty grant this year, and representatives from each of our departments will be sent to LA to observe other schools who have won the grant. I'm going to represent the English department, and the great thing is that we finagled it so Janelle will represent Music and Kelley will go for P.E. It should be quite fun to go look at other schools with my friends (and have it all paid for to boot!).

About two weeks after that, I'll be going to NYC to visit my friend, Jason. He's just begun his first year of law school at NYU and no sooner had he been accepted than I picked a weekend and bought theater tickets. We'll be seeing "Wicked" on Friday night, a matinee of "La Boheme" at the Met, and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" on Saturday night. Hurrah!

As if that's not enough, two weeks after that, I get to go with my family to Chicago for a weekend. "Wicked" is just opening up there, so we'll be going on Friday night. Then the rest will be delightful tourism, museums, and, of course, great meals as my parents celebrate being NIGJ (Not In Grand Junction).

Ah. There is nothing like having trips in my immediate future to make me perfectly satisfied in the present.

I do have other shows I'm working on right now, one for my church and one that my friend Heidi and I are slowly creating, as well as my preparations for our spring musical. This should be quite the theatrical year, in any case. Hopefully, it will inspire many entertaining blog postings.

If I'm awake, that is. :)

Another Openin', Another Show

Here are some stage shots from "Six Characters":





The show went pretty well. We had more people in the audience than on stage both nights - hoorah!

Easy as a Life

Six Characters in Search of an Author
August 9 and 10, 7:30 pm
Stage Right Theater Company
5001 Highland Drive

and I'm playing... a director! Talk about typecasting. At least I'm getting better at not directing the play itself. Given my role in theater for the past few years as a director and the fact that I am playing a director in this play, it was difficult at first to refrain from blocking the other actors in the play. :)
I really like this read-through format, though. It's much more blocked than I expected. The lack of stress is wonderful - performances are imminent and I still like theater!
My brother's in the show now, too. He came into town with me on Tuesday. We saw Howl's Moving Castle on Wednesday, and The Island yesterday, both of which I'd recommend.
TTFN!

Dear Reader

Hola, my friends, and happy summering to you all.
I have officially returned from my travels for a bit now, and have re-entered the theatrical world. My friend Teresa talked me into auditioning with her for a staged reading of Pirandello's "Six Characters in Search of an Author". And guess what? We were both cast! Teresa as the step-daughter and myself as the manager/director.
Today was the first read-through with the cast. This should be rather intersting - we only have five rehearsals; and will perform with only suggestive costumes, minimal blocking, on book, and on the set of their current full production. Aside from being a new experience for me as an actor, I get to do it with cher Teresa (always a delight!).
For those of you in town, the show is August 9 and 10, 7:30pm, at the Stage Right Theater Company (the dates listed on their website are incorrect - it is indeed the 9th and 10th).
Au revoir!

Can You Picture That?

Here are some photos from my recent trips....

Statues and Stories

Bonjour my friends!

I apologize for the delay in posting. I have been traveling, traveling, traveling!
For example:
Currently I am in Grand Junction.
Yesterday, I was in Baltimore, Maryland.
The day before, I was in Chincoteague, VA.
Three days before that, I was in Washington, DC.
A week before that, I was in Grand Junction.
A week before that, I was in Newport Beach, CA.

It has been delightful! A family reunion at the Pacific Ocean, and visiting with two dear friends near the Atlantic Ocean. I will tell you this: The Atlantic Ocean is indeed warmer.

Places of interest I have been recently:
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure
Ikea (CA)
Universal Studios Hollywood
Arches National Park
Mount Vernon
The National Archives
The Mall in DC on the 4th of July (fireworks, baby!)
Lexington Market
The Kennedy Center
The National Gallery of Art
The Museum of American History
Ikea (MD)
The Folger Shakespeare Library
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
The National Catherdral
Delaware
Chincoteague, VA
Assoteague Island
The Washington, DC LDS Temple
and various airports.

I have been having a grand time, actually. I am not ready for school yet, so thank goodness I still have a few weeks. I did, however, have my students in mind on these trips. I got some materials for my classes at some of the museums in DC, and I am saving up some good stories to share with them about what I did on my summer vacation (including 1) goin' shootin' and 2) goin' clammin').

I will post some photos from these adventures at some point in time.
Till then, mon amis, bon vacance!