the theatre, the theatre...
OK, yesterday was two dress rehearsals, interrupted by US Awards. Today was two shows, with senior dinner in between. I had to jog from St. Luke's to the VST to get there in time for my scene, but I was very happy that I got to go to the dinner--I had a good group of people at my table, and I think I left only a couple of minutes before the senior video anyway, so the time for visiting with people was pretty much over.
I have really liked my students this year--which is not to say that I don't usually, but I get very nostalgic this time of year, which makes me recall with fondness the good times and the funny times with this year's group. Because for all the stresses--and they are many, believe me--associated with various aspects of working at st. john's, I do as a whole and as individuals enjoy my students.
Even, for example, the eight Lower Schoolers who are my urchins in the Fagin number. They're very nice to me--most of them don't know my name, so they say "Hi, Fagin!" when I come in or pass them in the hallway backstage, and several of them always tell me "Good job!" or give me a high five or touch fists after our number. It's kinda nice.
Elva told me that she thinks the reason we're one of the best numbers in the show (perhaps a touch of loyal bias there, but hey!) is that I actually interact with the kids--I sing to them and respond to them as fellow actors in the number instead of using them as movable props and just singing my number to the audience. My response is, actually, well, duh. That's what you're supposed to do. Which it is. But perhaps others don't? I dunno. I do know, as some of you do, that I have a ... different way of treating people younger than I am than many people do.
I think it comes down to the fact that I think people are first of all, people, before they're anything else. Afterwards, they are different in many ways--age, knowledge, skills, background, language, wealth, interests, etc., etc. But first, we're all people, more defined by our common humanity than by anything else. Only afterwards do the differences arise. I have to say that I believe, unlike many people the age of most of my readers, in treating people older than I with respect--not a popular attitude these days, but I believe in it partly out of awareness that even if I'm smarter/more successful than they, the mere years they have lived are bound to have brought some insights from which I can learn if I'm open-minded enough to do so. And I expect people younger than I to treat me with somewhat the same approach, partly because it's good for them (as it is for me) to curb their natural arrogance and partly because I do actually have things people can learn from me. The difference between me and a lot of people my age may be that I know I can learn (and have learned, of course) much from people younger than I as well--not just those my own age or older.
Take even this scene from the Lower School musical. I don't suppose many of the other adult actors feel they've learned anythng from the 4th and 5th graders with whom they work, but I have (and obviously, I've learned from the director, who is quite good, btw--and is the wife of Charles Krohn, a former SJS teacher (my drama teacher when I was in fourth grade) and long-time member of the Alley's Repertory Company--and she's been on Broadway herself!). I've learned a coin trick from one of them; I've learned how much time they need me to give them in various scenes, how they need me to interact, when to speed up the scene, when to slow it down so they can pick their appropriate pocket. And when in rehearsal something would not quite work, I would talk to the kid(s) involved to get their input as to what they felt we should do differently. Sometimes I would just do it (or try to); sometimes, I would tell them I didn't think I could do what they wanted and we needed to try to work out a different solution. The result of this is, I think, that they have become more comfortable with me and quite supportive of me (as I said above). Listening to the interactions of the other adults with the kids in their scenes, I don't hear much of that kind of camaraderie--only with one other, a girl who's about 24 or so and thus much closer to their age.
Anyway, I guess that's enough ramble. I'm tired and for a bit of reading before bed.
I have really liked my students this year--which is not to say that I don't usually, but I get very nostalgic this time of year, which makes me recall with fondness the good times and the funny times with this year's group. Because for all the stresses--and they are many, believe me--associated with various aspects of working at st. john's, I do as a whole and as individuals enjoy my students.
Even, for example, the eight Lower Schoolers who are my urchins in the Fagin number. They're very nice to me--most of them don't know my name, so they say "Hi, Fagin!" when I come in or pass them in the hallway backstage, and several of them always tell me "Good job!" or give me a high five or touch fists after our number. It's kinda nice.
Elva told me that she thinks the reason we're one of the best numbers in the show (perhaps a touch of loyal bias there, but hey!) is that I actually interact with the kids--I sing to them and respond to them as fellow actors in the number instead of using them as movable props and just singing my number to the audience. My response is, actually, well, duh. That's what you're supposed to do. Which it is. But perhaps others don't? I dunno. I do know, as some of you do, that I have a ... different way of treating people younger than I am than many people do.
I think it comes down to the fact that I think people are first of all, people, before they're anything else. Afterwards, they are different in many ways--age, knowledge, skills, background, language, wealth, interests, etc., etc. But first, we're all people, more defined by our common humanity than by anything else. Only afterwards do the differences arise. I have to say that I believe, unlike many people the age of most of my readers, in treating people older than I with respect--not a popular attitude these days, but I believe in it partly out of awareness that even if I'm smarter/more successful than they, the mere years they have lived are bound to have brought some insights from which I can learn if I'm open-minded enough to do so. And I expect people younger than I to treat me with somewhat the same approach, partly because it's good for them (as it is for me) to curb their natural arrogance and partly because I do actually have things people can learn from me. The difference between me and a lot of people my age may be that I know I can learn (and have learned, of course) much from people younger than I as well--not just those my own age or older.
Take even this scene from the Lower School musical. I don't suppose many of the other adult actors feel they've learned anythng from the 4th and 5th graders with whom they work, but I have (and obviously, I've learned from the director, who is quite good, btw--and is the wife of Charles Krohn, a former SJS teacher (my drama teacher when I was in fourth grade) and long-time member of the Alley's Repertory Company--and she's been on Broadway herself!). I've learned a coin trick from one of them; I've learned how much time they need me to give them in various scenes, how they need me to interact, when to speed up the scene, when to slow it down so they can pick their appropriate pocket. And when in rehearsal something would not quite work, I would talk to the kid(s) involved to get their input as to what they felt we should do differently. Sometimes I would just do it (or try to); sometimes, I would tell them I didn't think I could do what they wanted and we needed to try to work out a different solution. The result of this is, I think, that they have become more comfortable with me and quite supportive of me (as I said above). Listening to the interactions of the other adults with the kids in their scenes, I don't hear much of that kind of camaraderie--only with one other, a girl who's about 24 or so and thus much closer to their age.
Anyway, I guess that's enough ramble. I'm tired and for a bit of reading before bed.