Feels Like Home

"I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me." -Ponyboy, from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

I taught this quote to my students last semester at YES and now it's the story of my life. Go figure. I miss those kids, too. Hmm.

So here's a curious story. I had a problem teaching yesterday, though I must say it's the best "issue" I've ever had teaching. My River Oaks students apparently love my class because they figured out how to leave the playground early and head to my classroom. Half of my class did this actually, but unfortunately the teacher whose planning time they interrupted isn't a very nice person. She reported them to the After School coordinator. I wasn't even on campus then! Later, I assured the coordinator that I had not asked the students to come early, haha. Meantime, we have been working on an original skit inspired by our reading of one of my favorite children's books, The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales. My students have created loosely the same story and added many original commercials, which are parodies of fairy tales. They'll perform for a small audience next week.

I really love the life I live right now. (OK, so the opening and completely unrelated quote reveals it isn't all peachy keen, but I am including what I prefer to think of. Asserting my right as author to overlook details, or "lie to myself," if you will. Yeah, I'm talkin' to you. In the world of literary terms, that's called an apostrophe.) For the next month, the majority of my close friends are nearby and I can spend quality time with them. Plus, my life is brimming with theatre. Drown me in it, I say. :) I saw the opening night performance of Glengarry Glen Ross at the Alley last night, the Early Stages show Manzi: The Young Adventures of Cesar Chavez today, and next week I'll see opening night for Steel Magnolias at the Alley. I also recently saw The Mineola Twins and a screening of the movie, The Women, both at Stages Repertory Theatre. Dennis Huston (my favorite professor from Rice) led the post-screening discussion, which is part of the Stages Surround series, focusing this year on Women Playwrights. I became interested in the playwright of The Women (used to be a play - most great movies stem from the written word, dahlings!) and found out, among other things, that Clare Boothe Luce shares my birthday - April 10.

At the Glengarry Glen Ross cast party, I met someone whose career is actually to do the type of background research on plays I enjoy to do because I'm a big dork. Amy Steele is the Alley's resident dramaturg and I enjoyed chatting with her about her job, as well as meeting more Resident Company actors. Then today, after seeing the EarlyStages show, she, MaryScott (Alley Education & Community Outreach Director), and I picked up lunch on our way back to work. We talked about shows the Alley has done in arena (stage with audience on 3 or all 4 sides), the best productions it's had, and the problems with current plays for young audiences. Amy and I decided to spend a day next week watching tapes of some previous Alley performances. This type of conversation floored me - I love it, and it's work-related. I don't see how it can get any better than this. At work, I've completed two Study Guides for Teachers, published an article in Audience, the Alley's newsletter, compiled education games for teaching artists, and am reading a book by Jack Zipes, detailing his Neighborhood Bridges project at The Children's Theatre Company (amazing professional theatre for young audiences, only one to win a Tony for outstanding regional theatre). Then I spend afternoons teaching drama to elementary school kids, designing the curriculum however I want to.

This summer, I will be an education intern for the Williamstown Theatre Festival. My primary responsibility is THE CHILDREN. :) The Greylock Theatre Project works exclusively with underprivileged kids from the North Adams housing project. I will also get to see a full season of Broadway-quality shows, company performances, and play readings during the 2 months that I am in the Berkshires, which I hear is beautiful during summer. From September through the following June, I'll be living in Princeton, New Jersey as Education Teaching Artist intern for McCarter Theatre. They produce a small season of plays and are a huge performing arts venue, bringing classical music, jazz, cabaret, world passport, and dance series performances. There, I will be co-teaching classes at school residencies and at the theatre, leading workshops, and coordinating the Student Matinee program for about 20 performances. I can't wait for the challenge and to leave Texas and live somewhere else for a spell. And I find "spell" appropriate wording because this past year's good luck and my resulting future plans hold a great deal of magic for me.