Monthly Archives: August 2016

I have just received a picture of a dear student who is now sitting in his newly claimed dorm room, smiling at the camera and ready to take college life by the tail. I have not seen or heard from him sense those emotional good-byes at graduation. Read more →

Today I found myself in class bringing up the class that WAS; the successes that WERE; the passion and effort put in by those who have passed into the great college beyond. I meant it in good spirit. I was not trying to speak poorly of those in front of me – but the students last year did set a new high bar for the department and the class. They brought so much fire and passion to their varied talents. Entire classes were created and re-ordered just to accommodate their enthusiasm. But that was then. . . Read more →

The new school year has started. All gathered in the classrooms that were much cleaner then when we left them in June. Those blue linoleum floors just shined with pasty polish and that school smell was back in play.

What struck me this year was how much everyone didn’t know. Didn’t everyone already take Theatre History? I mean I have been teaching it for 26 years – shouldn’t everyone have gotten it by now? Why am I having to go back over the Major Dramatic Curve? Come on, I have lectured over and over on this . . . Do we really need to go through that “upstage/downstage lecture” again? Weren’t you listening to me? Read more →