Theatre Class Addict

I am finding out how hard it is for me to willfully step into inappropriate comments.  For so many years, I have had to monitor every word that came out of my mouth to make sure it was appropriate for the classroom.  Not that  I wanted to be some foul talking sailor, but I do enjoy an off-color comment or two.  Now I can.  I can say mean, even hateful things at the TV without reprocusison.  No one is going to go home to tell their mothers.  No student who has suddenly taken a dislike in me is going to be able to parse through my words and weaponize them for the principal.  As I said, I am NOT foul mouthed – I love language too much – – but it is nice to live with the foot a little less heavy on the “appropriateness” brake.

One thing that I never was able to do in high school was to direct a MainStage play with just two male actors/characters.  Obviously, we had a greater number of students to serve and certainly most of them were female.  BUT, in my reading of plays, I have found the very best of scenes and plays to involve the conflict between two males.  Even most of the female playwrights that I know seem to prefer to write about men instead of women.  I KNOW this is sexist and backward thinking – but their is an entire litany of male-dominated plays that are too too good to pass up.  When I have had my rest and WHEN this DAMNED COVID thing is over I would love hook up with a good community theatre and try my hands at a play I have always wanted to do… but been unable.

As I got seniors ready for college, we always had a good talk about “talent.”   They knew that it was “talent” that schools were looking for and “talent” that they somehow were needing to convince a school that they had in spades.  They asked me how they could GET this thing called talent.  In my opinion it isn’t a question of tricks and things that you can add TO your acting – – you are not a trained monkey.  To me, acting is the ability to let all of your tricks behind, lower the mask a little and just let a piece of you shine through without excuses and judgement – and HOPE that the piece that you chose to share with the adjudicators is one that allows your simple honesty to shine forth.

Some of my former students are making their annual calls to get advice on which colleges they should shoot for.  Of course, their lists are comprised of every recognizable top-ten theatre school in the country.  I mean who doesn’t want to go to NYU or Juilliard (given that one’s parents have more money than they need).  I try to lead them to either schools that really won’t take them out of Florida or ideally schools in the midwest where some SUPERIOR programs simply go ignored.  “But what about NYU?” they respond, “aren’t they the BEST?”  Truly NYU is one of the finest theatre schools in the country but they are a NAME BRAND.  What you are paying for is their esteemed league of alumni who will give you the best list of contracts to pursue after graduation.  But do you need the NAME BRAND in undergraduate training?  Wouldn’t it be best to get as good of an education for less money – and then – if you feel a name brand would help, pursue that in graduate school.  But, consider education like toothpaste – – when it all comes down to it, doesn’t the store brand get your teeth just as clean?

I had some bad students.  I remember them.  We did not get along.  They made my time in the classroom and my lessons distracted.  They made me recheck my retirement package NOT a few times.  I remember working so hard to get a fresh start with these students, but nothing seemed help.  We just weren’t going to be pals on this journey of education.  But now they are not 18 any more – are are well into their thirties.  I just happened to see one at the grocery store yesterday.  They were with their young child that was throwing somewhat of a tantrum over the difficulty of getting a cookie – – and I thought – and not in the kindest way – welcome to karma, young lady.  Now who is going to experience those long, long repitions of “please be quiet”  Mean? Yes.  But rewarding?  Absolutely.