And now for my next trick...
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| Thu, 08-30-2007 - 5:24pm |
Okay, I don't really have a pithy sentence to follow that title. I just felt like saying it.
My posting is going to be pretty limited for the next couple of weeks. I'm doing what my fellow thespians refer to as "Theatre Penance". Simply put, I'm helping out a friend-in-need who's directing a show I despise (Sound of Music) by working backstage. I'm about two steps away from duct tapping the Von Trapp brats. The joke is (and I'm sure Sara would agree with this statement) in theatre, you don't really become "friends" with most of the people you work with. You do a show, have a great time for 6 weeks or so, then go your separate ways. You don't bother contacting each other again until one of you needs a theatre-related favor, or you end up working on another show together.
Life in the first grade classroom has been wonderful. I simply adore the student I'm assigned to, and am in awe of the teacher I'm working with. Lucky for me, the student's mother doesn't want it to be obvious that I'm working with her child, so I get to spend most of my time acting as a teaching assistant. (Of course my pay won't reflect that, but it is rewarding nonetheless.) The only sticking point is Claire. She struggles every single day and it's really hard to concentrate on "my students" when I can hear her screaming upstairs. KWIM?
Amy
p.s. to Renee: How's the new OTR CD? I haven't managed to get to a store to buy it yet, but plan to with my first whopper of a paycheck.


John pre-ordered it OF COURSE. When I get a chance to listen I really enjoy it. I haven't had an opportunity to put it on my iPod yet and getting the CD from his majesty is a feat, lol. I really like some of the songs. There is a great one "If a song could be president". It is rather country but I dig it alot, lol. John even put a bumper sticker on his car that looks like a presidential one but is for that song and band. Pretty funny.
Renee
Dear Amy,
Augh, trapped with the Von Trapp brats backstage, AAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!! by any chance is this also a middling-quality community musical theatre production as well? (Not that community theatre always means low-quality, but musicals are always more of a risk that way...) Hope your penance is not too painful, maybe you could sneak an iPod under a cap so as not to have to listen to too many hills being alive ... unless, of course, that's your cue lol.
The theatre camp we just finished was actually very lovely and there the kids, many of whom have been doing the camp for up to 10 years, are terrific actors, singers and people, but there was one bratty young man theatre conservatory intern diva who drove me just NUTS, made me want to b*tch-slap him across the room ... but I behaved. Mostly I tried to ignore him and his nasty self-indulgent ways. And the camp director and I are in complete agreement that he won't be back next year ha ha.
I'm so glad the job is working out for you. Here's crossing fingers that Claire and her school team will find more workable plans so she won't have to struggle so, poor baby.
Kisses and Keep climbing those mountains,
Sara
Renee- I want that bumper sticker! LOL Of course, I want your "Wine Me, Dine Me, Over The Rhine Me" one too.
Sara- I'd say you hit the nail on the head, "middling-quality community theatre". It's pretty typical C.T. fare, decent voices, mediocre choreography...and I won't comment on the acting, because I'm a real snob about singers who think "anyone can act". But it's Sound of Music so the blue hairs will be out in full force bellowing its' praises and forcing the theatre to add additional performances. Luckily, I'm about to start a show with a semi-professional (read that "non-equity") indie group. Life is so much better when you get a call, get a script, memorize your lines, endure no more than ten rehearsals, then open and close the same weekend...walking away with a bit o' cash in your pocket. (Truly, that's all I'd ever hoped to achieve with theatre.) But I gotta say, your Martha's Vineyard camp sounds amazing! I always knew that such things existed, but when you've never stepped foot anywhere even close to the coast, it's rather hard to imagine. ;-P
Oh yeah...and I discovered one major flaw with my job. If the student I'm assigned to is absent, I can't work and don't get paid. So, since the student's family is off on a Labor Day trip, I'm sitting at home in my robe, missing the rest of the class! Perhaps I should grab a shower and go find that OTR CD.
Amy
Ugh, I had to direct Guys and Dolls one year for an 8th grade play...this in a school where the kids would rather do ANYTHING other than sing, dance or act. It was actually a graduation reqirement and it was mandatory for all 8th graders....horribe scarring experience. The one year we did S of M the performance lasted FOREVER-3 hours I beliveev,....no intermission.
I miss my drama days. I think Liam would love it (he is such a ham and can mimic any accent at the drop of a aahat) but he needs a bit more maturity to be able to hack the classes and rehearsals.
Ooop, postjacking alert....my bad
Dee
Hey Dee, I was going to post back to say "Jack Away"...but realized that could easily be misconstrued. ROFLMBO
One of the first grade students mom's stopped me yesterday to tell me that after the first day of school he was telling her about the "classroom helper". When she asked my name he said, "Hmmm...I think they said it's Mrs. Wackjob". I laughed so hard I had tears rolling down my face!
So let me put it this way...Mrs. Wackjob says: Jack Away, Dee!!! Hahahahaha!
Amy
Amy, I had to get rid of my van with that sticker. I am SOOOO sad! Now I just have one that says OTR on a white oval. So boring!
I think I might load the cd on my laptop so I can listen to it now.
Renee
<So let me put it this way...Mrs. Wackjob says: Jack Away, Dee!!! Hahahahaha!>
ROFLMAO!!! **and spitting coffee alll over the screen**
Dang! Now I need the Windex...