Life's a Stage

One of the great things about living near my alma matter is the stuff that matters that happens there. Example: UC Santa Cruz hosts Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s summer season. I experienced two shows this past week. I don’t want to simply use the see verb and say I saw two shows. That is not what live theatre is all about. One experiences live theatre. Like Jimi Hendrix. Are you experienced?

In the company of my dear book group friends, I experienced Burn This by Lanford Wilson. Picture the perfect NYC artist’s loft. Tall windows and ceiling, exposed pipes and wires, an expanse of scruffy hard wood floors. Place your feet on those floors and let your mind mosey on back to the 1980’s. Talk about a trip down memory lane. Here I am watching a show about a dancer on a stage on which I performed as a dancer. (True! I was a dance major at UCSC.) To top it off, the set looks remarkably like the Chelsea apartment in which I have spent truly quality time.

For last night’s performance the theatre was transformed into a street in front of a church in Leipzig, Germany, circa 1700. Itamar Moses, the author of Bach at Leipzig is only 30 years old and really, really cute. (If you don't believe me, check out his photo in the playbill.) The play is a goofy comedy complete with sword fights, a gay guy, and rapid fire entrances and exits perfectly timed with the silly jokes. One fundamental thing you must understand about this show: all the musicians in Germany were called either Georg or Johann. Another fundamental: it is based on a true story.

If you’re seriously serious, click on over to the Wall Street Journal review of the Shakespeare Santa Cruz season: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121876098005742875.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Also, enjoy the New York Times piece about Itamar, which includes this:
Question: “How come you get to hang out with Tom Stoppard?"
Answer:“I think I'm just that charming." http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/06/theater/newsandfeatures/06zino.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Am I Home or on Vacation?

Am I on vaction? Yes.

Am I home? Yes.

I had lunch today with teacher friends out on the Capitola Wharf. Looking from the water toward the village and beach - it is so darn cute. Hundreds of Junior Lifeguards kids were running about in their red or blue bathing suits. Absolutely precious.

Speaking of children.

The days of summer vacation are dwindling. Twelve days till the job officially begins again. I don't dread it, but I am not wishing for time to fly, either.

Mentally and physically I am on the job already. I have been in my classroom two days so far, applying elbow grease to the desks. Translation: I have been scrubbing (hard!) the seats of the 36 desks in my room. I can do about a dozen at a time before the sweat inside the rubble gloves grosses me out, my back aches, and I quit.

I have a challenge ahead of me. After six years of teaching 6th graders, I will face 8th graders instead. The change is my choice. The good news: I will have students I know. The bad news: I will have students I know.

During the last few days I've read S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders. It is the standard 8th grade novel at our school. But I'm thinking TWO novels are better than one. I'm half way through Huckleberry Finn. Wouldn't that just be a perfect fit for the part of the year when the kids learn about the US Civil War? Oh yeah. Maybe I had better brush up on that subject, too.