13 Feb.1 / The Gallo Scale

Well fuckin' blow me fucking down, brothers and sisters. Gallo scale smash, it was fuckers.

So, get into school, and I'm assigned to the lib. (yay!! - I had so much work to do on a project I totallly dig - immediately jumped in). However, there came the S.O.S. = three parents had flacked out, and was there anybody available to chaperone a field trip ? Sure, of course - I got the ok from my media center bosses, and yellow bus was me to.......The Goodman to see an afternoon performance of "Shining City".

I'll just say a few words about the play it self - check the title above, and on the scale = why yes, we have the BCS #1 ranked play for 2008 this early in the season. I refused to read anything about it when waiting for it- just wanted it to flow. Flow it did, from kickoff to the final whistle.

What I wanna write , though, is about the kids. Most of the big playhouses have these sorta educational outreaches, so my school - a performing arts school - has lots of trips going to plays. LAst year I made two - i'll find the review from last year after my flurry fingers stop. And, I've said it before, I just LOVE LOVE LOVE that milleau* of the kids. The Kids? well, my especiality is that 14-18 age range, and I know I'm good. I may not be the best teacher- my school has so many 'Jordans' and 'Jeters' it's very humbling - or the best librarian -my two bosses are Godesses in the realm. However, I'm pretty good, and I fully know that the kids prosper in my presence. Remember that period of 6w when I was teaching history again? I just so love the Love each and every kid I had shows me in the halls or classes when I see them. Seriously guys, there's so much Love in this world, and I'm so confident about the future of our country w/ these splendid people. (ok, so I had a good time yesterday, and from time to time I can't hide it. god do I gotta get a fulltime job).

So,real point of this post is the experience of watching live theatre w/ 400 cps kids. I love it. Don't get me wrong - there were those who decided to text/sleep/chat their way through the play, but basically most watched.

And the reactions!! So different from an adult soddened audience. I'm not gonna give out the particular points, but just the bursts from the kids.

First, the play was set in Eire (Dublin to be exact), and every other word fromone of the four characters was "Fuck" or "Fucks sake" or "fooook". We were warnd, but for the first 30m, bursts of laughter from THIS audience everytime the F word** was alighted. The kids stopped after a bit, but I must amidt I snickered from their reaction.

Then there was a scene of violence - a bit of a double shove - and man they reacted to that. Then there was another scence that was ambigious - well, sorta - and the reaction that swept the audience then.

But there was one scene- can't even let slip anything - that mite have gotten The greatest reaction of any theatre audience I have ever been apart of in my entire two score and two. Fuck, fucks sake, and foook did pandemonium strike our 400 when what went down WENT DOWN. I know, I know, no ones ever gonna see this play, and if they do, it won't be with 400 kids - I should just tell you what happened. But that reaction. Kinna ever ruin it, and feel guilty that I have even semi-outed the scene.

It's why we are alive, that reaction - well part of, since to love ones enemies and to love oneself and to bring life and bring it abundently to people*** and all that - that's also why we are alive. But also, to be a aprt of that reaction.

Sent an email about to the young parents in my circles after I got back to school that day. Me full of life, full of kids screaming and shouting joyously, full of full - I just wanted you'all to experience something similar. It's not the same, but I was just so psyched w/ the theatre and kids and life and......................... ok , I stop.

Let me go searching for Sally.
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*=blame "Sorry and the pity"- y'll be seeing this term a lot in years to come. Blame the French.
**=No, Mistress, not THAT F word.
***=no, I haven't forgotten my Spong.