Center Stage Youth Theatre

Posts Tagged ‘Control’

Welcome to the portion of my life where it begins to imitate art.  As we move along in the production of TBCPE I find myself feeling more and more like Grace Bradley as we move from blocking and repeated attempts to keep everybody quiet backstage to actual acting skills, set construction, props gathering and…well,  more repeated attempts to ask for quiet backstage.

My world begins to revolve now around these 28 shiny young faces in a very real way, as they begin to get a clue about the magic that lies in wait for them on December 17th.  My job now goes beyond teaching them and encouraging them and costuming them and reassuring parents and begging for help from the same parents to actually beginning to let the kids themselves take control over the show with the very important backstage guidance of the stage manager.

It never fails, and while we have our work cut out for us:  new space, new program, no budget, almost no contacts, almost no lights, and a cast of exuberant, dedicated but largely inexperienced young actors – it doesn’t matter.  Because what really matters is the way they will all feel when the curtain goes up and they realize that they are ready.  And the way they will feel when it is over and success has been had by all.

There is nothing like it.  And I love being part of this process with them.

I admit it – respect is my theme of the week with my students.  I have gotten very tired of the way some of the students talk to each other, to me and the other teachers and I despaired of knowing what to do about it, until finally I got the chance to discuss it with another teacher.  It is just not ok.  I had been so frustrated by what appeared to me to be a lack of respect, self control and just plain politeness from the kids that I had been overwrought; I did not know how to handle it.    And so after my discussion with the teacher and her admission that this was indeed not appropriate behavior  for kids with the challenges our students face, I felt finally I had to put my foot down about it in my classes Friday and to talk about it with the principal today.  He was very supportive and agreed we do our students  no service if we allow them to interact this way, and supported me in my wishing to take a harder line on the matters of common courtesy and respect.