Teaching is Hard

I have much respect for high school teachers. This week I spent a couple of days teaching movement classes at a high school in North County. Four classes in a row. I dripped home and dragged myself into bed every night. Today was a less stressful day and I'm still exhausted - totally spent after talking these kids through class. I have a new understanding of why my teachers loved to give in-class work so they could sit silently behind their desk and watch us do our thing. After an hour and a half of constant talking, my throat was torn to shreds.

It's not that I don't like the kids either; I think they're all pretty great. Smart, not over-chatty, full of excitement and wonder - less cynical than I thought they'd be. I have another week with them. I might be used to schedule by the time I finish up.

I had my final callbacks for the piece I'm directing there as well. It's hard to cast a small piece when so many people want it and audition so well. I'm doing a project based on the Brecht/Weill collaboration of "Seven Deadly Sins," and I was pleasently surprised on how many students were interested in attacking Brecht. He certainly scares off people much older and wiser.

I have four days off coming up. I am, in a word, stoked. This will give me an opportunity to get a good handle on all of these projects I've got my hands in. I leave with John for Chicago in less than two weeks and I still feel like there are so many loose ends to tie up before I leave. I want to completely enjoy Ireland in every way without worrying that something isn't getting done.

Click on the link to go to "True Majority." John sent me a petition to, hopefully, get ABC to pull the new docudrama about 9/11 that is supposed to air in 48 hours. The show is basically attempting to rewrite history in order to cast the Republicans in a much stronger light, and blame the Democrats for the terrorist attacks. It is completely exploitative, partisan and factually dishonest. So much so that even Rush Limbaugh was surprised that the network agreed to air it. Help them see the error of their ways and sign the petition.